Residency Interview - The Fifth

The sun was still sleeping when I arrived at the hospital for my early morning interview. Having only worked a handful of shifts, getting to the emergency department was not a problem. Finding the interview room in time might be.

St. James Hospital & Health

Fortunately, I found the program director as he entered the building suited and ready to interview. A couple days prior I responded to a call on the medical floor to see if I could be of help before my shift ended. The resident in charge was unable to pass an endotracheal tube through the vocal cords and as luck would have it, I found myself at the head of the bed finishing the job. It didn't take long for the program director to catch wind of the event and in the moments before the interview it became a topic of discussion. Good thing for me...the patient was still living.

Only another student and I would be interviewing that day for one of the largest emergency medicine residencies in the country. After a short presentation about the St. James program, its many hospitals spread across the Chicago community and various local highlights, we sat for our individual interviews. They were short and to the point allowing the chief residents, director and me an opportunity to learn about each other and the program. Despite having nine hospitals in the system, we only toured the Olympia Fields facility where the interview took place.

The remainder of the morning was consumed by a didactic session with the current residents, faculty and guest lecturers. Being near a city with so many hospitals and residency programs, they are privileged to have recognized physicians lecturing on a regular basis. As quickly as it had begun, the day seemed over and it was already time to start my afternoon shift. I think it would be helpful to see some of the other facilities, but the residents trickle through my rotating ED enough to get an idea of their character. I continue to be impressed by their caliber, friendliness and hard work ethic. Since my childhood stomping grounds are miles away, this program definitely has an added bonus when it comes time to make a residency decision.

Question of the Week

If you could meet and have a discussion with any person alive or dead, who would it be and what would you discuss?

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