[dougmla]

Hi,

Ok, sorry if this is a dumb question, I'm not familiar with the whole match process and the different types of residency. My wife is a medical student; she's interviewing right now, and has applied to several hospitals in both IM & EM. She really wants to do EM but unfortunately she just did her EM rotation in October so she's getting her LoR in very late and odds are good she may not get an EM interview, but she has had several IM interviews.

My question is, I've read and heard that you can go into IM as a residency and then still go into EM afterwards with additional schooling/training etc... Can anyone help me learn how this works; I'm trying to help my wife do some research on it and if it's even a possibility/option so any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

 

[StepTaker]

There are 11 programs that offer combined Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine and you can find the list in this page
http://services.aamc.org/eras/erasstats/par/index.cfm
She probably can be matched in these programs easier than EM-only programs. These combined IM/EM programs are 5 years programs so that would be equal to doing 3 yr IM and 2 yr EM fellowship.

Otherwise, after she finished IM she can go to EM Fellowships and here's some info for you:
Upon completion of the Emergency Medicine Fellowship, an individual may sit for the Board of Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM), which is given by the American Association of Physician Specialists (AAPS) after one additional year of full-time emergency practice. This is not the same as the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM), which is sponsored by the American Board of Medical Specialists (ABMS). A graduate of the fellowship program would be able to say that they are "residency trained in family or internal medicine, board certified in family medicine and emergency medicine and that they completed a fellowship in emergency medicine." Only those who complete a residency in emergency medicine are eligible to sit for the ABEM examination. For further details concerning BCEM, please contact AAPS at 1-800-447-9397 or visit their Web site at www.abpsga.org.

If she's so determined about EM then I suggest she waits until next year when she has enough LoRs and experience to be matched in EM.

Also have a look at this website http://www.saem.org/saemdnn/ResidencyCatalog/tabid/680/Default.aspx as it has excellent info for you.