YOUR perfect program

[Jeff698]

Inspired by the Cross Canadian Ragweed song If I were president, I bring you "If I were program director". Our little game goes like this: if you were program director and had unlimited resources (OK, realistic but plentiful resources), what would your program look like.

Here's mine, in no particular order:

• High salary (PGY-1 at 43K-ish)
• Paid family benefits
• Active family support in the community
• Primary crew member on helicopter/fixed wing
• Field response as part of organized physician field evaluation/training program
• Active involvement in paramedic training program
• EMS medical director training program provided
• Established support for EMS research
• Associate EMS medical director roles
• Support for national EMS involvement by residents
• Support (paid travel, etc) for national EM leadership by residents
• Paid memberships: ACEP/EMRA, AMA, state medical assoc, NAEMSP, etc
• Lots of US experience and training
• Integrated training on business of medicine/EM
• As few floor months as possible with majority of off service in critical care
• Ready access to patient's electronic medical records (which, in this perfect world, would be complete and up to date)
• Computerized order entry and lab retrival
• Plentiful computers in the department
• No paper charts
• PACS in the ED
• Ample CME money
• Free PDA for all residents
• Rapid floor admissions with lots of available beds, ie no 'boarding'
• Great tasting, FREE coffee in the department
• Lots of resident wellness activities
• Useful journal club

I'm sure there are lots of other things but this is what leaps to mind right now. I'd also want it to be in a great city with wonderful public schools, ready access to lakes and mountains with no polution and near all my friends and family. OK, maybe this last part isn't really within the control of the PD but since it's probably the most important to me, I had to add it to my list.

What does your ideal program look like?

Take care,
Jeff

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[Hercules]

I would agree with most of that with a few changes:
-I have no EMS interest, so I could do without all of that
-Year-round Peds exposure (couple shifts per ED month)
-Paid trips for the residents to 1 big conference per year (since we have unlimited resources)

 

[ewells]

The ED would be active participants in trauma. In my limited experience, most traumas are run almost exclusively by surgery.

 

[roja]

The ED would be active participants in trauma. In my limited experience, most traumas are run almost exclusively by surgery.

Not here.

 

[Sessamoid]

I want a pony.

 

[eadysx]

I want a pony.

Wow. I love that...

E-

 

[margaritaboy]

The ED would be active participants in trauma. In my limited experience, most traumas are run almost exclusively by surgery.

Following Roja's lead: Not here either.

I'd like red and white superhero suit with a cape.

 

[Scrubbs]

The ED would be active participants in trauma. In my limited experience, most traumas are run almost exclusively by surgery.

Just joining the bandwagon... not here either

 

[Seaglass]

Aww heck, not here either

 

[beyond all hope]

When I was an MSIV I thought that was a very important thing. I wanted to be a trauma guru. After having trained at two high volume trauma centers I'm GLAD we have a trauma team. So much scut involved with trauma patients, full body radiation and radiology reads, death packets and yadda yadda yadda.

We run airway and we get plenty of procedures. Yeah, we miss out on a thoracotomy or two, but I'm not really excited about those any more. It's a dangerous, not particularly useful procedure in which you have a really high chance of getting cut or stuck by nervous people with big sharp things.

I have to rotate in the SICU this year and with the trauma team next year, and frankly, I'm not really looking forward to it.

 

[FoughtFyr]

The ED would be active participants in trauma. In my limited experience, most traumas are run almost exclusively by surgery.

Keeping things going...

Not here either. We "run" traumas on even days, trauma surg. on odd. We always have the airway, and the procedures are evenly split (on the odd/even) schedule. And scut is minimal for either service.

- H

 

[quideam]

I'm just a med student but what the heck....

- lots of EMS exposure: flight, wilderness, etc., starting from year one
- full participation of the EM dept. in trauma cases
- three year residency w/ six months of 3rd year available for studying EM in another country (Israel?? Heh heh...)
- fully funded international electives
- location close to skiing, climbing, kayaking, etc.

Alright, I'll get back to reality now... btw, anyone know of any programs that even come vaguely close to meeting these wishes?

Quid

 

[MasterintuBater]

My perfect program:

1)All the patients know their own medical histories
2)All the patients know their medications, and know how to pronounce them
3)Free Starbucks