Tips Before the Start of Emergency Medicine Residency

Written by Puja Singh, MD

So what should you do before starting an emergency medicine residency? One simple word- ENJOY!

You have worked hard in college and medical school and are about to embark on your career. It is going to be tough - emotional, mental, physical- and it is important to take a few months before residency to relax, clear your mind and live your best life! Whatever that means for you- travel, see friends and family, stay home and watch TV, read, exercise, etc.

If you are looking for something to do before you start, ALIEM has a fantastic 4th-year medical student/intern curriculum that is eight weeks. It is called “Bridge to EM Curriculum”. I did it for a few weeks before starting residency. It is organized and broken down very well. It is about 1-1.5 hours of work each day for 8 weeks. You can do as little or as much as you like and the best part is that it is FREE!

Other good resources include Life in the Fast Lane for EKG practice and the EMRA podcast C3 series which breaks down each chief complaint. 5 minute Sono is great for all things Ultrasound!

But honestly, I cannot emphasize how important it is to enjoy yourself and be refreshed and prepared to start arguably one of the hardest years of your career. The more you can get some R&R in now, the more prepared you will be to start residency. Most emergency medicine programs also have a 1-4 week orientation to ease you into the start of the intern year. So bottom line- Don’t fret! Relax, enjoy, and be proud of all you accomplished thus far. Get ready for more to come!