Medical Student (med stud) Resources
(Updated 29Sep24)
(Updated 29Sep24)
Welcome to NMCSD Emergency Medicine!
The Med Stud resources page is here to help answer common questions regarding your NMCSD ED rotation, applications for internship, the personality and culture of the NMCSD EM residency program, and living in San Diego.
The Emergency Medicine Residency at NMCSD is an ACGME, fully accredited, four year program that has been training Emergency Physicians since 1984. While preparing physicians for life long practice in a demanding specialty remains the primary focus of this program, the NMCSD Emergency Medicine Residency also prides itself on training the medical providers who will support expeditionary, combat, and humanitarian missions of both the US Navy and the US Marine Corps. This training program provides its trainees with all the skills and clinical acumen necessary to rapidly evaluate and treat an acutely ill or injured patient in a variety of settings from aboard a ship, to the battlefield, to the hospital, or wherever else the skills of an Emergency Physician are required. Under the supervision of board certified military and civilian faculty with a range of sub-specialty training, residents at NMCSD see and treat about 70,000 patients annually, from newborns to ninety-year old retirees, from active duty personnel to dependents. The NMCSD Emergency Medicine Residency program, its faculty, staff, and residents are here to serve those who serve.
We are looking forward to having you rotate in the Emergency Department at Naval Medical Center San Diego. Attached you will find the current rotation guide, slide deck introducing our current residents, as well as a few useful resources to prepare for your rotation. Please read them carefully before you start your rotation.
Orientation and Check-In
A representative from the NMCSD Graduate Medical Education department will contact you to schedule a GME/command orientation on the first day of your rotation. You should expect to be contacted at least 3 business days before the start of your rotation. If this is not the case, HPSP medical students should email sean.m.gullett.civ@health.mil, or USUHS students should email castor.j.gutierrez.civ@health.mil to coordinate this. After that orientation has been completed, you will attend our department-specific orientation to get the lay of the land for your EM rotation. Unless otherwise instructed by Dr. Schmitz, plan to meet us in the ED Waiting Room at 0945 on the first day of your rotation for our department-specific orientation.
Your Rotation Schedule
Click to view the NMCSD EM Rotator Schedule. Select your rotation dates from the tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet. Shift times noted with “(FT)” are scheduled in our Fast Track area. You are scheduled for a total of 12 shifts: 8 Main, 2 Fast Track, and 2 Overnight. Feel free to reach out if you discover any scheduling conflicts within your individual schedule.
Academic Conference is held weekly on Wednesdays from 0800-1300. Details for each weekly conference (including location and uniform of the day) will be passed along to you each week as they are announced by the chief residents. ”Required reading” and reading quizzes listed on the conference schedule are for residents only, nothing for you to worry about. You are excused from attending if you worked the 2200-0600 overnight shift leading into conference morning.
There will be a residency social event scheduled during your audition rotation so you can get to know our residents and staff in a more casual setting! The date is listed in the schedule, scheduled from 1600-1800. Location details will be passed along to you once they are confirmed.
Simulation training is a significant component of an emergency medicine residency. We have coordinated for you to participate in a medical-student-only simulation session on the first day of your rotation, from 1300-1500 in the Simulation Center. We will show you where the Sim Center is located during your orientation that morning.
Cadaver Lab will be held from 0800-1300 the day it is scheduled. Meet at 0745 in the Resident Room so you can walk to the cadaver lab with the rest of the scheduled residents. Uniform of the Day is scrubs. Attached you will find a slide presentation describing the various procedures that may be practiced during cadaver lab and vivarium.
Vivarium (live tissue lab) will be held from 0800-1300 the day it is scheduled. Meet at 0745 in civilian clothes in the Resident Room so you can walk to the vivarium with the rest of the scheduled residents. You will change into vivarium-specific scrubs upon arrival. Attached you will find a slide presentation describing the various procedures that may be practiced during cadaver lab and vivarium.
Journal Club will be held from 1600-1800 the evening it is scheduled. It is typically a 2-hour event, with the first hour primarily socializing and the second hour breaking into groups and discussing the literature. Location details and journal articles will be shared with you once they are finalized.
EM Residency Program Interviews are scheduled for our auditioning medical students during your in-person rotation with us. See below for more details.
Evaluations and Rotation Feedback
There is a QR code located at the main workspaces in our department that is used to submit medical student evaluations. Please remind both the attending and senior resident you work with to complete evaluations at the end of your shift.
Please note that all letters of recommendation (including SLOEs) and final rotation evaluations will be completed by our Clerkship Director, Dr. Gillian Schmitz. If you need these completed, please contact her early in the rotation.
Additionally, for USU rotators it is a requirement to have a mid- and final rotation feedback meeting with Dr. Schmitz. It is your responsibility to reach out and schedule this.
EM Residency Program Interviews
If you are planning to apply to our residency program, you will have an in-person interview during your rotation with us. Your interview date is listed on the schedule. Details including start time and location will be communicated to you as the date approaches. Uniform of the day is Summer Whites. Khakis are appropriate if you do not have Summer Whites. If you are not on ADT or have not completed ODS, business professional attire is appropriate.
Similar to any rotation. Below is a basic list.
Positive attitude! :)
White coat
Stethoscope
Any preferred references materials
Common Access Card (CAC)*
Several copies of orders (if on ADT rotation)
Uniforms
Service Khaki (for check-in and conference)
NWU (for conference only)
Summer White (for interviews)
Driver's License
Rental car agreement and information (for hospital parking pass)
SLOE request form (if a standardized letter is desired)
* CACs are required for computer access in the hospital. If you do not yet have one, please notify the Medical Student Coordinator, Mrs Littleton, who can assist in arranging an appointment with the DEERS office.
^ If you have not been to ODS or able to purchase uniforms before the rotation start, let the the Medical Student Coordinators know before you arrive.
If there are any questions about what students will need with them for the clerkship, please ask the Medical Student Chief Resident.
Active Duty Rotation
If you are on active duty during your rotation at NMCSD, then take advantage of on-base TAD lodging. Lodging for medical student rotations is offered at BOQ, Navy Gateway Inn and Suites and Navy Lodges in the San Diego area. These expenses will be reimbursable during your stay in San Diego. Many of the lodging locations are within a 15 minute drive to NMCSD, pending traffic. You must set up your own lodging by calling any of the locations. Making reservations early will provide ample time to secure lodging. Please take note that you have to find out if the BOQ has availability first. If the BOQ does not have availability, you can try the Navy Gateway Inn and Suites or Navy Lodge. Rooms provided at these locations are comparable to a hotel room and will have a small kitchenette with refrigerator and microwave. Communal kitchens can be found in each location as well. The following is a list of potential locations for your stay, with the most ideal locations listed first:
Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI) Gateway Inn (BOQ)- located across the San Diego Bay adjacent to beautiful Coronado. Just 17 minutes from NMCSD and 20 minutes from the airport. To make reservations, call Monday-Friday, 0700-1600 (Pacific Time) at (619) 545-7575.
Naval Station 32nd Street Gateway Inn- located just south of downtown San Diego on Harbor Drive, just 10 minutes to NMCSD and 10 minutes from the airport. To make reservations, call Monday-Friday (Pacific Time) at (619) 556-8162.
Naval Amphibious Base Coronado Gateway Inn- located across the San Diego Bay, south of Coronado, just 22 minutes from NMCSD and 25 minutes from the airport. To make reservations, call Monday-Friday, 0700-1600 (Pacific Time) at (619) 437-3860.
Naval Submarine Base Gateway Inn- located on the north shore of San Diego Bay at the end, just 16 minutes from NMCSD and 10 minutes from the airport. To make reservations, call Monday-Friday, 0700-1600 (Pacific Time) at (619) 553-9381.
Fleet ASW Base (Admiral Kidd BOQ) - located on the north shore of San Diego Bay, just 15 minutes from NMCSD and 5 minutes from the airport. To make reservations, call Monday-Friday, 0700-1600 (Pacific Time) at (619) 524-5382.
NASNI Navy Lodge (secondary to BOQ if those spots are booked) - located across the San Diego Bay adjacent to beautiful Coronado. Just 17 minutes from NMCSD and 20 minutes from the airport. To make reservations, call Monday-Friday, 0700-1600 (Pacific Time) at (619) 535-0901.
Naval Station 32nd Street Navy Lodge (secondary to BOQ if those spots are booked) - located just south of downtown San Diego on Harbor Drive, just 10 minutes to NMCSD and 10 minutes from the airport. To make reservations, call Monday-Friday (Pacific Time) at (619) 234-6142.
Once your lodging has been booked, you will not be required to pay for the lodging until you arrive. As mentioned previously, the charges for your stay are reimbursable and will need to be submitted with a receipt on your travel claim. Travel claims should be submitted within one week of completing the rotation. For more information on Travel Claim Submission, go to the Navy HPSP Accessions Web Page.
Welcome aboard!
Please feel free contact nmcemstudents@gmail.com with any further questions.