Frequently Asked Questions

Good question! It is constantly changing and many parts of EM as a job are particular or change with the region you work in. This is where getting a physician mentor can be really handy.

Generally, most EM docs are hired to work a certain number of hours, most contracts require around 120hrs/month to be considered full time. So if you work 12-hr shifts, 10 shifts/month is full time. If you work 10-hr shifts, 12 shifts/month is full time. If you work 8-hr shifts, 15 shifts/month is full time. Those 3 are typically the only options.  Everywhere you work, nights, holidays and weekends are required although how they are divided among the group/staff is different. 

A typical day at work also depends on how busy and what kind of facility you work at, but everyone's day starts with the "sign out."  This event is when the doc going home gives you a rundown/summary of the all patients the department. Then you start seeing patients. Some days it gets really busy and some days it isn't. For most docs it is important to have balance for both busy vs calm days as well as nights vs days. 

Check out interviews from shadowing:

24 years of practice 

6 years of practice

This is a very controversial and personal question. Honestly, we can't answer it for you. You have to develop your own reasons. 

However, for a place to start. We suggest going to our "Why EM" page, including watching the video that is posted there for info on the birth of the specialty. It is also suggested to start exploring, ask questions, be involved, and know both sides of every coin (the pros & cons). If you want other's advice or perspectives be sure to explore the links provided in the site, and also we've included a few below to give you a place to start.

• Choosing EM

• Is EM right for me?

Also in light of COIVD, ask yourself: If another pandemic happens, am I willing to be on the front line possibly unprotected, to risk myself for my patients?  If this is not something you are willing to do, EM is not right for you, since this is FUNDAMENTAL to our job description.

Hospitals (and subsequently their ERs) are ranked according to their "Trauma Level."  This determines the types of patients brought in by ambulances or are transferred in. These are helpful to know when looking for residencies.

• Trauma V (LOWEST) - ED evaluation 24hrs a day guaranteed but transfers out most trauma.

• Trauma IV - ED physician 24hrs and has transfer agreements with surrounding Trauma II or Trauma I.

• Trauma III - ED physician 24hrs with general surgeons on call. 

• Trauma II - Can take most traumas. 24hr in house ED physician & gen surgery with consult services like ortho, neurosurg, anesthesia, radiology and ICU. 

• Trauma I (HIGHEST) - Handles any and all traumas. ED, Surgery and Trauma in house 24hrs.  Has all of the above services on call and includes plastic surg, oral/maxillofacial, peds and actively has hand in teaching medicine and doing community education. 

This is a complex answer. It limited student away rotations, decreased ER visits and squeezed the specialty as a whole. Many hospitals went bankrupt due to no incoming money from surgeries or ER visits and therefore closed. This means many board-certified ER doctors are/were without jobs which only increases the competitiveness of the specialty. We are hoping it will recover soon.

It is also something that made many people re-evaluate if EM is right for them. Would you risk your family to save others? This is FUNDAMENTAL to your decision for EM. If the answer is no, EM is not right for you. 

Here are a few articles worth reading:

• "its not your imagination: no jobs anywhere"

• "Away rotations in COVID pandemic"

COVID also changed things about rotations, and here is an overall guide that might help. 

As a whole, controversies are ever-evolving and its too hard to say if there will ever be a resolution. So here are a few topics and some ways to read up about them. Remember these do not reflect the opinions of the specialty, they are just the heavy hitting discussion topics.

• Too many residencies?:   View this link

• "Mid-Level Creep":  View this link

• Med School Debt: View this link

• Patient Satisfaction Survey Scoring: View this link

• CMG influence: View this link

• Increasing Psych Holds: View this link

Highly recommended to check out the EMRA website as well as the other professional organizations student sites. You can find a list of these and their links on our resources page.  We have also amassed a large amount of information on our resource pages. 

You can also check out forum sites such as studentdoctornetwork or you can come to our meetings/send us an email.

Explore! I mean it, not just EM but many specialties. Get a solid idea of what your future could look like in several fields.  This year is also important because you will need figure out several of the hardest things to know:  

1- How do you learn best? Not just for tests but for real life? Can you achieve social life and med school?
2- What are your personal strengths and weaknesses? You need to be honest to yourself up front. This will make the choosing easier later. 

Once you learn about yourself and get comfortable with medical school you can start on projects to pad you CV for any specialty. Those are typically things like:

• Get involved with a research project

• Volunteer at a few long term places you can do throughout the next few years

• Get involved with and be leadership for several clubs or student organizations (like EMIG)

• Start 1 hobby that has nothing to do with medicine (if you having nothing to talk about other than medicine at your interview, nobody wants to talk to you)

• Create and/or clean up your CV and keep it up to date

Finally, expose yourself to EM. Do your research, shadow, sign up for the preceptorship at the end of MS1. Test your theories to see if you like it.

Its best to start clinicals with an open mind and consider what you like most and least about each one. Some folks even write it down at the end of each one. Its also important to try to see beyond particular people (residents/attendings) both good and bad and into what it would be like FOR YOU to do that job for the next decade or so. Does your personality fit? Is the lifestyle tolerable for what you want for yourself?  This year should be some hard soul searching. What you want in a career and what you would be happy in? And especially, what would be your second choice/backup plan? 

For your application, its important to:

• finish up your research if you haven't already, oral presentation at conferences can look really good

• keep volunteering if you can

• Honor in a few of your rotations

The second half of the year is going to involve arranging your fourth year and your audition rotations. See below for info on the VLSO. We would also encourage you to come to the Match Panel that takes place after the match, where the fourth years give their advice to the third years. 

Yes. You do. By fourth year your decision has already been made. This entire first part of the year is dominated with Audition rotations, SLOEs, ERAS applications, essays, interviews, and rank lists. Then finally in March you get to the Match.  We have TONS of information about all of that below. 

Please remember to do yourself a BIG favor- have a backup plan. Just in case. 

After the match, please remember EMIG. We do a match panel to help out the upcoming MS3s. And then you should just relax and enjoy while you can.

You have more options! You should focus on exposing yourself to EM and trying to checkout your professional organizations (links in our PA page). You should also research and consider if you want to do a fellowship or not. And you need to do well on your exams.

Okay, fine. We made this guide by year PDF, but you can also check out:

• CORD Printable Guide

• EMRA In depth Guide

So we have alot of info & resources. But if you want to start with someone else's recommendations: 

• EMRA's Applying EM Guide

• EMRA's Post-COVID EM Links & Resource PDF

Straight answer: 240 and above. Since Step 1 is now pass/fail, Step 2 score along with Honoring in your rotations will be VERY IMPORTANT.

After asking many a PD, summary statement is: 

• someone who KNOWS what they are getting into (has actually explored the specialty - good and bad)

• someone who is willing to constantly learn despite not knowing it yet (responds well to critiques & is willing to make mistakes by DOING rather than watching someone else do first)

• someone who is a self-motivated and doesn't need to spoon-fed what to do next (figure out what the next step is on your own)

• someone who can do what needs to be done without complaining

• someone who folks WANT to spend 12 hours a day (a whole shift) with!

Lots of students focus on having something for every box and ask questions like "do I need research and is that required" and the answer is that there isn't an exact checklist you need to complete. Directors want people are passionate about and therefore trying to do things to get into EM, they don't WANT a "Box-checker"  they want someone who has done things to prove they are into EM, even if its something they've never seen before.

“It’s about not just saying what you have done, but how you have done it, how you will integrate it into your career, and what it says about who you are,” said AMA member Chadd Kraus, DO, DrPH, associate program director of the emergency medicine residency at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania, and system director of research for Geisinger Emergency Medicine. 

Interesting article about what Program Directors look for- with ranking order of importance in the graphics. 

For specifics on test scores, there are program averages available on the EMRA MATCH site however, you should aim for above average scores with some shadowing or other medical exposure, and volunteer work. EM personalities tend to want to do things outside of work and are a "work hard-play hard" kind of mentality.

You are only allowed to apply 4 letters to each program through ERAS. And to apply EM, you must have 1 SLOR/SLOE.

SLOE (standardized letter of Evaluation) also referred to as SLOR (standardized letter of Recommendation) is a letter of recommendation written by the WHOLE department/committee, rather than just one person. These can only be provided by an EM dept that has an EM residency program and only if the student completed a 4th year rotation at that site. So make this happen!!

The goal of the SLOE is to give the reader an honest picture and evaluation of your performance on the rotation. It compares you to other students who did the rotation that year and previous years. And it includes more than just your medical knowledge, it will take into account your personality, professionalism and if they want to work with you for 3 years or not. So bring your A game and always be kind to those around you. Anyone you work with during this rotation could be on the evaluation committee including attendings, residents, nursing staff, techs, and even some of the health unit secretaries.

To get a good inside picture of the what the SLOE looks like, we recommend looking at an example SLOR (its from 2016 but you get an idea). There is tons of information about this on many of the sites we recommend in our resources. You can also start with this 2020 YouTube video made by CORD.

For your other letters, make sure they are folks who will write you a SPECIFIC and GLOWING recommendation. Nothing is worse than getting a mediocre or form letter of recc-- or worse a negative review. Pick the faculty that know you best, maybe its a professor or a rotation that isn't EM. Make sure you are upfront about applying EM and give them a way to say no, you want a positive review!!

I can't go over everything here, but most of these are obvious:

•  Failures of classes, rotations or tests. 

•  unexplained absence in training.

•  unprofessional social media accounts. 

•  unflattering or mediocre letter of recommendation.

If you have a red flag, you MUST address this in your personal statement or somewhere in your application.  Its also important that if its a big problem, sometimes there is no getting over it or anticipating it. Its why we always recommend to have a reasonable backup plan.

Its really hard to address this topic without knowing your individual weakness. But in general, if it is a big one-- like a red flag-- address it head on (like EM does with all disasters) by mentioning it in your application or personal statement. Its also important that if its a big one, sometimes there is no getting over it. Its why we always recommend weak candidates have a reasonable backup plan.

If its not a red flag, but more like a yellow one, again its best to get specific advice from your EM mentor. But you can never go wrong with increasing your clinical exposure to express your resolve. Do shadowing, do extra ICU or Ultrasound rotation, go above and beyond on the things you do have. The things that look best are the things you are most passionate about. 

If you need more specifics from there, contact our faculty advisor Dr Faulconer, or email the program director where you want to go and ask for advice. Sooner is always better than later. 

There are two really good resources. Be sure to look at the "clerkship" or "rotation" tab not the residency or fellowship tab:

• EMRA Match Site

• SAEM Site

Audition rotations or Aways are applied to via VLSO in the spring of third year, but the rotation is completed early fourth year, hopefully before ERAS opens. Pay attention to their dates (often set in stone) and compare it to your blocks. If it is off even 1 week, it could throw your whole schedule off and most schools won't change their dates. 

Yes and no. 

The most prestigious away rotation can teach you a ton, but that also means they compare you to every student who rotates there. This is generally considered very risky to your application and to your SLOE/SLOR. If you were a great student, but the other students who rotated with you cured cancer in Africa or invented the light bulb, you are going to be ranked as "lower third" of the students who rotated. This can hurt you. Beware!  But same can be said for rotating at a place that is known to have "lower knowledge students" or who "gives everyone good SLOEs" so you want to go somewhere where you would actually consider matching. 

It is more important to think about if you want to stay in Texas for residency or if you want to go out of state. You have to plan this now. If you want to stay in Texas for residency, do your away in Texas. If you do not want to stay in Texas, you must do your away out of state. If you haven't decided you better get on it!

If you plan on doing your residency out of Texas, it is important you show program directors your willingness to leave the state by doing an away/audition outside of Texas. It is 100% okay to email clerkship directors before VLSO opens. 

If you want to stay in Texas for residency, its best to do your away in Texas.

Prepare! There are loads of ways to do this. We have a list for you on our resources page, including podcasts, pocket guides, apps, reference sites, and even a video how to improve your EM presentation! But if you need more generals things:

1. Increase your knowledge of the specialty

   • Be aware of EM history (we recommend the 24|7|365 video on our Why EM page)

   • Have some understanding of the controversial issues in EM

   • Ask a real EM doc, come to our meetings, or Google/YouTube it - don't forget about our resources page

2. Increase your EM knowledge

   • Again, gotta refer you to our resource page. Its there for a reason. But don't limit yourself. Have you googled it? Have you asked upper levels or ER residents or docs? Have you ever heard of YouTube? 

3. Be a go getter. 

   • Do this by actually WANTING to be there, and showing it. Things like arrive early & stay late or volunteer for night or weekend shift.  Never turn down a procedure.  Always try to be helpful/anticipate the needs to your attending/resident. Studying 1 thing you saw that day after each shift, don't just show up and expect everyone else to teach you. Be someone people want to spend a shift with. Anticipate what the resident/attending will want next or need and have it done or waiting before they need it. This is always noticed.

4. Master your EM presentation

   • This is how your knowledge base is judged EXCLUSIVELY. Is your thought process too internal medicine or surgical? Can you figure out emergency diagnoses or did you forget the most likely? There is a video to watch on our resources page and we also recommend the EM Basics Guide to help with your differentials. But why not practice and get feedback by shadowing a UTMB ER doc BEFORE you go?

5. Know when to ask questions (have some prepared) and when to stand back

   • The best way to do this is having experience by shadowing in the ER and maybe on an EMS ride along and also using common sense

6. 
   

• - On the first day everything is overwhelming, you are not expected to perform like an intern immediately- just orient yourself to the ED (where are the procedure kits, blankets, water, IVs, irrigation, US is kept. How do traumas work (your role, where to stand), who are you presenting to, what are their expectations (ask after you introduce yourself for every shift.), do you write notes, what is your role on the team, are you allowed to do procedures, what computer do you use, where do you sit, how does the EMR work, and then gradually work your way up. I shadowed a resident for the first pt and then saw pts myself. 

• - Remember everyone's names and use them, introduce yourself to everyone. 

• - Go in with something you want to work on and then ask for feedback 30 min before the shift ends bc sign out is too chaotic and then everyone wants to leave.

• - follow up on your patients - always update your dispo.

• - Present to the attending, not just the senior resident. 

• - When a trauma comes in or you have no idea what's going on, when in doubt just go get the US. 

• - Be careful- wear your PPE and your lead vest if staying for xrays during traumas. Everyone wants to do the cool stuff, but protect yourself first. If you place any tubes- you are responsible for making sure the xray confirms placement. Do not walk away until confirmed. 

• - Don't get bitten by a pt. (not worth it)  

• - Don't physically restrain a pt. Let those with more experience do it or you may get hurt. 

• - at some point ask an APD to review your app (step scores, clerkship grades, personal statement, performance in rotation-->SLOE, redflags) to assess how competitive you are, and ascertain deficiencies

• - ask to do procedures, if you are offered something that you are unfamiliar with say "idk how to do that, but can you teach me?" and go for it.

• - Never lie about anything. If you forgot to ask the pt a question, just say so and go back and ask. If you don't know, then be honest. 

• - don't be idle, but don't be annoying, if it's a dead shift: practice your scans on the pts, help the nurses, practice IVs/ US IVs, ask about residency things-- like you can ask them interview questions (what are the current issues that the field is facing, what could be done to improve the system, etc. pick their brain a bit and gain some insight.)

• - Help your fellow students, teach them when you learn something, call them over to help with procedures, if another student is taking over your patient then give them a sign out too.

• - Be early (15 min), you can stay late, if finishing up a procedure. I wouldn't infringe on another student coming on shift. 

• - Be you! let your personality shine through, make them laugh, have a good time. They will remember the energy you give off and if you were easy to talk to. Take the feedback that they give you and incorporate it, you must demonstrate that you are teachable. You don't have to know everything, but you have to work hard.  

Lots of 4th years ask this question, but it counts for third year too if you get a selective. The answer is anything you are weak at! Remember that EM is a little bit of everything - so every rotation you do or did is something that will help you be a better EM doc. Understanding what our consultants do, what they want to know, and how they talk to each other is invaluable. 

If you are still insistent consider these:  pediatric EM, extra ICU, ophthalmology, orthopedics, radiology, inpatient specialties like nephrology, urology, neurosurgery, and finally if you have access to one ultrasound/wilderness medicine/toxicology. 

So the number varies by year and COVID has changed things. At this time the MOST you are allowed to do is 2 because you are "orphaned" students without a home EM residency at Galveston. But often you can only get one and only one is required. We are recommending applying to 3-5 spots to get just 1 rotation. Remember to pay attention to their dates and your and try to have them match up. Talk to students above you to help with the nitty gritty advice or feel free to attend one of the EMIG events.

We highly recommend you look at the VLSO website and the application requirements months before its due. This is NOT something you can just do quickly the day before. The #1 thing you must do in advance is research which sites you would want to go to. For links refer to the question above "how do i find away/audition rotations?"  Other things you can do in advance include:

• update your CV

• write a statement about why EM

• 
  

There are two really good resources. Be sure to look at the "clerkship" or "rotation" tab not the residency or fellowship tab:

• EMRA Match Site

• SAEM Site

Luckily, EMIG @ UTMB has one, but you have to be a member. We send it out on our mailing list after Christmas your third year. If you didn't get one or are not a member, talk to our president and be sure to JOIN.

There are quite a few helpful resources on the official ERAS website, but it does make you piece meal all the necessary information together with multiple clicks. Know that your school must do many things before you can access the blank application. Until then here are the general things to look at and get your wallet ready for:

• Photograph  (if you don' t have them, get a professional one done, your school photo is generally seen as 'lazy')

• Deans Letter (this is released by your school on a certain date and is out of your control)

• Med School Transcript (typically you will have pay for this to be released)

• USMLE Scores (these must be sent electronically by USMLE, again for money)

• SLOR (uploaded by the program who wrote it via a link you send them)

• letter of recommendation (some schools want at least one, worthwhile to have a few, letter writers must upload them)

• Personal Statement (never too early to start! See question below for more)

• Updated CV (you will be manually entering every bit of this info, not just a PDF of what you already made. Take advantage of the "description" box because it can be like a little mini essay for each activity. So thoughtfully write/plan these out)

The # of schools depends on how competitive you are. EMRA has great guidance for evaluating your competitiveness as an applicant here and here (2nd link requires you to be a member). Recent UTMB graduates say this was VERY HELPFUL in determining how competitive they are and how many programs to apply to!

In general, the recommendation is 30-40 applications for the average applicant. More competitive applicants could submit less, and less competitive applicants should submit more. For every deficiency on your application, add 10 programs. Class of 2025 MD Seniors across the US averaged 41 applications.

This is just as important as determining how many programs. Here are some things to think about:

· Location

· Type: county, community, academic

· Program features

o Fellowships (for mentorship--life flight, wilderness, US, global health, etc.))

o 4 years vs 3 years

§ 4-year programs are clustered on the East and West coast. Ask them what is the purpose of their fourth year- what are you getting out of it?

o # of shifts per block and hours

o # of electives

o # of sites/hospitals visited

o ED Patient Volume

o Pathology

o Class size (some have 5 residents/class, others 25)

· Culture

o Relationship with trauma, diversity, mentorship, wellness, longitudinal peds, relationship with attendings (safe learning environment), graduated responsibility vs early autonomy, how is the ED set up, moonlighting

· Career goals - fellowship, etc.

Overwhelming, but a few of those are underlined. Another way to think about this how do certain programs stand out? Apply to places that match your priorities, include a few “reach” schools, and make sure your list is realistic based on your competitiveness. The truth about residency is as long as you get one, pass the boards, nobody really cares where you went- they care how good of a doctor you are.

This one’s pretty easy. Yes. Don’t leave that space blank. Pick 3 regions where you have the most schools you’re applying to, and write a brief explanation about what your ties are to that region. Schools within these regions will see that you’re more likely to want to match there, and it will increase your chances of getting an interview at that school (AAMC). Schools outside those 3 regions can’t see what you write, or that you picked other regions. In short, picking a region just makes you more attractive to programs within those regions and you’ll be more likely to land an interview (though not at much as signals).

Signals are super important. They say one thing to a program: “I really want to go here, please give me an interview.” Programs take them seriously, and some deliberately prioritize students who signal their program when picking who to interview. In the 2025 Match, programs interviewed applicants who signaled them at more than twice the rate of those who didn’t signal (AAMC).

Here are the basics: you get 5 signals, and they are all the same (i.e. no gold vs silver). Send them to programs you’re super interested in. You have to assign signals before your application goes out, so be thinking about this ahead of time.

Don’t signal your home program – this is a waste of a signal. If you’re at all interested in staying, just say so!

Signaling away programs is program-dependent. Most will tell you not to waste a signal on them. If you rotate there, they know you’re interested. Just ask if you should signal them.

For everyone else, be strategic. If you’re really interested in a particular program, signal them!

We recommend these two sites. Be sure to click on the "residency" tab and not the other two.

• EMRA Match Site

• SAEM Site

Easy answer: one that teaches you what you need to know. The harder question is how to know if that residency will have what you need. Its hard to tell even with personal visits and asking residents. You never know what the statistics really mean or if the residents are being honest. Sometimes, you just have to have faith and sometimes the devil is in the details. Ask yourself how you learn best, then consider if they have that environment. 

• How big a class do they have? Do you like smaller or bigger? Is it all IMGs, or all males, or all females? How diverse are the previous classes?

• What is the relationship with the nurses or midlevels like?

• How do the attendings interact with the residents? What kind of bedside teaching do you see? Is it your style?

• What kind of trauma/pathology/patients do they get alot of?  Do you want more bread&butter or more zebras&trauma?

• How are traumas handled? do they share with trauma surgery or is it all EM?

• EMRA Residency Selection Reccs

This is important in your planning, it is important to submit your application the FIRST DAY that it opens for the best chance to match. It won't end you if you are later than that, but it does lower your chances. 

Official ERAS Timeline

Chronically, students always procrastinate starting this and its always a rush at the end.  Be sure to answer the questions 1- Why did you pick EM?  and    2- Why should they pick you?    Its important to spend time on the personal statement - by that I mean go through at least 3 drafts, have at least 4 unrelated people read it, and consider having a mentor or the EMIG faculty read it. EMRA has personal statement resources you should consider.  Most students spend 1-2 months writing and rewriting it- and its the ONLY part of your application that shows something personal to YOU.   It should not be longer than 1 page - and no changing font and size can't be changed in ERAS.

Program directors report their staff DO read the personal statements which helps them pick who gets an interview. Many want to learn something about you rather than hearing the same thing over and over ("i want to help people"). I have also heard the advice that you should include something that gives the reader ideas for questions or discussion during the interview, although that is not a requirement. 

Finally, if you have a red flag/failed grade/deficiency you need to address or explain it. This includes if you took a year off for any reason. 

Yep, this is a new bit of interviewing that only a few folks have gone through thanks to COVID. 

Benefits:  you can do multiple 

- Work on it early and finish it early, because you can download a pdf of it and send it to career counseling for proofreading. 

- Register for the NRMP ASAP

- In the description box for things, you can do bullet points or short text. EM generally prefers short bullet points bc it is easier to read. I did some weird combination of both. I wouldn't list your membership in every single org, just the relevant ones or ones you think might make good conversation.

- If you are planning to add undergrad stuff, make sure it is relevant. Research is fine.

-  There are only about 4-5 schools that require a personalized personal statement, you can find out by clicking the school name on ERAS and reading the description. off the top of my head, a few were stanford, emory, advocate christ... and others.

Needs to be submitted on time or earlier, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You can submit the main app, pay, and then add your personal statement later, if you're making final adjustments, but make sure it gets assigned. 

USE A PROPER EMAIL (not KickUrFace23 or whatever). all your offers will come to the email. I used my utmb email and turned notifications on. Make sure all your letters and personal statements are assigned, not just uploaded.

# to apply to: (based on your competitiveness) in previous years 40-60, COVID: 60+, for every major deficiency +10, red flags: +15-20

Cost: we spent about $2k, you will make this money back later, invest now.

Good news, there are all kinds. Check out some of the resource links, youtube, and other forums. EMIG also has an ERAS tips email that goes out to members only in the spring of third year. If you haven't joined, do so. If you are a member but you didn't get a copy, contact our president or our faculty advisor.

As of the 2023-2024 Match cycle, the data says 8 interviews nets you a >95% chance of matching EM. This is much lower than prior years (i.e. 2018 – 8 IV equated to a 85% match rate), as EM became has become less competitive for a variety of reasons covered elsewhere. 2025 Match data shows the number of applicants for EM have exceeded pre-COVID levels. EM is once again trending more competitive, and the numbers are likely lagging. 8 interviews might guarantee a match in 2023, but less likely now.

Common practice has always been >10 Interviews, even for the most competitive applicant, to maximize the chance of matching. For example, class of 2025 MD seniors applying EM averaged about 41 applications, 18 interview invites, and took 13-14 interviews. You’ll get tired after about 8, but DO NOT short yourself. Listen to your advisors, know your competitiveness, apply accordingly, interview broadly.

If or when you get beyond a number of interviews that YOU FEEL is comfortable, you can start turning down invites. This opens up spots for other applicants who might be hurting for interviews. Never drop off any interview waitlist until you are CERTAIN you’re done taking interviews and ready to start on your rank list.

Bottom line: Plan to take AT LEAST 11-12 interviews.

After your application is submitted, interview offers can come via email at any time of day and on the weekend, so you might have to check emails like a maniac because interview spots go FAST. However, many EM programs (about half) now participate in a unified release date (Oct. 16 in the 2024 cycle) which takes away some of the stress.

The majority of programs currently use Thalamus to extend invites and schedule interviews, followed by ERAS. A handful of others use Interview Broker or some other service. Highly recommended to make the ERAS and Thalamus login pages bookmarks on your phone and laptop. Keep a central calendar (i.e. GCal, Apple Cal, or Outlook) too so you don't double book yourself! If the dates fill up or you accidentally double book, email the coordinator ASAP - they are nice and will help you as long as you don't wait last minute.

Interview Socials: GO TO EVERY ONE OF THESE. They usually occur the night before the interview, and it is a low-stakes environment and AMA session for the residents. You can get a great feel for program vibes. However, it is NOT the time to let loose. Sometimes residents will do a social and then interview applicants the next day! Particularly if in-person, 1 alcoholic beverage is ok if others order, but it is NOT the time to get drunk, even if the residents do.

Zoom interviews: Think about basics. Front lighting, background, noise level, etc. Dress like you’re in-person! Make sure you're on mute when you come out of an interview room and into a breakroom---aka never mutter bad things to yourself!!! I saw a guy trash a program in the breakroom and he thought he was on mute...RIP. Chat with the other applicants in the breakroom, be social. They are always watching.

When you interview for a program expect anywhere between 3-9 mini-interviews with program reps, usually around 5. Most virtual interviews last about 4-5 hours long and include an intro session, followed by several 10-30 minute interviews, then a wrap-up.

Every interview counts, whether it's with the PD, APD, or resident. Don't slack. Don't show disappointment.

If you are REALLY INTERESTED in a program that offers in-person interviews, then GO. Virtual interviews will never hurt you, but you have more opportunity to show who you are in-person. If y'all get to travel, keep your interview outfit in your carry on, do not get separated from your luggage. Lost luggage is not an excuse to wear whatever to interview. It says BAD PLANNER. Some programs will cover lodging, others will not. Get the Southwest credit card or travel card for the miles and rewards. Same with Holiday Inn or whatever rewards points you prefer. This will at least get you something. Wear sensible shoes to walk in.

Cancel interviews as early as possible if you don't want them. Common courtesy is at least 2 weeks in advance, and some programs will actually prevent you from canceling within a week of the interview. If you hang on to an interview invite you don’t want or need, you might be withholding that spot from someone who needs it! NEVER EVER NO-SHOW AN INTERVIEW. EM is a small world, and people talk. If you absolutely need to cancel short-notice, email the program directly and have a very, very good excuse.

Beware of the reddit spreadsheet. Do not let it consume you, do not let it depress you; lots of applicants take it way too seriously. It is just another tool to help you. For example, use it to see which programs are participating in the standardized interview release date and which are not! This will tell you

when to expect an Interview Invite from the programs you apply. After the first round of invites go out - check the spreadsheet. The 2024 EM Applicant Spreadsheet can be found here. Check reddit for updated spreadsheets in subsequent years.

If you get to the end of October and have less than 10 interviews, then reach out to an advisor and start applying to more programs. Email programs (PD and coord) that you really want to go to. Many have emailed their top ten/reach schools and get interviews from them. If you want to send schools a letter of interest, here’s a great template to get you started.

I would recommend sending thank you emails, many applicants don’t and it may not have any effect on your application. It's personal preference but interviewers will appreciate it. Give yourself the best chance you can! It's really exhausting, but worth it imo. Here is an example of my thank you template.

Do not contact a program after if they specifically tell you not to (some will say this at the end of the interview). 

If you’re SURE a program is your top choice, tell them, but don’t expect a response. They are strictly limited by NRMP as to what they can say. Do NOT tell multiple programs they are your #1 pick. Again, EM is a small world.

Yes. And the less competitive you are the more important it is. You may even need to apply to multiple specialties or a traditional intern year.

Each year EM is more competitive, so its worth it to make sure you really like it. But its also worth it to know- what is my second choice? You need to have a plan.

National Rank List advice Video. 

Once you've submitted your rank list: Enjoy life! Go watch all the movies you missed. Go hangout with your family. Don't squander your free time with worrying about something you can't change. 

Not gunna lie this is going to be HARD. You will need to have a partner who is a less competitive field and a fantastic step score, but it can be done. 

Here are some resources:

Military Medicine always happens earlier and on a different playing field than civilian medicine. 

Here are the resources we recommend:

• 2016 Article on Military Match Basics

Each is linked to their website, check 'em out!

• UT Southwestern Medical Center-Parkland Emergency Medicine  (Dallas, TX)

• John Peter Smith Hospital Emergency Medicine Residency Program (Fort Worth, TX)

• Texas A&M Department of Emergency Medicine- Scott & White Emergency Medicine Residency (Temple, TX)

• TTUHSC-El Paso Emergency Medicine (El Paso, TX)

• UT Southwestern-Austin Emergency Medicine Residency (Austin, TX)

• UTHSC-San Antonio Emergency Medicine Residency (San Antonio, TX)

• Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center Emergency Medicine Residency (Fort Hood, TX)

• San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium (SAUSHEC) Emergency Medicine Residency Program (San Antonio, TX)

• CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Memorial - Texas A&M Health Sciences Center College of Medicine Emergency Medicine Residency (Corpus Christi, TX)

• Baylor College of Medicine Emergency Medicine (Houston, TX)

• University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Department of Emergency Medicine (Houston, TX)

We recommend these two sites. Be sure to click on the "residency" tab and not the other two.

• EMRA Match Site

• SAEM Site

Truth be told, you can't. You should relax, do things you want to do! Once residency starts you will have so many things to do, so watch a movie or read a book for fun, enjoy life while you can.  Also watch your mail for credentialing request from your new hospital, it always takes longer than you think so get started on that immediately.

Currently, Dr. Whitney Faulconer, DO.  She goes to all 3 UTMB campuses and never checks her UTMB email. You can contact her through our contact page or any member knows how to get ahold of her. She also is the creator & host of the podcast MedMechanix.  

We have amassed a large amount of resources for you on our resources page. Go check it out.

Here is a PDF Guide to many online resources that we really like.

Highly recommended to check out the EMRA website as well as the other professional organizations student sites. You can find a list of these and links on our resources page.  You can also check out forum sites such as studentdoctornetwork or you can come to our meetings/send us an email.