The EM Residency Match Advice Series is back with its latest installment! For the first time, our team puts a regional flavor on an episode as we take a deep dive into the Northern California residency programs in Emergency Medicine (EM). These programs infuse multiple opportunities for regional collaboration into the residency experience. Activities include an annual incoming chief resident forum, Nor-Cal Sim Wars, wellness outings, and more! Hosted by Dr. Michael Gisondi, watch the video Google Hangout or listen to the edited Soundcloud podcast version to learn more about each of the programs and this special regional collaboration.

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It’s that time of year again… when the sun is shining, the flowers are in bloom… and new senior medical students are preparing for next year’s Match.

Emergency Medicine (EM) remains a very popular specialty choice. EM enjoys a 99% annual fill rate in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) Main Residency Match, with approximately 80% of positions going to U.S. allopathic senior medical students. Students seek many sources of career advice when preparing for their EM clerkships and the residency interview process. Unfortunately, career advice often comes from near-peers and medical school faculty members in other specialties, rather than EM residency directors and clerkship directors. Given the variable quality of information offered as ‘career advice,’ students can be left with inaccurate and confusing opinions about how to assess their candidacy and compete in the Match.

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Match season came to a close last month – and with that, some 17,000 U.S. medical school seniors earned a PGY-1 position. Most will go on to complete these programs and have happy, successful careers in their chosen specialty. But for a small number, second thoughts will creep in during residency. Maybe a life event changes the way a resident looks at his or her role in providing care; or perhaps exposure to another specialty – EM for example – occurred late in the fourth year of medical school. For these atypical applicants, there is a dearth of resources to help guide a re-match, if you will, and no guide for navigating the policies and politics associated with changing one’s mind.

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In this tenth installment of the EM Match Advice series, we go back to the beginning. As a medical student, how does one know if emergency medicine is the right career choice? Is it all guts, glory, and excitement? Are ONLY working 28 hours per week? Listen to this fascinating discussion with our panelists, facilitated by Dr. Michael Gisondi (EM Program Director at Northwestern). The panelists include Dr. Michele Dorfsman (PD at University of Pittsburg), Dr. Brian Levine (PD at Christiana Care), Dr. Larissa Velez (PD at UT Southwestern), and Dr. Michelle Lin (ALiEM/UCSF).

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