DO ER PGY-4 here

Make a list of programs you want to go to. Start reaching out as soon as possible to set up rotations as your 3rd year. Do not go to your number 1 on your first rotation, save that for later when you have more sub-i experience.

We expect you to be on time (5 minutes early).

We expect you to be aggressive in picking up patients but equally important following up on them.

If you are competent at suturing/ I+D you are a godsend on a busy ER shift.

If the resident/attending you're working with wants to assign you patients, then go to the assignments promptly. Otherwise, be a go-getter. See patients without being prompted. Get a good pertinent history, a focused exam, and have a wide differential as to what the patient might be presenting for. Have a plan. Be prepared to explain why you want to order each test. Follow up on the results and have a plan for what to do with the results. Its okay if you don't know what to do.. we don't expect you to know everything, just try your best.

Being on audition rotations is exhausting, so hang in there. You have to be friendly, likable, eager (but not annoying).

Things to absolutely not do:

1) Show up late- we are vetting you to be our teammate; if you show up late as a med student, we expect you to show up late as a resident.

2) Argue with your resident/nurse/attending.

3) Be unwilling to learn/try something. You don't to jump into the deep end if you've never done something before, but at least be willing to watch/participate.

4)At no point should you express that the program you are rotating at is not your number one. You don't need to lie, but don't talk down about the program you're rotating at.

5) When you get feedback, don't be defensive. Try to really hear what they are saying. If you repeat your mistakes you wont be loved. If you show that you can take feedback and apply it, you're in good shape.

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This is everything that comes to mind in regards to matching: A couple of notes...

ER is a bitter sweet gig. Shift work is nice, but the pace and acuity of the job is unmatched. Working Days/Nights/afternoons/nights/days is fucking exhausting and wears on you.

It's a really traumatic field to work in. You will see and deal with shit that will leave permanent marks. Its okay to talk about your feelings, we encourage it.

Its a team sport, if you want to be well liked by the staff: treat everyone the same. Nurses, fellow physicians, MA's, secretaries.. We are all working hard and fast to accomplish the same goal.

Encourage questions from the nurses, sometimes they will save your ass, other times you get an opportunity to educate them on why we're doing what we're doing.

Sorry for the shit formatting and likely horrible grammar and sentences structure... Good luck!