Medical Students and Nurses Can Make a Great Team

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Author: Scott Bland, MSIII Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine
AAEM/RSA Medical Student Council Southern Region Representative '16-'17

This post was peer reviewed.
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In the medical realm, it is hard to go five minutes without hearing terms like “interprofessional,” “collaborative,” or “team based.” Many schools offer seminars intended to teach medical students how to interact with other professions. However, when we hit the floor for rotations, we sometimes struggle in our interactions with the largest of the health professions.[1] But nurses can be great allies in patient care and can really help a medical student transition into their clinical education. So here are a few tips on how to be a good team member with your nursing staff.

1. Treat others the way you want to be treated: If you are intentional about the quality of your work interactions, they will improve. Try to address people by their name. Be forgiving if they make a mistake. Say “please” and “thank you”.[2] If you ask a nurse to do something for your patient and they are busy, offer to help. One tip for how to phrase things is, “Mrs. Smith soiled her linens and needs them changed. If you are busy, I can go get the new linens and help you once I bring them to the room.” If the task is important, demonstrate that you are willing to get involved.

7 Tips for Selecting Your EM Audition (Away) Rotations

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Author: Michael Wilk, MSIV
President, AAEM/RSA Medical Student Council '15-'16

1. Apply for Your Rotations Early
Keep in mind some programs open their applications as soon as January. Check VSAS and EM programs’ websites for more information on when their applications open. Given the current popularity of EM, audition rotations are as competitive as ever. In fact, one program I applied to actually informed me that they had over 250 students apply for the six spots per month that they offer. In this case, the early bird gets the worm.

2. Location, Location, Location
Interested in matching in highly competitive areas such as California, New York City, or somewhere near your family? Rotating in those cities of interest, or at least in the general region, will increase your chances of receiving an interview at other programs in the area. However, keep in mind they can be very expensive and stressful, as you have to live in another city and may be living out of a suitcase for an entire month.

3. Academic vs. Community vs. County
The patient populations and experiences at different programs vary greatly. While still in medical school, it may be hard to know in what type of program you want to spend the next few years of your life. Rotating through at least two different types of programs (i.e., community and academic) can help you decide that before application season. If you are really interested in research and teaching, an academic program may be the best route for you.

How to Give a Great Presentation to Your EM Attending Physician

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Author: Jennifer Stancati
Midwest Regional Representative
AAEM/RSA Medical Student Council '14-'15

Most students would agree that presenting a patient on rounds or to your attending is one of the scariest parts of being a third or fourth year medical student. Whether you are in a group or one-on-one, all eyes and attention are on you. There is the potential to do or say something incorrect, embarrassing, or perhaps you might not know the answer to a question that you are asked. Also, depending on the level of responsibility that you are given, what you say can have a large impact on the course of a patient’s visit. As if this was not enough, there is the fact that you are being evaluated. And in a busy environment like an emergency department (ED), this may be the only interaction that you have with your attending physician.

Being in the environment of the ED adds a few more factors into the equation. You may have been rushed and your history or physical may feel incomplete. Or as you are getting ready to present, your attending may say, “just give me the pertinent information; nothing else.” And last but not least, your patient may be really sick and in need of immediate help. If your patient is truly sick and needs immediate attention, it is important to get your attending (or resident) in the room before you even complete your history and physical. Not only is this the right thing to do for your patient, but also you will demonstrate your ability to recognize an unstable patient.

Top 10 Ways to Ace the Interview

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Author: Melanie Pollack, OMSIV
Vice President, AAEM/RSA Medical Student Council '15-'16

Congratulations, emergency medicine students! You've selected your away rotations, succeeded at them, and now you're interviewing! Here are 10 ways to shine during interview season. Good luck!

1. Scheduling
Prime interview time will be November through January, so try to plan your rotations so you will have available slots. An important matter to keep in mind is geography. Try to make your life easier by lumping regions around the same time so you can save some money. Another important tip is to not schedule your top program first. Get a few under your belt so you are comfortable when you arrive at a desired program. If you have to cancel an interview, make sure there is a reasonable amount of time so the program can fill the spot. The biggest no-no would be to no show. Emergency medicine is a small world and people talk. Do not cancel the night before or no show. Just don’t do it.

2. To be Early is to be On Time. To be On Time is to be Late. To be Late is Unacceptable.
First things first, be on time. Plain and simple. Plan ahead, map out the path to take and notice possible delays. If you are late, make sure to call the programs contact and explain what happened.

3. Dress Appropriately
Especially as emergency medicine professionals, dressing in a suit and tie can be hard. You are interviewing for a job and must dress accordingly. Men, a suit and tie is easy and appropriate. For women, a nice pant or skirt suit is acceptable. For both, keep it simple with black or blue suits and a nice white or neutral colored shirt. Do not wear extravagant jewelry. Try to avoid strong perfume or cologne.

7 Tips for Succeeding on Your Emergency Medicine Away Rotations

Source: Flickr

Author: Dan Holt, MS4
Midwest Regional Representative 2014-2015
AAEM/RSA Medical Student Council 

Away rotations provide great learning experiences and opportunities for growth as a medical student. Performing well on these rotations is extremely important for those of us looking to match into an emergency medicine residency. Below are seven tips for success from top medical students around the country who have already completed their rotations. There is no secret formula to guarantee honors in any rotation, however this is great place to start.

1. Introduce Yourself
As medical students, we are dependent on the skills, knowledge and expertise of all of the staff members in the emergency department. This includes nurses, techs, and the custodial staff. People will be more willing to help you out if they know you from the start, so the earlier in your shift that you get your name out there the better. Let others know you are a medical student and that you are willing to help with anything (and I mean anything).

2. Determine Expectations
Every attending and senior resident has different expectations for each medical student. They will expect different presenting styles, involvement in procedures, and responsibilities in note writing, etc. It’s best to figure out what your team wants from you as early in the shift as possible.

3. Communicate
Whether it’s specifically written or implied, a huge part of the evaluation process is communication. Attendings and residents are busy people. They may not always have the time or remember to keep you informed about changes in patient care plans. Make sure that you are checking in regularly and relay any new information to the rest of the team (nurses, techs, etc.) and most importantly to your patients. Communication is also a two-way street. If anything changes with your patients, make sure that you let your residents and attendings know in a timely manner. This lets them know that you are on top of things and that you are striving to be an integral part of the patient care team.

Be a Non-Terrible Intern in Ten Easy Steps

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Author: Gregory Wanner, DO PA-C

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Welcome to residency! Now that you’ve had some time to learn the hospital computer system, find the coffee maker, and begin to settle into your new role as an intern, it’s time for a few tips. Intern year is tough. You have a whole new set of responsibilities, and for some this is your first “real” job. There are many ways to be a terrible intern, but you can avoid terribleness and become a wonderful intern.

Over my ten years in medicine, initially as a physician assistant and now as a senior resident, I’ve had quite a bit of exposure to interns. Plus, I was one not so long ago. As interns we all have times — often brief — when we feel brilliant, as well as times we feel completely incompetent. We have moments of enlightenment and moments when we need to be bailed out by nurses or attendings. This is to be expected. The goal is to learn from your mistakes and eventually become a great physician. To learn what you can do to further your own education, keep your attendings relatively happy, and avoid terribleness: read on.

Emergency Medicine Match: 2015 Results

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Author: Muhammad Alghanem, DO
Midwestern University - Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine

This post was peer reviewed.
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Congratulations to all the medical school seniors and graduates who matched into emergency medicine in 2015 and good luck to the upcoming 2016 applicants! Both NRMP [1] and AOA [2] news releases reflect on the growth of the matches this year. In this short post, we will discuss some of the results available for the 2015 allopathic and osteopathic emergency medicine matches.

Save a Life: Know the Precious P’s of Rapid Sequence Intubation

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Author: Valery Victoria Rivas Cuesta, MSVI
Medical Student
Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) School of Medicine

An emergency physician’s failure to secure the airway can rapidly lead to death or disability. In the emergency setting, patients are assumed to have a full stomach and be at risk for aspiration. Often, rapid-sequence intubation (RSI) represents the preferred method to secure the airway in the ED setting, as it results in unconsciousness (induction) and neuromuscular blockade (paralysis) rapidly thereafter.[1]

This post was peer reviewed.
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The procedure has the following main goals: prevention of hypoxia, shortening the time between induction and intubation, minimizing aspiration risk, and improving first pass success.[1] This is achieved by the “ritual of the P’s”:[2]

Osteopathic Emergency Medicine Match by the Numbers

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Author: Muhammad Alghanem, MSIV
Medical Student
Midwestern University - Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine

Many resources are available for students interested in applying to emergency medicine residencies, but most reviews focus on the numbers for the allopathic match only. In this post, you’ll find some basic insights into two reports with data about the osteopathic emergency medicine match.

The 2014 Outcomes and Trends in the AOA Match presentation issued by National Matching Services gives a realistic look into the osteopathic match process.[1] The full report can be found here.

Emergency medicine is the third most applied to residency in the osteopathic world with 14.4% of applicants applying as first-choice, falling after family medicine (21.3%) and internal medicine (17.7%).

The report shows that competition is increasing. The number of “positions offered by the specialty” has increased by 38% from 2008 to 2014, while the number of “positions filled by specialty” has increased by 46% in the same time period. In fact, in 2014 for every residency position there were 1.5 applicants applying to emergency medicine as their first choice. Out of 270 positions offered in the 2014 osteopathic match only 3 went unfilled. Osteopathic emergency medicine applicants represented the largest group of unmatched students when compared to other specialties. For matched students, approximately 60% of the 409 DO first year emergency medicine residents matched through AOA Match, while about 40% matched through the NRMP® Match.

Researching Osteopathic Emergency Medicine Programs

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Author: Muhammad Alghanem, MSIV
Medical Student
Midwestern University - Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine

If you’re an osteopathic medical student interested in emergency medicine, you may be wondering where to find information specific to osteopathic residency programs. Some general facts, such as the universal four year length of the residency curriculum, may be common knowledge even to those just starting to explore their interest in emergency medicine. However, more program specific information may be harder to come by.[1] Taking the initiative to learn about the resources and opportunities available to you can help you prepare for the application process. In this post, you’ll find some basic insights into researching osteopathic emergency medicine programs.

Be a Non-Terrible Medical Student in Ten Easy Steps

Author: Gregory Wanner, DO PA-C

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

As the year moves on there is excitement in the air. Birds are chirping, flowers blooming, and second-year medical students are getting ready for clinical rotations. There are many ways to be a terrible student on rotations, but terribleness should probably be avoided. A better plan involves learning some methods of being a good clinical student. I’ll share some hints.

How to Make Your Residency Rank Order List

Author: Sepi Jooniani, MD MPH

Interview season is usually a whirlwind of traveling, navigating your way around too
many new cities to count, and meeting so many people that you tend to lost track of the
details along the way. Programs may start seeming more alike than different to you after
a certain point. In making your rank list, my best advice is to follow your instincts. Your
heart usually knows what will make you the happiest before your brain does. But for
those of you who like more concrete facts, here is some actual data that shows what
factors applicants value the most in making their rank list decisions.


In the largest study of its kind, performed in 2004, all medical students registered with
ERAS that year were surveyed to assess exactly what about a program mattered to them
most. Receiving over 7,000 responses, the top five factors that students considered were
the following (please note these are in no particular order):[1]

10 Tips for the Interview Trail

Author: Sepi Jooniani, MD MPH

As you prepare for interview season, here are ten tips to help you along the way. Most of this advice is purely common sense, and after going on your first few interviews, it will become a routine that is second nature to you. However, if the anticipation of your first interview overwhelms you with pre-interview jitters, it might help to mentally prepare yourself by reading over some pointers.

Finding a Mentor

Author: Nick Pettit, Ph.D. OMS II
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

“Don’t go into that field of medicine, I know fifty burned out doc’s in that field.” While on one of my first clinical experiences I found it discouraging when I expressed an
interest in emergency medicine (EM) and the attending I was working with immediately
rejected my idea of going into this field with a negative opinion. Unfortunately, such
negative connotations frequently arise when mentioning EM, especially with non-EM
faculty.[1] As such, due to the brevity of medical school, it is imperative as medical
students to not only find a good mentor but to find one as early on as possible.

Rules of the Road: Ch 16 Summary: "Planning Ahead for Success in Your Third and Fourth Years"

Originally Published: AAEM's Rules of the Road for Medical Students, First Ed. Chief Editors: A. Antoine Kazzi, MD FAAEM MAAEM; Joel M. Schofer, MD RDMS FAAEM
Chapter Summary by: Adrian Tripp, MSIII

Thinking about which specialty to select can bring about feelings of uncertainty and uneasiness in every medical student. It is an important decision that should be made with an open mind, honest self-evaluation, and after thorough investigation. Fortunately, if you have already decided on emergency medicine (EM), or have at least narrowed down your list of possibilities to include EM, AAEM's Rules of the Road for Medical Students can help you prepare for a successful match.

Planning a Student Symposium

Author: Bill Burns
Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University 

The following details the experience of the 2012 AAEM Midwest Medical Student Symposium

planning team. The 2012 event was the 6th Midwest Symposium held at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine and we owe a debt to all those student leaders who preceded us and whose great work, in developing strong relationships with the

Helpful Document: Shock & Vasopressors - A Quick Review

Author: Alexander A. Simakov, MPH FP-C MSIV, Medical Student Council, International Ex Officio Representative

Things were much simpler back in the Roman days. When one was stabbed by a sword he/she bled and died of “cold” — or hypovolemic — shock. If the person got lucky and was only wounded by the dirty blade, they probably died of “warm” — or septic — shock. Today our knowledge has advanced well past “cold” and “warm,” and leaves us with at least 10 types of shock commonly encountered in the emergency department (ED) and intensive care unit (ICU) (Table 1). Each represents a constellation of physiologic effects that require a tailored approach to management. Cardiovascular support with the assistance of vasopressors is a common method, while identification and treatment of the underlying disease process remains the ultimate goal.¹

How to Dive into the FOAMed Movement

Authors: Meaghan Mercer, DO, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
                AAEM/RSA President

                Mary Calderone, MSIV, Loyola Stritch School of Medicine, Chicago
                Medical Student Council President

What is FOAM? — This is not the future of medicine, it is medical education NOW! Like many great ideas that evolve in medicine, the concept of FOAM (Free Open Access Meducation) project was born in a pub over a pint of Guinness. Doctors Mike Cadogan and Chris Nickson  from lifeinthefastlane.com (LITFL), recognized that social media has changed how we communicate and educate; ideas traverse the globe in hours allowing an open interactive approach to how we learn and practice medicine. As one of the education leaders of AAEM and greatest teachers of our specialty, Dr. Joe Lex, stated, “If you want to know how we practiced medicine 5 years ago, read a textbook. If you want to know how we practiced medicine 2 years ago, read a journal. If you want to know how we practice medicine now, go to a (good) conference. If you want to know how we will practice medicine in the future, listen in the hallways and use FOAM.” FOAM is the concept, enacted via the Internet. #FOAMed is the conversation, enacted via Twitter.

Rules of the Road: Ch 7 Summary: "The Residency Application Process - Visits and Interviews"

Originally Published: AAEM's Rules of the Road for Medical Students, First Ed. Chief Editors: A. Antoine Kazzi, MD FAAEM MAAEM; Joel M. Schofer, MD RDMS FAAEM
Chapter Summary by: Kari Gorder, Medical Student Council, Regional Representatives - Northeast

Choosing a residency program is one of the most significant decisions a medical student will make. While the match experience can induce a considerable amount of anxiety, it is also an exciting and memorable time. With the right amount of research and preparation, applicants can navigate the process with skill and success—and hopefully the least amount of stress possible! This chapter briefly outlines the steps of interviewing for an EM residency.

Rules of the Road: Ch. 19 Summary: "The Clinical Years - Research & Scholarly Projects"

Originally Published: AAEM's Rules of the Road for Medical Students, First Ed. Chief Editors: A. Antoine Kazzi, MD FAAEM MAAEM; Joel M. Schofer, MD RDMS FAAEM
Chapter Summary by: Faith Quenzer, Vice President, Medical Student Council 

      ●     Should you do research or other forms of scholarly projects in medical school?

             ○       Depends on your interests

             ○       Formal research and publication of a manuscript is highly regarded as the most valuable form of academic involvement and skill

            ○       Research projects can be presented at conferences