A New Year and a New Application Cycle

For students interested in Applying to Emergency Medicine for the 2016 Match, the application cycle starts now. Really. 

This post is to get you started on the process and to serve as a guide to some of the resources on this blog.

Your first task is to decide if EM is right for you as a career (be sure to follow the links to ERcast and St.Emlyn's at the bottom of the page - they offer very helpful perspectives).

You may not be able to make a final decision on EM until you complete your first rotation but you will need to lay the groundwork for your application in advance. As you are planning your fourth year schedule, these are some of the biggest questions to consider (linked to what we have to say about them):

• When and where are you going to do EM rotations?
• Away rotation?
• What kind of letters will you need?
• What should you be collecting for the ERAS application?
• When should you take step 2?
• How do you know if you are a competitive applicant?
• How do you know which programs are competitive?
• How do you choose which programs to apply to?

The advice you find on this blog is not one-size-fits-all. We try to reflect the consensus opinions of the membership of Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine (CDEM) and the Council of Residency Directors (CORD), but we do not speak for them. Nor does their membership always agree. When something is controversial, we try to address that controversy. We believe we are a source of sound, balanced, and accurate advice on becoming an emergency physician in the United States. We also have no doubt that you will find different opinions elsewhere. 

To help you sort through all of the differing opinions you may find, you need the guidance of a local EM advisor, in addition to your Dean. You need someone who knows the EM application process and can help you navigate issues specific to students from your school and region. If you cannot find anyone, or you need advice from a different region you can often find help from SAEM's e-advisors program or the EMRA mentorship program. 

Adam Kellogg is an Associate Residency Director and formerly an Emergency Medicine Clerkship Director.  He is a member of the CORD EM Student Advising Task Force and of the SAEM Resident and Student Advisory Committee. He has written for EMRA about the EM Match.