901 N. Washington Avenue Lansing, Michigan 48906-5137 Telephone: (517) 485-5484 FAX: (517) 485-0801 E-Mail: saem@saem.org

A well-balanced application is essential for individuals interested in the specialty of emergency medicine, as the field is extremely competitive. Your application must address:

• Scholarship: Academic achievement is key. The ability to master pre-clinical material and excel in multiple clinical clerkships suggest that intellectual success is likely at several levels. This is of particular importance given the variety of challenges that emergency medicine residents and physicians face in their practice.
• Research: Whether in emergency medicine or other fields, clinical- or lab-based, even the "simplest" form of research (including manuscript preparation) demonstrates an understanding of academics, the ability to follow-through, and a sense of direction. Research and writing are also examples of creativity. Resourcefulness, the ability to get along with others, commitment, and work ethic are crucial for successful research.
• Leadership: Leadership roles provide insight into character. Positions with medical school admissions, ethics, or curriculum committees, EM interest groups, or elected positions such as class officer suggest responsibility, dedication, and the respect of peers.
• Volunteerism: Community activism, school-related activities (medical and non-medical), or responsibilities with religious organizations balance academics. Volunteering at student-organized clinics not only helps the community, but also provides additional patient care experiences and, in some instances, the opportunity to teach and supervise other students.
• Interests: A wide variety of interests contribute to personal wellness. In addition, an application reviewer or applicant interviewer might share one of these interests. Your listed interests should be kept reasonable in number and scope.
• Commitment: Candidates must demonstrate commitment to excellence, personal growth, and the specialty of emergency medicine.

ERAS has its supporters and detractors, yet it appears likely to stay. Don’t be afraid of ERAS; it is simply an electronic "postal center" for incoming and outgoing data that make up your application. Find out from your medical school how much time you will be given to input personal information and how this time is scheduled. Make sure you are available for your scheduled time. Pay attention to application deadlines, typographical, and grammatical errors.

Don’t use terms in your personal statement like Emergency Room, ER Doc, ER Medicine, ER Physician, ER Resident, or Triage Doctor. These terms upset some individuals, particularly those with early roles in the development and establishment of our specialty. Emergency Medicine does not occur in a "room," but is much broader in scope. You will appear better informed about our specialty if you refer to it using the terms Emergency Medicine, Emergency Department (ED), Emergency Medicine Physician, Emergency Medicine Specialist, Emergency Medicine Residency, and Emergency Medicine Resident.

6 P’s of successful applicants

• Personality


• Performance


• Productivity


• Projects


• Professionalism


• Preparation

Learn about our specialty

• Journals

• Textbooks

• Web sites

• Residency program web sites

• Professional organizations

• Advisors
• EM residents

• HCFA E/M documentation guidelines


• ABEM continuous certification


• Ambulance diversions


• EMTALA / COBRA


• Patient satisfaction


• Physician wellness


• Physician productivity and ED efficiency


• Outcomes research and Evidence-Based Medicine


• Ultrasound

• Learn about the specialty


• Discuss career objectives


• Find a good mentor(s)


• Start and/or finish projects


• Design your 4th-year curriculum carefully (consider Anesthesiology, Cardiology, Orthopedics, ICU/CCU, Pediatric EM, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, Radiology, Dermatology, Research)


• Plan your 4th-year rotations early (elective rotations at many hospitals fill, especially EM)

• Medical school honors/awards – include AOA and miscellaneous student awards or honors


• Work experience


• Volunteer experience


• Research experience


• Publications (CORD web site: bibliographic citation guidelines for EM residency applicants)


• Language fluency (other than English)


• Hobbies & interests


• Other accomplishments – try not to reply "none" for any of these categories

• Personal statement – This is your chance to capture the reviewer’s interest with your personal "story" of how you became interested in EM, how and where you grew up, why you are interested in a particular geographic region, or other personal information that might be distinguishing. This also serves as your writing sample. It should be fluid, well-written, and without errors. Don’t personalize it for one specific program, as other programs might receive this ‘personalized’ personal statement.


• CV – much of this information may be found throughout your application


• Dean’s letter – many schools give students the opportunity to review its content for accuracy


• Medical school transcripts – If possible, consider including or omitting undergraduate transcripts if you went to the same undergraduate and medical schools.


• Board scores


• Letters of recommendation – Usually 3 or 4 letters are preferred, from EM faculty, non-EM faculty, and/or faculty that know you well. EM faculty will likely use the Standardized Letter of Recommendation (SLOR). Make certain that your SLORs, LORs, and EM rotation evaluations have been received and reviewed. Consider bringing additional copies of each to distribute during your interview in the event they were not received.


• Certification – confirms that the information is true and no material omissions have been made

• Learn about careers in EM in addition to the specialty itself


• Your application is only as good as its contents, and only part of the application process


• Be prepared for your interview


• Demonstrate enthusiasm, interest, and confidence at all times


• Have a question ready for each person who might ask if you have one

Iserson KV. Ethics in Emergency Medicine. 2^nd ed. Tucson, AZ: Galen Press, Ltd.;1995.

Iserson KV. Iserson’s Getting Into a Residency: A Guide for Medical Students. 6^th ed. Tucson, AZ: Galen Press, Ltd.;2003.

Keaney JK. The Rape of Emergency Medicine. 2^nd ed. Santa Fe, NM: AAEM; 1992

Platt FW. Conversation Repair: Case Studies in Doctor-Patient Communication. Boston, MA: Little Brown and Company; 1995.

Salluzzo RF, Mayer TA, Strauss RW et al, eds. Emergency Department Management: Principles and Applications. St. Louis, MO: Mosby; 1997.

Schwenk TL, Whitman N. The Physician as Teacher. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins; 1987.

Zaslove MO. The Successful Physician: A Productivity Handbook for Practitioners. Gaithersburg, MD:Aspen Publication;1998.

Andrew LB, Pollack ML. Wellness for Emergency Physicians. Dallas, TX: ACEP; 1995.

Garmel GM. Career Planning Guide for Emergency Medicine. Dallas, TX: EMRA; 1997.

Gluckman WA, Harkin KA, eds. EM in Focus: A Handbook for Medical Students and Prospective Residents. 2^nd ed. Dallas, TX: EMRA;1997.

Henry GL, Sullivan DJ. Emergency Medicine Risk Management: A Comprehensive Review. 2^nd ed. Dallas, TX: ACEP; 1997.

Hobgood C, Zink B, eds. Emergency Medicine: An Academic Career Guide. EMRA/SAEM. 2000.

Role of Emergency Medicine in the Future of American Medical Care. Conference Sponsored by the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation (April 17-20, 1994, Williamsburg, VA). New York, NY;1995.

Scaletta T, ed. Rules of the Road for Emergency Medicine Residents and Graduates. 2^nd ed. Milwaukee, WI: AAEM;2000.

Adams J, Schmidt T, Sanders A, et al. Professionalism in Emergency Medicine. SAEM Ethics Committee. Acad Emerg Med. 1998;5:1193-1199.

Balentine J, Gaeta T, Spevack T. Evaluating Applicants to Emergency Medicine Residency Programs. J Emerg Med. 1999;17:131-134.

Blumstein HA, Cone DC. Medical Student Career Advice Related to Emergency Medicine. Acad Emerg Med. 1998;5:69-72.

Burdick WP, Jouriles NJ, D'Onofrio G, et al. Emergency Medicine in Undergraduate Education. SAEM Education Committee, Undergraduate Subcommittee. Acad Emerg Med. 1998;5:1105-1110.

Counselman FL, Griffey RT. Fourth-year Elective Recommendations for Medical Students Interested in Emergency Medicine. Am J Emerg Med. 1999;17:745-746.

Crane JT, Ferraro CM. Selection Criteria for Emergency Medicine Residency Applicants. Acad Emerg Med. 2000;7:54-60.

DeBlieux P, Keim S, Chisholm C. Taming the Residency Application Process. Medical Student Emergency Medicine Symposium, May 22, 2000. Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Web site.

Finkel MA, Adams JG. Professionalism in Emergency Medicine. Emerg Med Clinics NA, 1999;17:443-450.

Garmel GM. Letters of Recommendation: What Does ‘Good’ Really Mean? Acad Emerg Med. 1997;4:833-834.

Keim SM, Rein JA, Chisholm C, et al. A Standardized Letter of Recommendation for Residency Application. Acad Emerg Med. 1999;6:1141-1146.

Koscove EM. An Applicant’s Evaluation of an Emergency Medicine Internship and Residency. Ann Emerg Med. 1990;19:774-780.

Lubavin B, Phelps M. Pearls of Wisdom for Your Emergency Medicine Rotation. J Emerg Med. 2001;20:211-212.

Mahadaven SV, Garmel GM. The Outstanding Medical Student in Emergency Medicine. Acad Emerg Med. 2001 (in press).

Martin-Lee L, Park H, Overton DT. Does Interview Date Affect Match List Position in the Emergency Medicine National Residency Matching Program Match? Acad Emerg Med. 2000;7:1022-1026.

Rosen P, Hamilton GC. Pro vs Con: Four vs Three. Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Web site.

Schneider SM, Hamilton GC, Moyer P, Stapczynski JS. Definition of Emergency Medicine. Acad Emerg Med. 1998;5:348-351.

Wrenn K, Slovis CM. The Ten Commandments of Emergency Medicine. Ann Emerg Med. 1991;20:1146-1147.

Return to the HomePage