How to look for a bright future in ER

M. H. Moustafa, MD, FACEP

Associate Clinical Professor

David Geffen School of Medicine

At UCLA

Joke of the day !

Bright future in ER

• A- Tips for medical students

• B- Recommendations for postgraduates

• C- How to get your dream job

• D- How to change failure to success

• E- Dealing with burnout

• F- Other: Finance, family and your wellness

A- Tips for Medical Students

• 1- Attend your didactics; lectures, labs, and all other presentations

• 2- Do not be afraid to ask questions

• 3- Get a standard text book

• 4- Get clinical exposure

A- Tips for Medical Students

• 5- Clinical Shadowing

• 6- Get a mentor!

• 7- Attend Local and National Conferences

• 8- Join EM Interest Group

A-Tips for Medical Students

• The INTERNET!!

• Lectures

• Very updated

• Pictorials

• Educational videos and Power Point presentations

• Useful links

B-Recommendations for the Postgraduates

• 1- Enroll in EM residency program

• 2- Read about your daily clinical encounters

• 3- Get a standard Text Book ( Tintinalli or Peter Rosen)

• 4- Shadow with your senior

• 5- Get a mentor

B- Recommendations for the Postgraduates

• 6- Read one EM topic and teach it to the new interns the next day ( Mini Talk)

• 7- Read about procedures. Learn and teach!

• 8- Join EM Interest Groups

EM Organizations

• ACEP

• SAEM

• EMRA

• AAEM

• ABEM

B- Recommendations for the postgraduates

• 9- Subscribe to EM peer review journals. Bring articles to your Journal Club

• 10-With your peers: Build up your ER Library; books, journals, CD and DVD

Emergency Medicine Journals

B- Recommendations for the Postgraduates

• 11- Invite outside speakers

• 12- attend local and international conferences

• 13- Consider overseas rotation in EM

• 14- ATLS, ACLS, PALS and neonatal resusciation

Acquire a New Skill!

• Ultrasound

• Mechanical ventilation

• Noninvasive ventilation

• Management of the difficult airway

• Wound management

• Splint and cast

Acquire a New Skill

• Research

• Teaching

• Clinical photography

• Publishing

• Consider a subspecialty ; peds, tox, hyperbaric medicine, observation medicine, sports medicine etc.

Find someone who is successful and ask yourself why he/she is

successful?

Successful?

• Nice character• Helpful• Compassionate• Down to earth• Creative• Knowledgeable

• Has unique skills• Uses Technology• His/her clinic is very

well kept• Professional• Has more

qualifications

C- How to get Your Dream Job?

Case:You have sent your resume’ with a cover letter to employer and

you have been rejected!

What went wrong?

What to do ?

D- How to Change Failure to Success

Sit down and write down the main reasons you think your application has been rejected and correct your

deficiencies

Some known deficiencies

• C.V. not professionally written

• Lack of information in the “Personal statement”

• I do not have the required experience (Example: USA local experience)

• I am under qualified

• I am over qualified

Some known deficiencies

• I do not have a good letter of recommendation

• My referees are not known to the Selecting Committee

• My referee cannot be reached

• I am not proficient in English Language

Interview problems

• Arriving late

• Arriving too early

• Attire

• Language

• Did not show interest and enthusiasm

• Did not ask good questions

• Did not answer to the questions

Remember the interview is about you, NOT your C.V.!

E-Dealing with BurnoutCauses:

• Patient overload• Same job for years• Long hours• Night shifts

• No time off• Politics• Other causes

Solution?

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX!!

Consider the following

• Urgent Care Medicine• Administration• Research• Teaching• Publishing

• Offering a consulting service

• Acquire new skill; US, Mechanical ventilation, peds, tox etc

Ask yourself, “what are my weaknesses and strengths ? “

Example:

Weaknesses: nights shifts, politics, administration

Strengths: Teaching, publishing, clinical photography

Solution

• Take clinical pictures, XR, CT etc.

• Design your lecture series using the pictorials

• Submit some to Peer Review Journals

• Publish your own book

• Publish on the Internet

Finance

• Secure your future!

• Retirement plan

• Real Estate

• Set up a business

• Be a partner in a business

• Convert a hobby into business

Family

• Consider your family’s desire when you make a career decisions

• Involve them in the thinking process

Your Wellness

• Get a physical

• Check your cholesterol and your BP

• Quit smoking

• Exercise

• Take time off with family and friends !!

I wish you all good luck in life and career!

Please send your questions to: MhMoustafa@aol.com

Visit my Web Site: www.EMquiz.com