FAQ
How do I contact the Emergency Medicine residency program?
Faye Muhammad, Residency Coordinator Department of Emergency Medicine University of Texas Medical School at Houston 6431 Fannin Street, JJL 431 Houston, Texas 77030 Phone: (713) 500-7882 Fax: (713) 500-0758
What is the accreditation status of The University of Texas at Houston Emergency Medicine program?
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education granted full accreditation for 4 years in 2009.
When did the Emergency Medicine residency program begin at UT Houston?
The program began in 1992.
Does the emergency department have full departmental status?
Yes, the emergency department currently operates as an independent department. The chairman of the Emergency Department, Dr. Brent King, is Vice-President of Clinical Operations at Memorial Hermann Hospital and is president-elect of the medical staff at Memorial Hermann Hospital.
How many residents are in the Emergency Medicine program?
Currently, there are 35 residents. We are accredited for 12 residents per year.
Application
Does the program give preference to applicants from the south or the University of Texas at Houston?
No, the program strives to have geographically diverse classes. We do tend to a significant number of Texas medical students matriculate into our program, but over the years we have had residents from across the country.
May applicants observe in the Emergency Department either prior to or after the interview process?
Yes, applicants are encouraged to schedule time in the Emergency Department to provide firsthand experience of our program.
Does completing a rotation at Memorial Hermann Hospital improve my chances of matching at this program?
A rotation with us is like a month long interview. We get to see your skills and abilities firsthand. Most of the current residents did not complete a medical student rotation in our department prior to matriculation into the program.
Does the residency program accept physicians with previous training?
Yes, but this happens infrequently.
Does the residency program accept DO candidates?
Yes, the program reviews applications from osteopathic medical students and interviews those with outstanding applications.
Does the residency program accept international medical graduates (IMG's)?
We do accept applications from international medical graduates (IMG) who are permanent U.S. citizens or have J-1 visas. However, it is very rare that we interview IMG applicants. Please note: There are no exceptions to the J-1 requirement (this is a University of Texas Medical School requirement)
Are USMLE Step 2 scores required?
No.
How many letters of recommendation are required?
Three letters of recommendation, in addition to the dean's letter, are required. At least one letter should be from an emergency medicine physician with whom you have worked in an emergency department setting. Preferably this letter should be on a Standard Letter of Recommendation (SLOR) form and written by an emergency physician affiliated with an EM residency program.
Does the date that I interview affect my position on the residency's Rank Order List? Should I plan to interview only in January, for example?
No . The date that an applicant interviews in our program and their position on the rank order list does not correlate. Of note, as described in: Martin-Lee LA, Park HW, Overton DL: Does Interview Date Affect Match List Position in the Emergency Medicine National Residency Matching Program Match? Acad Emerg Med 2000; 7:1022-26, the importance of interviewing in January is a myth.
Curriculum- Rotations
How long is the Emergency Medicine residency?
36 months in a PGY 1, 2, 3 format.
What certifications are provided?
PALS provider and ATLS provider certifications
| What is the curriculum of the Emergency Medicine program? | PGY1PGY2 | PGY3 |
| EM (5.5 months) | EM (7 months) | EM (7 months) |
| Pediatric EM (1 month) | Hand/Plastic Surgery (1 month) | Community EM (1 month) |
| Radiology (2 weeks) | Shock/Trauma ICU (STICU) (1 month) | County EM (1 month) |
| Orthopedics (1 month) | Pediatric EM (1 month) | NTICU (1 month) |
| Anesthesia (2 weeks) | County EM (1 month) | PICU (1 month) |
| MICU (1 month) | Elective (1 month) | Elective (1 month) |
| CCU (1 month) | OB/GYN (2 weeks)- PGY1 | Ultrasound (1 month)- PGY1 |
The average call schedule for rotations with call is every 4th night. All rotations comply with the new ACGME standards for work duty hours.
How much exposure do residents have to pediatric Emergency Medicine?
Residents will average 15-20 percent of their total ED shifts in the Pediatric ED and spend two months dedicated to Pediatric Emergency Medicine.
How is pre-hospital EMS integrated into the residency program?
Shifts with Houston Fire Department are scheduled throughout the EM-1 year. Shifts may include ground ambulance ride-along, quality improvement, paramedic education, urban search and rescue, and hazardous materials training.
What is the relationship like between the Emergency Medicine Department and the other departments of the hospital?
We have an excellent reputation in the hospital for providing efficient, quality care to patients.
Is there an ultrasound teaching program?
Yes, ultrasound is an integral part of Emergency Medicine training at our program. We have two ultrasound fellowship trained faculty and are actively recruiting more. We have two Zonare and four Sonosite ultrasound machines in the Memorial Hermann Emergency Department and 1 GE ultrasound in the LBJ ED.
Is there an aeromedical program?
Yes, the hospital's air ambulance service, LifeFlight, provides rapid air transport to the critically ill and injured as well as transport from accident scenes and inter-facility transfers for patients needing additional medical resources.
Are residents involved in the aeromedical program?
Yes, an elective is available for PGY-3 residents.
How are residents evaluated for ED rotations?
Summative evaluations are completed every month for every rotation and on a semi-annual basis. On-line shift evaluation cards are used in the ED.
Residents also receive feedback on
• Procedure logs
• Ultrasound logs
• Monthly testing and in-training exams
• Oral board simulation performance
• Conference attendance and participation
• Conference lecture presentations
• EMS assignments
• Off-service evaluations
How are the faculty evaluated?
Residents annually complete an online evaluation form for each faculty member. Residents may also discuss any specific concern at any time with their mentor, program director, department chair or director of graduate medical education.
How are specific rotations evaluated?
Residents complete an evaluation form online for each off-service rotation. These evaluations are compiled and then discussed at the annual curriculum meeting. Any problems that need to be addressed sooner are discussed with the program director and Chair during the monthly Chairman’s Hour.
Are residents involved in changes to the program?
Yes, each year all residents attend a curriculum meeting to discuss every component of the program and how to improve the training. Several changes to the rotation schedule have been made based on recommendations at this meeting.
Do the residents have input into the program?
Absolutely! The program would not be here if it was not for the residents. Input is sought from the residents through several venues. First, we hold a monthly Chairman’s Breakfast where the Chairman and Residency Director meet with the residents and discuss the program as well as issues in the practice of emergency medicine. Second, resident representatives are invited to the monthly education committee meeting. Furthermore, residents complete anonymous evaluations of the program and faculty each year. Finally, the residency leadership has an open-door policy to voice concerns, recommendations, or any other issues.
Electives
Hyperbaric Medicine
Ultrasound
Aeromedical EMS
Ophthalmology
Dermatology
Toxicology
Research
And more…
Didactics
Which residents attend the weekly Emergency Medicine conferences?
All residents on Emergency Medicine, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, and Elective rotations are required to attend weekly conference
Is conference time protected for residents?
Yes, Emergency Medicine faculty and mid-level providers cover the ED during conference time so those residents scheduled in the ED may attend conference.
When are conferences?
Conferences are scheduled from 0700 to 1200 on Thursdays for a total of five hours per week.
Who teaches conferences?
Our EM residents and faculty lecture at the vast majority of conferences. We also have off-service faculty lecturers and a monthly visiting lectureship that invites well-known EM faculty from across the country.
Are there any recurring conference topics?
Topics regularly addressed include pediatrics, ultrasound, cardiology/EKGs, evidence-based medicine, journal club, oral boards, quality assurance, and the business of emergency medicine.
Are there conferences on business practices in emergency medicine, malpractice, coding and contracts?
Several conferences are provided on a variety of business issues in emergency medicine.
Does the program provide any procedure/skill labs?
Skill labs are provided for residents to improve techniques in all emergency procedures. Animal and mannequin simulators are utilized.
Do you have a journal club?
Yes, every month we critically appraise 1-2 articles during our conference series.
Are there scheduled times all the residents meet?
Chairman’s Hour occurs once/month during conference. In this meeting, only the residents and the Chairman/residency director are present. Also there is a yearly PGY-specific retreat at the home of one of the residency directors.
What forms of teaching are required of residents?
Upper level residents supervise rotating medical students in the ED. Furthermore, our residents are involved with teaching second year medical students (not rotating in the ED) in the UT Houston Medical School Technical Skills course.
Who is responsible for educating medical students?
Most medical students shadow senior residents in the emergency department and present cases directly to them and faculty.
Does the program have an oral board review course?
A specific course is not taught, but conference time is spent reviewing the mechanics of the oral board exam and practicing cases. Each year the faculty proctor in-house mock oral examinations for each resident in the format of the ABEM Oral Board.
Research
What are the research requirements?
The Residency Review Committee for Emergency Medicine requires the completion of a scholarly project by each resident by the end of their training. This requirement may be met by completing original research or by participating in a scholarly project approved by the Residency Director. Examples would include a textbook chapter or setting up an educational program for the residency.
What research opportunities are available?
Faculty are involved in multiple areas of emergency medicine research. Currently, we have several million dollars in NIH funding from the Neurologic Emergencies Treatment Trial. Additional small grant funded projects are on-going as well as unfunded research projects that residents are involved in completing.
Is funding available for research projects?
Yes, the department has the resources to fund resident research projects. Additional funding is provided for travel expenses to residents who are invited to present their research at regional or national conferences (for example, SAEM, TCEP, ACEP).
Facilities
How many patients are seen in the Memorial Hermann Hospital ED each year?
On average, there are more than 60,000 patient visits each year, with 30% of these being pediatric visits.
What is the admission rate from the Emergency Department?
The overall admission rate from Memorial Hermann Hospital ED is 34% (national average approximately 15%). 10% of these admissions go to an ICU setting.
How are pediatric Emergency Department patients handled?
There is a separate triage and care area for pediatric patients with 7 beds, including a resuscitation room that has 2 beds. Pediatric trauma patients are also seen in the main ED trauma area.
How are trauma patients managed?
All trauma patients with a significant mechanism of injury or meeting trauma team activation criteria are managed in tandem with the trauma service. The EM resident manages the airway and performs the primary survey. EM residents also perform all of the FAST exam and a large number of orthopedic procedures.
What are general lab turnaround times?
There is a STAT lab located in the Emergency Department. Most other labs are available in 30 minutes. ABGs are available within minutes.
What radiologic services are available?
The ED houses its own 64-slice CT scanner. The trauma bays have built-in digital radiography equipment providing physicians with instant images. MRI is available 24 hours per day. Ultrasound is available 18 hours per day. The radiology suite is adjacent to the ED.
Who reads radiologic films and when?
Radiographs are preliminarily read by a radiology resident with attending backup. On average reads are available within 10-30 minutes of the radiologist receiving the images.
Do residents train at other facilities? If so, how much time is spent at each facility?
Residents spend most of their clinical time at Memorial Hermann Hospital. During the PGY-1 year, interns also spend 2 weeks at the Lyndon Baines Johnson General Hospital for the OB/GYN rotation. In the second year, PGY-2s rotate to Texas Children’s Hospital for a month of dedicated pediatric ED experience (85,000 ED visits/year) as well as LBJ General Hospital for two months of county hospital ED experience (70,000 ED visits/year). In the PGY-3 year, residents spend another month in the ED at LBJ General Hospital and one month at Methodist Willowbrook Hospital a community ED experience (40,000 ED visits/year).
Faculty
How many faculty members are on staff? Are all faculty Emergency Medicine board certified?
Thirty-two (32) faculty members provide coverage at the Memorial Hermann ED (25 full-time, 7 part-time, 9 female). All EM faculty are Emergency Medicine board certified or Pediatric board certified with Pediatric EM subspecialty board certification.
How experienced are the Emergency Department faculty members?
We are proud to have a diverse faculty. Our group includes new residency graduates as well as seasoned emergency physicians. Many of our academic faculty have returned to the academic setting after working in the community. Despite training in a tertiary care center, this provides our residents with insight into how various patient presentations would be handled in the community setting.
What is faculty coverage like during Emergency Department shifts?
Faculty coverage at the Memorial Hermann ED includes 48 hours of coverage of the Adult ED. There is an additional 12 hours of coverage each day for the Pediatric ED (staffed by EM physicians, Pediatric EM fellowship trained physicians).
Benefits
Does the program pay any professional membership dues?
Residents are reimbursed for dues to the American College of Emergency Physicians/Emergency Medicine Resident’s Association and the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine.
Does the program pay for any journal subscriptions?
Through membership in ACEP and SAEM, residents receive subscriptions to Annals of Emergency Medicine and Academic Emergency Medicine.
Does the program provide residents with a book allowance?
Currently, residents receive Reichman’s Emergency Procedures during orientation. All residents have electronic access via the library to Rosen’s, Tintinalli’s, Roberts and Hedges, over 40 online textbooks, all library online subscriptions, and multiple evidence based medicine materials.
Does the program pay for residents to attend outside conferences?
EM-1s attend SAEM, EM-2s attend TCEP, and EM-3s attend ACEP. Any resident presenting research at a conference also receives funding to attend.
Moonlighting
When can residents start moonlighting?
Residents can start moonlighting during the second half of the PGY-2 year after the mid-year evaluation. At the mid-year evaluation it is determined if the resident meets the eligibility criteria (including, but not limited to, completion of all residency related duties, satisfactory scores on the in-training exam and department created monthly quizzes, etc)
How many hours are residents allowed to moonlight?
We limit the number of hours a resident can moonlight to a total of 72 hours of clinical care/week (resident hours + moonlighting hours)
Is malpractice insurance paid for when moonlighting?
Residents must have their own liability coverage to moonlight. They are not covered by UT professional liability insurance when working outside the residency program.
Post-Graduation
What is the first time pass rate of graduates on the ABEM examinations?
The average first time pass rate on the written component of the ABEM certification exam is 91.5 percent for the past 5 years.
The first time pass rate on the oral component of the ABEM certification exam is 100%.
Do residents have difficulty finding jobs?
Due to the training our residents get (including the acuity of patients our residents see), our residents have no trouble finding jobs and are recruited heavily by EM groups in the area and beyond.
Where do graduates practice?
Most of our graduates end up in community practice somewhere in Texas although we have graduates practicing across the United States and in several parts of the world. Several residents have gone on to fellowships in EMS, Ultrasound, and Pediatric Emergency Medicine. An additional group have stayed on as faculty at our program or joined other academic EM programs.
What fellowships are available at the University of Texas at Houston Emergency Medicine program?
We offer fellowships in EMS and Ultrasound.
General
Why train at UT Houston?
A phenomenal ED with high patient acuity, a great trauma experience, the pediatric EM experience, active NIH-funded research, and the camaraderie between our dedicated residents and faculty.
Have there been any recent changes in the program?
Dr. Samuel Luber, MD, MPH, started as the new program director at the beginning of the 2009-2010 academic year. He and the Residency Leadership Team have instituted several changes in the program so far, and has plans for introducing more interactive education into the curriculum.
Working in the ED
What is the Emergency Medicine resident's role in trauma? Who runs trauma resuscitations?
We have a tiered trauma response system. Patients meeting certain criteria (such as severe traumatic mechanism, vital sign abnormalities, etc) are designated Code 3 trauma activations and the patient is taken care of by the ED and trauma team with the ED residents and faculty focusing on airway management and the FAST exam. Code 1 and 2 trauma activations are managed by emergency medicine and the trauma team is consulted as needed.
How is your relationship with the trauma service?
We have a great working relationship with the trauma service. EM residents and attendings work side-by-side with our trauma colleagues providing quality care to our injured patients.
What are the specific roles of the different classes of residents in the emergency department?
All shifts in the ED are typically covered by at least one upper level (PGY-2 or PGY-3) resident and a PGY-1 resident. EM residents are given progressive responsibility to manage and disposition the patients. All patients are fully supervised by the EM faculty.