EM RESIDENCY
FAQs
UIC – EM is a 3 year categorical residency.
Chicago has a population of 2.8 million people, making it our nation’s third largest city. UIC’s EM Program takes advantage of the endless medical resources a large city like Chicago has to offer. Our residents have a unique privilege of spending their time in training in several clinical sites, notably among the four “homes” of UIC, Mercy, IMMC, and LGH. This multi-site training undoubtedly allows UIC to stand apart from other EM residency programs.
The EM program has 15 residents per year (45 EM residents) and 3 EM/IM residents per year (15 EM/IM residents) for a total of 60 residents in Emergency Medicine.
Unique to the EM residents at UIC, the brown lab coat sets us apart from other specialties. It is a highly visible and easily recognizable symbol of our residency seen on the floors, in the ICU, and in Emergency Departments around the city. The Brown coat holds a reputation of team work, assertiveness, and adaptability. It also hides the coffee stains extremely well.
Conference occurs every Thursday from 7am – 12pm at one of the four clinical sites (UIC, Mercy, IMMC, and LGH). This is protected time for all residents regardless of their rotation. Conferences include lectures by Faculty, M&M and Grand Rounds by 3rd year residents, as well as small group workshops, oral board review and sessions at the UIC Simulation center.
Each resident, in order to graduate, must complete either one major project or two minor projects. All PGY1s are required to attend a Research in Emergency Medicine Course taught by Emergency Medicine faculty members experienced in the conduct of scientific inquiry and publication.
We have ultrasound available at all of our sites with multiple certified attendings to provide focused teaching. First year residents spend one month on an ultrasound rotation where they spend afternoons in the ED performing ultrasounds on any clinically relevant patients. They also review ultrasounds once a week with the ultrasound fellow and attending.
Two of our main sites, Illinois Masonic and Lutheran General, are Level 1 Trauma centers where our interns rotate through on the trauma service. The ED is responsible for airways at both of the sites while the trauma team is responsible for the remainder of the evaluation and management. Second year residents rotate at Advocate Christ which is a large-volume Level 1 Trauma center, and during this rotation we are the senior residents in charge of all trauma resuscitations. Between the three sites residents get plenty of exposure to trauma patients and feel comfortable with routine trauma procedures.
6 hospitals: UIC, Masonic, Mercy, Lutheran, MacNeal and Christ. Please visit our clinical sites page to learn more.
Residents live in all areas of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Chicago has several neighborhoods which allow residents to live in a community of their choice. Most residents use their own vehicles but some residents have been known to use bikes and public transportation. However when working at one of the suburban clinical sites or during non-typical business hours a car would be recommended.
While it is not absolutely required to have a car, you will most likely require a car. While UIC, Mercy, and Masonic are in Chicago, Lutheran is in Park Ridge and is not readily accessible with public transport. Your month at Christ in your 2nd year will also be a drive and will require your own transport. There are a few residents in the past who have been able to get by with renting cars as needed, most residents have a car.
During our intern year, some of the off-service rotations include OB, Ortho, CCU and MICU. These rotations are carefully selected to provide us with the best amount of training and acuity. The leadership is very cognizant of ensuring our education and growth and receptive to changes at all times. There is MICU rotation our first year at UIC where we work in a team as the junior resident. One of the best rotations is our ICU experience as a second year resident at Mercy Hospital where we are the ICU senior that manages every ICU patient and responds to every Code in the Hospital.
Definitely YES! The faculty are very supportive with residents’ international interests. If you are particularly interested, there is a Global Health Track you can apply for during your intern year that involves journal clubs with UIC residents interested in Global Health from other specialities (medicine, peds, etc) as well as sessions with EM residents interested in international medicine from other residency programs around Chicago. There are yearly trips to Haiti and Uganda which the residents can apply for and there is a Scholarship available for a third year international elective. There is also a formal fellowship available through UIC and faculty are familiar with other international fellowships around the country.
If you are interested in EM specific fellowships such as toxicology, EMS, international health or ultrasound; then we have several faculty who will guide you with establishing research endeavors, mentorship, as well as offer opportunities to spend time with these individuals so you know exactly what the fellowship will entail. If you are interested in a fellowship that we don’t have at UIC, we have faculty who are well connected and can get you in touch with the people across the country in the field of your interest. Basically, the options are there for you and we will give you the resources to pursue whatever your subspecialty interest in EM might be.