Residency Facts

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Department of Emergency Medicine residency was founded in 1992. We are a PGY1-3 program with 12 residents per training year. The residents are supervised 24 hours per day by faculty board certified in Emergency Medicine with 48 hours per day of EM faculty coverage and an additional 12 hours per day of Pediatric faculty coverage by EM and Pediatric EM board certified physicians. The residency is fully accredited by the ACGME and Emergency Medicine Residency Review Committee.

Residents rotate in the emergency department for five and a half months as an EM 1, nine months as an EM 2, and eight months as an EM 3, with progressive increases in responsibility each training year.

The Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center emergency department sees approximately 60,000 patients per year and has high acuity with an approximate 35% admission rate from the ED. As such, our residents develop excellent resuscitation and critical care skills. The approximate mix of patient pathology is:

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Residents are involved first hand with critical patient care and ongoing multispecialty research, including research in trauma resuscitation, prehospital thrombolytics/cardiac resuscitation, early goal directed therapy in sepsis, thrombolytics and early interventional therapies for acute stroke, emergency ultrasound, pediatric emergency medicine, neurologic emergency treatment trials (NETT), educational research, and error reduction, among others.

We provide specific class retreats for the EM 2 and EM 3 years. We also provide specific skills and procedure labs focused on each training year, such as our resuscitation skills lab prior to the EM 2 year to prepare for upper level responsibilities.

Trauma

We have very close working relationships with our trauma colleagues. EM residents develop extensive experience managing multiple critically injured trauma patients through experience on the orthopedic trauma service, the STICU, NTICU, PICU, and Hand Surgery services.

Pediatrics

Our residents gain extensive pediatric experience. Each ED month throughout the residency involves specific pediatric shifts. Pediatric patients also may be seen in the adult side of the ED. The EM 1 year dedicates one full month to the Pedi ED, and the EM 2 year has a full month at Texas Children’s Hospital ED. The EM 3 year has the option of PICU for those residents who elect for additional pediatric critical care experience.

Resident comments:

  • High volume and acuity, and unlimited resources are always available.
  • The people. From the faculty, other residents, nurses, and staff, everyone is so friendly and makes coming to work feel like hanging out with a big family.
  • I am a graduate from the med school, and I chose to stay because of the people. The faculty make this program awesome! They are here to foster your career and want to make you the best you can be. Plus, when you leave here, you can do anything!
  • Great balance between trauma and medicine (separate shifts) and remarkably high patient acuity.
  • Lots of trauma, autonomy, time in the ED, procedures, and complicated patients. No ward months.
  • Lots of trauma exposure and opportunities for procedures, nice intro month, emphasis on teaching, and the opportunity to practice Spanish often.
  • The people! The largest Medical Center in the world! A great hospital.
  • Busy ED; cool, laidback attendings; cool residents. Everyone is always willing to teach.
  • Fourth biggest US city, two level one trauma centers, one residency — we see it all — and the people.
  • Orientation month, more ED months than many programs.
  • I believe our program has a solid foundation because of our faculty and staff. They are always there to help us reach our full potential as doctors and always have our best interests in mind.
  • The amazing people you get to work with.
  • Great residents, faculty who like to teach, and being treated with respect. Our orientation month prepares you with lectures and procedure labs to be ready to take shifts in the ED with confidence.
  • This is a great place to learn and train. We see all types of patients and pathology. We have faculty who love to teach. We also have a dedicated ultrasound faculty, and so we get a lot of experience and are adept at it when we leave.
  • Fantastically perfect assimilation of people, facility, and patients. Fourth largest city in nation, only residency in town, and highest Apache score in the nation for trauma admits.


Benefits
PGY-1    $44,310
PGY-2    $45,970
PGY-3    $47,010

Paid Leave
Vacation
10 working days for PGY 1
15 working days PGY 2 and above per contract year
Sick Leave
12 working days per contract year
Rollover cap of 30 working days
Educational Leave
5 working days per contract year

Insurance Programs at No Cost to Resident
Comprehensive medical care plan (Choice of HMO or PPO)
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
$100,000 basic life insurance
Disability insurance
Accidental Death & Dismemberment insurance
Professional Liability Insurance
Other Benefits
Dependent Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance available at group rates
Supplemental Disability Insurance
Paid and unpaid leaves of absence
Tax-deferred annuity plans
Uniforms & Badges at no cost
Paid membership in Harris County Medical Society and The Texas Medical Association