Throughout this post you find links to useful pages within this blog and outside resources to help you better understand the process of applying to EM
Where?
- Home - if your school has an EM residency, you should start with a home rotation
- This gets you a letter called a Standardized Letter of Evaluation (SLOE)
- You will be in familiar surroundings and a system you know, so you can focus on learning EM as you are starting out
- Away - even if you have multiple options at your school you should do an away
- This gets you a second SLOE
- This throws you into the deep end - you won't be familiar with your surroundings, you will have to learn a new system, and you will do it all while progressing forward from your first rotation
When?
- As soon as you can get them, between May and October is ideal
- Schools and rotations have different requirements, so start looking now
- Earlier is better so your SLOEs are written and in your application, ready to be reviewed for interview offers
- Many programs will review your application and consider you for interviews with one SLOE. EMRA match lists how many SLOE are required at each program for an application to be reviewed
- Dates for electives may not match with your schools blocks
- Review the dates carefully
- Visiting Student Application Service(VSAS) allows you to apply to most rotations
- SAEM.org has a student directory that can help with planning
- EMRA Match Student Directory provide interactive maps of the United States that links to information on EM rotations in the country, including those that do not participate in the VSAS
- Many rotations ask for a letter of recommendation
- Decide who will do this for you, and ask them ahead of time. This will allow your application to go smoothly
- Generally the rotation wants someone to vouch for you as a student in good standing, interested in applying to EM
- Start early
- Try to envision where you want to be for residency and rotate some place similar in location, structure, or culture
- A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
- Take what is offered to ensure you have the two early rotations you need, rather than waiting for the perfect one
- Variety is the spice of life
- This is a great time to try out someplace new
- If you already have a 3 year program rotation, see what a 4 year program is like
- If you rotate in community for one try a county or hybrid program for the other
- EMRA Match Residency Directory has information on the programs associated with rotations and lists many of these characteristics
Lucienne Lutfy-Clayton is an Associate Residency Director, former Medical Student Clerkship Director, a past Chair of the CORD-EM Student Advising Task Force, current co-Chair of the CORD-EM Application Process Improvement Task Force and lead author on the SATF Applying Guide and Frequently Asked Questions.
I was just wondering at what point in the cycle should we worry if we haven't gotten a response from programs? I've applied to 8 programs with dates in july or august just for reference. If i dont hear by May should I start looking for rotations on different dates?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
There is a lot of variation on when programs can start accepting applications so now is not necessarily panic time. That is info the rotation should make available though you may need to politely contact their coordinator.
DeleteHowever, July and August are the MOST competitive blocks so it may be a good idea to start putting out applications for september (and even october - though this is a less than ideal time to get a letter).
You can also increase the number of July/August rotations you apply to.
Hey Dr. Kellogg,
ReplyDeleteI had a question
Is there a reason the SLOE's are kept undisclosed? It is more important than the step score, and I think knowing how we did would reduce application burden (eg, applying to 30 instead of 40 programs out of uncertainty). I feel like it is the equivalent to applying to a medical school without knowing your mcat score.
That is an outstanding question AND a topic of ongoing debate on the side of the program directors. The resistance to making the SLOE's transparent, like the MSPE, is the fear of it losing honest objective assessment. The reason it carries more weight than the board scores is that in its present form the SLOE provides better information for predicting clinical success.
DeleteThe fear is that the quality of information would decay if the contents were visible and the SLOE would be no better than regular LOR's (which are 99.9% glowingly positive).
We think the EM match process is better for the presence of the SLOE's and NOT having more objective letters would lead to over-reliance on step scores and class rank in deciding who gets interviews.
If it could be ensured that the utility of the SLOE would not be harmed by making them transparent to the applicant, I believe a lot of program directors would support that. But that is a big IF.
Thank you for the great question.