For example, if you are not interested in doing any clinical research, it doesn't really matter if the program was ranked higher due to substantial NIH grant funding over the years. Things that are important to those that create these rank lists, may not be important to you. You have the find the program that fits 'you' best. Remember that there are a lot of factors to consider when you are ranking EM training programs. There tends to be more excitement, and plus, there are less people around, so you get to see and do more, even as a student. Personally, I love night shifts, especially on weekends. Don't just go during the day, do some evenings and weekends and nights too. It will give you some idea of what goes on in there. You should spend some time shadowing in the ER when you get to med school. Anyway, it's not as bad as you might think if your program plans intelligently and you don't have people switching all their shifts so that they turn out to be random. My experience in my med school rotations was that having a day or two off after your night shifts is key, because it gives you a chance to get back on track to wake up for day shifts in your next block. They either have block shifts (i.e., several nights in a row, day or two off, several days in a row, etc.) or they have circadian shifts where the shifts keep getting later and later. In the end, people make choices based on things like location, three years versus four years, emphasis on certain subspecialties (EMS, tox, international, etc.), can their spouse find a job, and plain old gut feeling.Ĭlick to expand.Most programs don't switch shifts on you randomly. There are some programs that I like less than others, but that is for subjective reasons like a bad social fit, not wanting to live in that city, etc. In terms of what they offer for curriculum, the programs are all more alike than they are different. Now that I've been going on interviews at all kinds of different programs, I realize that they really do all have good curriculums and would train me to be a good EP. But things are different at the residency level than they are at your level. The reason people are jumping on you is because you're thinking like a pre-med, which is not at all a criticism of you, because you are a pre-med, so of course you think like one.

Not that you can't do research in EM, but it's not the focus at academic programs like it is in IM. Also, EM is not like IM or other specialties where research funding determines a list of powerhouse programs. They're going to take you down the street to your local ER, or maybe to your nearest trauma center. There aren't USNWR rankings, because if you have an emergency, they're not going to take you to some hospital halfway across the country. Click to expand.What I've bolded is the whole point.

Best er residency programs