Emergency Medicine Shows Rebound in 2024 Residency Match - ACEP Now

[GatorCHOMPions]

Emergency Medicine Shows Rebound in 2024 Residency Match - ACEP Now

ACEP Now offers real-time clinical news, news from the American College of Emergency Physicians, and news on practice trends and health care reform for the emergency medicine physician. ACEP Now is an official publication of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

www.acepnow.com

Just got this in my email. Some highlights (or lowlights) and curious choices of example applicants from the article:

"...emergency medicine (EM) appears to be leveling off as it regains its status as one of the medical profession’s most sought-after specialties."

"This year, 135 emergency medicine positions went unfilled across 54 programs—considerably down from the 554 unfilled positions across 132 programs last year. This decrease—from 18 percent to just 4 percent—in unfilled positions is encouraging news for the specialty."

"The 2024 cycle marked the greatest number of students applying to emergency medicine, according to preliminary data from ERAS. More than 4,400 applicants signed up for emergency medicine this year—nearly 1,200 more EM applicants than the previous year and with nearly double the amount of international medical graduate (IMG) applicants. While emergency medicine’s Match rates have not returned to pre-COVID numbers, it certainly is a sign of renewed interest in the field.

“We are very encouraged that the interest in EM has seen a rebound over the last year,” said Chinmay Patel, DO, the emergency medicine clerkship director at the Burnett School of Medicine at Texas Christian University."

"The results of the 2024 Match showed that 35 percent of EM positions were filled by osteopathic students and 15 percent by international medical students and graduates."

"Many applicants ... felt like they would never have a chance at matching in EM were excited at the opportunity to be given a chance. At ACEP’s Scientific Assembly in Philadelphia last October, ... had no plans to participate in the 2024 Match. She doubted she could earn a spot in an emergency medicine residency program in the United States."

"She wasn’t personally impressed with her U.S. Medical Licensing Exam test scores. And she thought there would be steep competition from U.S.-based students. But a sponsor she found at ACEP’s annual meeting encouraged her to continue her dream of practicing emergency medicine."

"Following ACEP24, “I bought my ERAS token, prepared my entire application in less than two weeks, including my personal statement and letters of recommendation, and submitted to 47 programs,” she said. “The next few weeks, I received eight interview offers and now, so help me God, I matched into EM!"

"... who graduated medical school in 2022, is just one of 2,891 applicants who matched into emergency medicine in the 2024 Match program this spring."

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[Prehealth1011]

Curious if programs will continue to require SLOEs. We have PCCM fellows from India/Pakistan who wanted EM but couldn't because they couldn't arrange a US rotation to obtain it.

 

[southerndoc]

You can't expect medical students at the top of their class to consider EM when all they have to do is come to SDN and read tons of moaning and whining about the specialty. I'm sad to say that some people who are so unhappy with the specialty need to change careers and move on.

 

[AlmostAnMD]

Original article should be updated with your bold emphasis

 

[Birdstrike]

I'm sad to say that some people who are so unhappy with the specialty need to change careers and move on.

I agree with the part in bold, but am confused at to why this self evident fact makes you sad.

 

[GatorCHOMPions]

It's like ACEP is actively encouraging/endorsing spots to be filled at any cost.

 

[RustedFox]

- "and now, so help me God, I matched into EM."

Oof, kid. Big oof.

 

[Birdstrike]

Foolproof method to keep EM popular:

-Sell the sexy: Intubations, "lives saved," procedures, which turns off the logical brain and turns on the lizard-brain.

-Redefine flaws in EM, as character flaws in EM physicians that point the flaws in EM.

-Pay just enough (but not one dollar more) that required to make the grind feel sustainable and career change unjustifiable.

-Keep a tiny portion of unicorn jobs, such that the illusion that satisfaction is only one simple job change away, remains pervasive.

 

[valianteffort]

The golden handcuffs are just enough to keep most of us coming back today. An incoming m1 would be working as an attending in 7-8 years. Handcuffs will be made of bronze by then.

 

[cyanide12345678]

So were basically One of the least competitive specialties now.

At UTSW, our 2016 class was told that if we do not have a 240 in step 1 then we should consider alternate specialties -_-

How the times have changed.

 

[Rekt]

ACEP is funded by CMGs. CMGs have a vested interest in over supply. Pretty simple.

 

[miacomet]

Job market will be a total disaster. I talked to ACEP, they seem really unmotivated to lobby for more fellowships.

 

[WhatJobDoIPick]

You can't expect medical students at the top of their class to consider EM when all they have to do is come to SDN and read tons of moaning and whining about the specialty. I'm sad to say that some people who are so unhappy with the specialty need to change careers and move on.

Cool victim blaming bro.

 

[trackrunner321]

What is the normal match percent of IMGs to EM? 15% seems pretty high.

 

[Janders]

What is the normal match percent of IMGs to EM? 15% seems pretty high.

Historically? Way less that 15%

 

[dozitgetchahi]

I’m not EM, but this reads like Russian-level disinformation. Propaganda at its absolute best (or worst).

 

[comp1]

That is indeed some impressive propaganda!! It's literal double speak in multiple areas.

 

[CoolDoc1729]

I’m honestly wondering how anyone could read this years match as anything except Oh, previously uncompetitive applicants have realized we’ll take anyone now!

I say this as one of the more positive posters around here, I love doing this … but I consider that a happy coincidence since day to day community EM is NOTHING like EM rotations in med school - now we’ll have a ton of residents who aren’t competitive and also have no idea what they are getting themselves into - oh and my small community hospital is starting a 8/year residency too 😳 I’m sure we’ll attract only the best tho

 

[RustedFox]

I’m honestly wondering how anyone could read this years match as anything except Oh, previously uncompetitive applicants have realized we’ll take anyone now!

I say this as one of the more positive posters around here, I love doing this … but I consider that a happy coincidence since day to day community EM is NOTHING like EM rotations in med school - now we’ll have a ton of residents who aren’t competitive and also have no idea what they are getting themselves into - oh and my small community hospital is starting a 8/year residency too 😳 I’m sure we’ll attract only the best tho

This is the nonsense that needs to stop.
It won't, though.

 

[trackrunner321]

It's astounding that anyone with any ability to think critically would be happy about all of the EM spots filling (other than those directly benefitting from it).

 

[WhatJobDoIPick]

Most of these articles are written either by junior academics who have no clue, or people with a vested interest in residency expansion (small time hospital admins looking to improve their balance sheet; shill program directors looking to pad their resumes; CMGs).

We need academic leaders at the mother ships to advance our field, but non-research based faculty at large centers are some of the least intelligent and worst clinicians out there.

 

[deuist]

That article was terrible. The whole reason for the rebound was due to the rapid increase in applications from foreign medical graduates. That scenario is the exact opposite of defining a specialty as highly desirable.

 

[sylvanthus]

This is exactly the response Id expect from ACEP.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

That article was terrible. The whole reason for the rebound was due to the rapid increase in applications from foreign medical graduates. That scenario is the exact opposite of defining a specialty as highly desirable.

It makes me wonder how much it was used as a backup specialty by US grads, but also, you can't expect ACEP to be honest about it. They have to spin it for their benefit

 

[AlvinKamara]

That article was terrible. The whole reason for the rebound was due to the rapid increase in applications from foreign medical graduates. That scenario is the exact opposite of defining a specialty as highly desirable.

Bingo

 

[miacomet]

You can't expect medical students at the top of their class to consider EM when all they have to do is come to SDN and read tons of moaning and whining about the specialty. I'm sad to say that some people who are so unhappy with the specialty need to change careers and move on.

We would if we could, but ABEM steadfastly refuses to give us options.

You tell us to leave the field, you point us in the right direction.