1. What makes your program different from
other programs, or what made you choose your program?
The shear volume of patients in our ED provides a great
educational experience for residents. We see approximately
80,000 - 100,000 patients annually. Our population also tends to
be more on the elderly side, with our average pt being over the
age of 65. As such, the pathology and the comorbidities that
come with each presenting complaint provides for a really great
learning opportunity.
2. If
not answered above, what's the best aspect of your program?
The diversity of patients we see is yet another positive
attribute of our program. Our ED draws patients from all ethnic
backgrounds, religions, and spoken languages. These include
Russian, Italian, Hebrew, Bengali, Spanish, Urdu, just to name a
few. With the diversity of patients comes a whole host of
different pathologies.
3. Are there
any major upcoming changes to your program?
We are building an entire new
ED, one that is expected to be up and running by Jan 2007. More
space, less crowded, and more patients to learn from.
4. Is
there anything you would change about your program if you
could?
No program is perfect. Our ED
is quite chaotic at times and space is limited, which means a
lot of "crowding" at times. But the new ED should help
ameliorate this. With this addition will come more patient
visits of course, but that will just add to the opportunity to
learn.
5.
How much are you responsible for blood draws, putting in IVs,
etc.?
The nurses in our ED are great. They have a great deal of
autonomy and often have already ordered basic labs, drawn them,
and sent them, even before you have seen the patient. However,
our philosophy is always based upon a team approach and the
first priority is the patient. However, when the ED gets really
busy, often residents will draw blood work and put in IVs. I
believe that any well trained ED doctor should be efficient at
"ancillary" services.
6. Do you learn
mostly from attendings, other residents, or textbooks? Does this
vary when you do off-service rotations?
We learn mostly from our
patients. We have so many of them that you simply tend to learn
and absorb a ton of medical knowledge form caring for patients
alone. Along with this, bedside teaching with attendings adds to
the learning process. The majority of our attendings spend a
significant amount of each shift teaching residents, and as i
expect is the case at most other institutions, some are better
than others. It is very difficult to read your intern year at
home, although you are expected to do so. By the middle of
second year, your learning via textbooks and review articles
increases greatly. Off service rotations vary. For instance, our
Medical ICU month is a great month to gain really valuable
critical care training, and the ICU attendings are great
professors as well. Some of the teaching on other months is
quite limited. It all varies, by month, time of year, the
current team, the current attending, and other internal
dynamics.
7.
How does EMed rank in your hospital's hierarchy?
Our ED serves as the primary
gateway to inpatients in the hospital. A such, our ED is viewed
as a highly efficient "well-oiled" machine. The other
departments in the hospital depend on our care and expertise at
the initial stages of a patient's hospital stay. Over the years,
a strong relationship and level of respect has developed between
the ED and the other internal departments.
8.
What are the perks that your school provides (PDAs, textbooks,
conference fees, meal tickets, etc.)?
just to name a few :
1) a free PDA
2) meal tickets for when "on call"
3) annual stipend for books and other
educational material
4) subsidized housing
5) monetary assistance for annual
parking
6) all PGY1's attend the annual SAEM
conference free of charge
9. How do you
rate your rotations outside of the emergency department?
Again, some are great. Some not so strong. All of the ICU months
are extremely helpful and are top notch. Toxicology, SOLID.
Anesthesia, amazing. EMS, great. Shock-Trauma in
Baltimore, THE BEST. Ortho, GOOD but there is definitely room
for improvement. OB-GYN, I'll just say ???
10.
What's the best elective you've done?
Maryland Shock Trauma and the
Medical ICU.
11.
How much does your program focus on research?
Each resident is required to
complete a research project/scholarly activity by graduation,
but no, we are not a research-focused program. Our focus lies
more in the clinical realm.
12.
What do you love and hate most about the city you're in?
I love New York, I love New
York, I love New York. Did I mention, I love New York. For me,
it is the whole world packed into a wonderful city. There is so
much diversity here. Diversity amongst people, amongst food,
leisure activities, patients, fellow colleagues, amongst
everything. One day I am eating Thai, the next day pizza, the
next day, Ethiopian. New Yorkers have the whole world at their
fingertips. It is never a dull moment. Restaurants, bars, pubs,
clubs, lounges, museums, Broadway, downtown, uptown, the
village, Chelsea, the pier, Meat Packing District, Times Square,
Central Park, Union Square, Washington Square, and I could go on
and on forever. Simply put, I love New York.
13.
Please describe your typical month in terms of work hours and
days off.
No more than 60 hrs per week
on ED months, no more than 80 hrs per week on off-service
months. In ED months, you have two full days off per week. Our
new templated schedule allows for a minimum of one full weekend
off, and many times two full weekends completely off, with
absolutely no clinical or academic duties. PGY1's do 18 twelve
hr shifts, PGY2's do 17 twelve hr shifts, PGY3's do
approximately 13-14 eight hour shifts and 4-5 twelve hour shifts
on weekends and in the Peds ED.
14.
How much time do you spend off-duty with the other residents?
Again, it varies depending on
the month. Most of my free time is spent with other friends from
the program, both residents and attendings. I also have a number
of friends from med school and college that I spend time with.
Our program definitely has a strong social fabric. The first
Wednesday of every month there is also a departmental social
outing. This is relatively new, but has been quite successful.
15. Do you have any
international experience?
I have done a number of
rotations in India as a medical student. I plan on doing an
additional international month abroad next year.
16. What are
your plans after residency?
Either an ultrasound or
critical care fellowship, followed by a career in academic
emergency medicine.
17.
How prepared do you feel?
Maimonides definitely prepares you for "the real world." I have
no doubt in my mind that a Maimonides-trained ED resident will
succeed in any ED around the nation. All of our past graduates
have successfully matriculated on to great fellowships, or
excellent community and academic centers.
18.
Is there anything you'd like to tell us that we haven't asked?
Maimonides is truly a great
place to train and to learn. Overall, it is a very friendly
environment. Nothing here is too competitive or "cut-throat."
This in itself provides a nice environment to learn.
19. Do you have any advice for current applicants, or is there
anything you wish you'd known when you were applying?
Keep an open mind. Really use the interview process as a
personal tool for you in deciding which program is right for
you. Remember, programs are interviewing you, but you are also
interviewing them.
