Combined Residency Fair Draws Hundreds

David A. Marcus, MD, FACEP, FACP, HEC-C

Back for its 2^nd year, the EM/IM, EM/IM/CCM, and EM/FM residency directors organized a two day, Zoom based, combined residency fair and open house in July 2021. This originally developed in 2020 from a shared desire to raise awareness about combined training among medical students, particularly those in medical schools without combined training programs. However, it was necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, as it limited students’ rotation ability.

The residency fair, held on the first night, featured resident and faculty speakers from every EM/IM+/-CCM and EM/FM program in the country. We provided a general outline of combined training, discussed career pathways, schedules, work-life integration, creating a rank list, and other topics based on feedback from the 2020 event. Over 200 participants (40% MS4, 25% MS3, 11% MS2, 24% grads/other) joined the fair. Program-hosted open houses followed on both nights. Participants were encouraged to jump between programs during the course of the night, as presenters coordinated 20-minute presentation cycles, allowing participants to explore several residency programs without missing out on key content.

The feedback, both this year and last, has been very positive. 96% of respondents found the event useful, 88% thought it was interesting, and 100% stated that this event should be offered annually. Anecdotally, numerous residency interviewees, both this year and last, reported that this event was the first time they'd heard of EM/IM or EM/FM training and, in many cases, their only opportunity to hear directly from, and to meet with, faculty and trainees in combined programs.

Close to 60% of respondents reported that they heard about the event from a faculty member or friend.  An additional 23% heard about it from listservs, including the ACEP Dual Training Section, ACOEP, CORD, CDEM, and CDIM. The organizers would like to express our gratitude to all Section members who helped promote the residency fair and open house. These events could not have succeeded without you!