Residency Study Resources for Emergency Medicine

Written By Puja Singh, MD

You got the degree, the two letters after your name! But, the grind doesn’t stop here. As a recent new intern entering the workforce, one question I had was what resources were important for me to secure before July 1, the start of my intern year. Here are tips for studying and learning emergency medicine during residency:

1. A classic textbook- In the emergency medicine world this usually means either Rosen’s or Tintinalli’s. These are the foundations of the field. I think it's important to have at least one of these in your emergency medicine toolbox to learn from and reference.

2. A Question bank- Most residency programs will give you an in-service exam every year and most programs will also give you a subscription to a question bank.

   1. There is Rosh Review, Board Vitals, Hippo Ed, Stat Pearls, along with many others. Regardless of what company it is, find out what your program offers and make sure you sign up for it. Even doing 5-10 questions a week is something to keep your mind fresh and to keep your standardized test-taking skills and critical thinking skills in check.

3. UWorld- Yes, that’s right, UWorld. Sorry for any PTSD that might induce. This doesn’t apply specifically to emergency medicine residency but it is the holy grail of all USMLE exams, including Step 3 which you will, unfortunately (or fortunately?) need to take before you finish residency.

4. Notes- Some type of method to take notes/collect your thoughts. I opted for an iPad with an Apple Pencil where I could jot down notes, highlight articles, and many other things. There are many options for this, just find one that fits your learning style best.

5. Applications- In the tech-filled world of the 21st century that we live in, there are hundreds of applications that are so useful and make your life easier.

   1. The ones I have been reaching for on shift lately have been- MDCalc, WikEM, QuickEM, Sublux, Eyechart, Pedistat, FullCode.

6. Podcasts/Foam- It is very easy to get overwhelmed in this realm and so it is important to start slowly. Find a few podcasts or sites that you enjoy and stick with those before branching out.

   1. My current favorite podcast to learn from is EM:RAP. All their C3 topic podcasts are especially helpful for a new intern to review high yield topics and information before/after a shift during your travel to and from work.

   2. There is also EMCrit which is good for critical care/EM topics. In addition, two applications recommended to me were Feedly and QX Read. These applications essentially compile various blog posts and articles, respectively, that you “follow” so all the information is in one place. You can easily open the applications and stay up to date with articles that have been published recently.

7. EMRA- I cannot say this enough. The EMRA booklets are probably the best resource I have found to be the most helpful over the last few months. Make sure to sign up and receive your new member kit because it is filled with little checklists, booklets, pamphlets, badges for your ID card, and tons of things that are so high-yield and useful! I slip one of these into my pocket before every shift and at any moment I can lean on them for a little refresher, review, or reinforcement on any topic.

These are just a few of the things I have found helpful. Choose one, two, or all of them. Whatever works for you! I know you will succeed as a new and budding emergency medicine physician. Good luck!