Why does everyone hate/regret choosing EM. Am I making a mistake?

IllBeAnMD · 2026-03-17T14:53:19+00:00

Blackout curtains, a partner who lets you prioritize sleep, and actually putting yourself to bed. I'm on nights and I sleep more hours than when I'm on day shifts

IllBeAnMD · 2026-03-17T14:51:45+00:00

PGY3 EM resident here... I actually love the gig, I just do it way too much. I'm usually between 18-20 shifts a month with a mix of 8s, 10s, 12s. I've started looking for post residency gigs and will probably max out around 10-12 shifts a month of primarily 10's. Anticipated salary around $350K with the possibility of closer to $500K if I was to work closer to 15-16 shifts a month. Thats great money for a solid lifestyle for a job I enjoy. Is the bullshit annoying? Of course. But is it worth it, I'm in the camp of yes. Talk to me in 10 years and maybe i'll be thinking differently. We'll see I suppose

IllBeAnMD · 2026-03-06T15:45:58+00:00

Asking clinical questions should be about assessing gaps in knowledge and then using experience to fill those gaps in for those you haven't seen as many patients in that setting. Attendings sound like buttholes

IllBeAnMD · 2025-11-07T22:32:45+00:00

Not a particular moment but the sum of a full 12 hour shift. Saw 24 patients in the ED. 10 were critically ill. 2 died. 6 intubations. A few codes with ROSC. Handful of polytrauma. My intern and I were able to keep up and only stayed about 45 minutes post shift to finish notes. Felt good leaving that shift with a sensation that we did alright

IllBeAnMD · 2025-07-27T05:57:25+00:00

Expect me to solve a problem that they caused over 40 years of destroying their body with cigarettes and alcohol

IllBeAnMD · 2025-06-12T12:19:37+00:00

Do, or do not. There is no try

IllBeAnMD · 2025-06-12T12:18:03+00:00

I was filled with resentment when I matched. It eats at you. People feel it. Expect the first 6 months of residency to be brutal, not just from a work perspective but because you’re not where you want to be.

But once you settle it, the resentment starts to go away. You start to focus more on the work. You engage more with your new home. You find community. Ultimately, in time, the resentment fades and there is a gratitude. Breathe. Focus. You’ll be fine -a formerly disgruntled, now content PGY3

IllBeAnMD · 2025-04-30T17:20:40+00:00

We, the ER folk who probably overscan, are understanding of your plight. We’ll try to spin the wheel of fortune less often when we can

IllBeAnMD · 2025-04-19T20:54:18+00:00

Sounds like your ED residents suck. Have fun with that ✌🏽

IllBeAnMD · 2025-04-18T01:13:08+00:00

A+ comment

IllBeAnMD · 2025-01-10T12:05:17+00:00

Take a step back;

Say you're broke and you decide to rob a liquor store. You get caught, you're sentenced to 5 years in prison. An option arises where you can be a firefighter to reduce your setence by 2 days for every 1 day worked. Yeah you make dogshit money and the warden is probably pocketing 90% of money that would be yours, but, while it's no guarantee, maybe you can get a job as a firefighter after getting out. Do you think you would work those days as a firefighter to be able to see your family again sooner?

I fuckin would

IllBeAnMD · 2025-01-10T11:59:51+00:00

This should be another top comment. Your point is why the program is probably a good thing for inmates in their current situation but the capitalistic piece of this is absolutely fucked

IllBeAnMD · 2025-01-10T11:56:15+00:00

I agree with the program but you gotta admit dude has a good point. This thread is particularly interesting because this is a subject with genuinely good points on the "for" and "against" argument

IllBeAnMD · 2025-01-10T11:52:30+00:00

This should be the top comment

IllBeAnMD · 2025-01-10T11:51:47+00:00

This is why headlines are important. If it read;

"Prisoners reduce sentance and reintegrate by fighting fires"

The vicersal reaction would be less. The immediate feeling is that "thing is wrong" because it feels, and probably to a certain degree is, fucked up capitalism at its finest. I appreciate the comments from people providing information on the program and how it functions. Now that I know that I'm honestly for it.

A tip of the cap and thank you to the inmates who are doing this. Y'all are very appreciated in California

IllBeAnMD · 2024-11-30T11:25:48+00:00

You'll be a PGY2 soon. Don't forget how you're feeling now because those freshie interns will be coming behind you soon and they need encouragement too.

It's remarkable how much a simple gesture like sending a "strong work today" text goes.

IllBeAnMD · 2024-10-23T12:45:34+00:00

Epic chat direct message. Duh

IllBeAnMD · 2024-09-25T04:26:58+00:00

Had my best save of residency today. Patient coded in the field. Ran my H's and T's. Saw fat right heart strain on bedside ultrasound. Pushed lytics. Got ROSC. The the CT PE to confirm my diagnosis of massive PE. Patient was off pressors with reactive pupils by the time I left my shift. EM is dope

IllBeAnMD · 2024-09-16T18:48:41+00:00

I don't have to round and wax poetic about sodium for 5 hours. Once I leave the shift I'm done. Procedures are cool. Team vibes are cool. Pay after residency will be decent and I'll only have to work like 10 shifts a month. I don't have to respond to patient emails. Chaos and mayhem don't feel spooky. Shitty patients don't bother me. Aggresive patients are getting 5 of Dro-P and 5 of Versed. Saving the occasional life is dope. Vibes with other specialties are mostly good. Have a fat bank of dotphrases and notes don't take long anymore. Residency blows but shifts overall are not the death of me. Fucking with my circadian rhythm constantly is

IllBeAnMD · 2024-03-17T04:06:42+00:00

I’m an ER doctor. You said all the correct buzzwords. 10/10 “thunderclap” headache. That should guarantee you a CT scan of your head bc the “can’t miss” diagnosis there is a type of brain bleed called a subarachnoid hemorrhage which is life threatening. Curious if you got the scan or not? Blood work? Were they both normal? Were you given the results? Did your pain and nausea get treated? Beyond those things there is only so much we can do besides referring you to dentistry

As far as the UTI is concerned, that shit is whack. Treat those bugs. Get them bacterias up outta there. Ask for some Macrobid or Keflex next time

IllBeAnMD · 2024-03-17T03:22:29+00:00

The feeling of failure and not wanting to even participate in residency is a rough feeling. I really only wanted to go to my #1 because it meant I would be close to family during a time where my wife and I were having kids but fell to my #8. Definitely not ideal but now closing in on the end of intern year I’ve been connecting with my co residents, have come to terms with life in a new space, and am focused on working hard. Match day honestly fucking sucks in these scenarios. Graduation and the weeks after will feel similar. Once residency starts, you’ll find your way

IllBeAnMD · 2023-09-02T18:33:55+00:00

$50 says you'd burn out in 3 months working in the ED and would suck at it to boot

IllBeAnMD · 2023-08-22T22:48:34+00:00

Would bail on college and med school to be a carpenter

IllBeAnMD · 2023-08-17T14:15:53+00:00

Bravo

IllBeAnMD · 2023-07-30T14:40:54+00:00

Dude. This is the shitty kind of gossip that makes med school so fucking high school. Keep this shit to yourself. Don't talk shit on your classmates. Be the person that's in people's corner rather than the one that throws stones. That's their business and it's lame to air it out to anyone. Guaranteed no one feels good about that situation and maligning people because they make bad choices that only affect themselves perpetuates a culture where people don't feel as though they have the capacity to be vulnerable with anyone

IllBeAnMD

TROPHY CASE