and the mention of someone I know!
Emergent Phenomenon: Dr. Louis Binder has compiled his annual emergency medicine match statistics. It’s currently available on StudentDoctor.net:
1. Emergency Medicine experienced an increase of 37 entry level positions in the 2005 Match over 2004 Match numbers (a 2.9% increase), occurring from a combination of quota increases occurring in EM 1-3 and 1-4 programs, and three new programs in the EM match. Emergency Medicine now comprises 5.5 percent of the total NRMP positions and 8.4% of matched US seniors (both all time highs).
2. The overall demand for EM entry level positions increased substantially, from 52 additional US graduates ranking only EM programs to 113 more US graduates and 182 more total applicants ranking at least 1 EM program in 2005, after similar levels of growth of the applicant pool in 2004. The majority of this increase came from US seniors who ranked EM programs. This growth in demand for EM positions far exceeded the increase in supply of positions. The excess applicant demand over and above the size of the training base is 48 to 356 applicants (4% to 27% surplus), depending on how the parameters of the applicant pool are determined.
More programs (now 132), with more spots at existing programs, but still the demand for emergency is outstripping the supply. Of all incoming spots at all residency programs, 5.5% are now EM, and 8.4% of US senior med students matched into emergency medicine. That’s 991 of us this year.
First, congrats (again) to 991 new colleagues-in-training.
Second, Lou Binder was an Assistant Professor in El Paso when I was a med student there, and I have nothing but fond memories of his teaching and his mentorship. Also, I still owe him for letting me be the most hungover med student to ever sleep on his couch (Juarez, $1 tequila shots, etc; would be a really funny story, except just telling it makes my head hurt).
So, new news and old news. Nothing but the best here!
