Junior Resident

While the most important focus is ensuring your success as an intern and a resident in emergency medicine (EM), there are some steps you can consider taking to help bolster your educational portfolio. At this stage, the focus should remain on keeping your options open and continuing to amass experience, regardless of whether you have developed specific aspirations in the field of academic EM.

• Identify a Mentor: Begin working with your residency staff to identify possible mentors for a career path in medical education. Establish an outline for your time in residency that best prepares you for a career in education. Work with your mentor to identify research and teaching opportunities as you progress. In addition to your house staff, consider finding mentors outside your program to offer advice and guidance. The Emergency Medicine Residents' Association (EMRA) offers a Mentor/Mentee matching process.
• Become Involved in an Education Project: This doesn't have to be an extensive course, just begin to display your interest and bolster your skills. You can lead a journal club, teach an EKG course, or assist house staff during educational conferences.
• Consider Educational Research: Work with your mentor to identify educational research you can assist with or even lead. If you think that you may be leaning toward a research-focused career, it will definitely help to become engaged in research early. Continue to update your CV as you accomplish projects and publish literature in the field.

You can also consider pursuing one or more of the following opportunities:

• The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Resident's Teaching Fellowship: This course allows residents the opportunity to explore a career in academic EM or determine if education is right for them. It provides participants skills and tools to enhance one's academic career as well as serves as a great mentoring/networking opportunity.
• Medical Education Research Certificate (MERC) Program: Offered by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), this certificate program requires your participation in six workshops of three hours each. The workshops are held on a rotating basis regionally, allowing the certificate to be obtained over an extended period of time. The program focuses on educational research and allows residents to demonstrate their interest and dedication to a career in education. No application is needed.