AAEM Signs on to Consensus Statement on the 2020-2021 Residency Application Process

AAEM Signs on to Consensus Statement on the 2020-2021 Residency Application Process for U.S. Medical Students Planning Careers in Emergency Medicine in the Main Residency Match

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted clinical education in all U.S. medical schools, and has created unique challenges for the field of Emergency Medicine (EM). As Emergency Departments are primary sites for COVID-related care, the capacity of teaching hospitals to provide safe and appropriate EM experiences for students has been severely limited. Public health considerations have led to travel restrictions, which reduce the ability of students to complete away rotations, and necessitate major changes in the residency application process.

We also feel strongly that the residency application process should be as equitable as possible, and aim to offer all students the best possible opportunity to succeed in their career aspirations. Therefore, we offer the following guidelines: 

1. EM rotations: Ideally, each student will complete one and only one EM rotation, typically at their home institution. 
2. Standardized Letters of Evaluation (SLOEs): Each student is expected to have only one EM clerkship SLOE in their residency application portfolio, typically an institutional SLOE from the site of their single EM rotation. 
3. Non-EM SLOE Letters of Recommendation: As most students will only have a single SLOE, it will be necessary for residency programs to place greater emphasis on non-EM SLOE letters. 
4. EM residency interviews: All EM residency interviews should be conducted virtually in the 202021 application year. 
5. Interview numbers: Students should ideally interview at 12 EM residency programs, with an absolute maximum of 17. 
6. General considerations: Students, medical student educators, and resident program leaders.