Senior Resident

The final year(s) of residency are crucial for solidifying your sports medicine experience, strengthening your fellowship application, and making key networking connections. As a PGY3 (or PGY4 if in a four-year program), your focus should be on research, clinical rotations, and the fellowship application process.

• Submit a case or research abstract for presentation at the annual American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) conference during your PGY2 or PGY3 year. Make sure to get on top of this early, as the submission deadlines are during the late fall/early winter.
• Attend sports medicine subsections at the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) conference in October or the SAEM annual meeting in May.
• If in a three-year residency program, try attending the AMSSM conference during PGY2 in anticipation of the upcoming fellowship application cycle.
• The AMSSM conference and the SAEM annual meeting both have fellowship fairs, which are great opportunities to network and identify fellowship programs you may be interested in.
• Complete an elective rotation in primary care sports medicine (PCSM) - aim for PGY2 or early PGY3 year, preferably at a program with a PCSM fellowship to gain direct exposure and mentorship.
• Consider an orthopedic sports medicine rotation, focusing on non-operative management of sports injuries and procedural skills (e.g., joint injections, splinting).
• Enhance your musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK US) skills - consider a dedicated elective or integrate MSK US into your emergency department practice.

Fellowship Application Process

February to April

• Research programs using directories through AMSSM, SAEM, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), or the Emergency Medicine Residents' Association (EMRA) match fellowship map and investigate specific requirements for each program including the application deadline and number and type of recommendation letters.
• Update and edit your curriculum vitae (CV) to include certifications and licenses, professional memberships, medical education, training/work experience, research projects and publications, volunteer experience, hobbies and interests, and sports medicine experiences (elective rotations, event coverages, pre-participation exams, team physician roles). You should also start writing your personal statement.

April to June

• Narrow down programs you want to apply to.
• Finalize your CV and personal statement.
• Submit requests for letters of recommendation and provide writers with your CV and personal statement. Your residency program director will be required, and it's recommended to have one-three additional sports medicine faculty (traditionally three total, ideally one by a fellowship director).
• Sign up for MyERAS and obtain a fellowship token.

July to November

• Submit your application early - ERAS opens mid-July. This process takes longer than you think, so give your letter writers plenty of time to write and upload. Most programs have an application deadline around October 1, however, programs can begin reviewing applications mid-July and often offer interviews on a rolling basis. Some may even have all their interview slots filled before October 1.
• Receive invitations and attend interviews. Programs are trending toward more in-person interviews with each subsequent year we get further away from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Register for the NRMP Match (opens in November) and submit your rank list by December in advance of January's match day.