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Applicants' FAQWhat is the salary for a resident at UAMS? Salaries as of July 2010 are: PGY1 $46,263; PGY2 $47,571; and PGY3 $49,139. Chief Residents are given an additional $1000 on top of their PGY3 salary. What scores are required to apply? UAMS does not accept Comlex scores from DO applicants. All applicants must take USMLE Step 1 before submitting their application and must have completed Step 2 by mid-February in order to be eligible for ranking. For US-trained applicants our department has no minimum passing score. If you are an IMG please refer to the applicants information page for details on applying to UAMS. Is the Personal Statement really that important? Yes! Your USMLE scores are an important part of your application but only the Personal Statement reveals what type of person you are. No one wants to interview a student who comes off as being a snob, rude, or, even worse, indifferent. All programs have criteria for an application "making the cut" and the Personal Statement is a large part of that. Why should we select you? What sets you apart from the hundreds of other applicants? You have one page to sell yourself so make it count! What are the hours like? As a PGY1 you will be assigned 18 shifts on an ED month. Should you work over 18 shifts you may request shift credits from the Chief Resident. Residents work one of three 12-hr shifts: 7a-7p, 12p-12a, or 7p-7a. While in the ED you are provided with money to pay for your meals. PGY2 work 17 ED shifts and PGY3 work 16 ED shifts. Chief Residents work 14 ED shifts. Does the ACH transport rotation require that I fly in the helicopter? No. You may request your month be spent on the ground. However, it is recommended that you fly at least once in order to experience this aspect of emergency care. What is the typical first time pass rate for oral and written boards? Over the past five years we have averaged an 84% pass rate. How many vacation days do I get? Every year you will accrue 21 vacation days on July 1. These will expire on June 30 with no carryover so "use or lose". There are certain rotations which do not allow vacation time (ie: general med wards, ICUs, trauma, Peds, etc) but rotations such as EMS, Radiology and OB do allow vacation. Each year you will also accrue 12 sick days. Maternity/Paternity leave can be arranged as needed. If you are in the military, guard, or reserves you will be granted military leave should you be activated or sent on TDY. PGY1 residents are not allowed to take vacation during July to facilitate their learning of the department. All residents are given 5 days off either for Christmas or New Year’s holidays. Do I get an expense account? You are given an allotment of $2000 CME funds to cover your three years of residency. You may use this to pay the expenses of going to a conference, taking an off-campus course (such as wilderness training), buying textbooks or equipment, etc. The only caveat of this allotment is that, should you repeatedly score below 75 on the in-service exam your first two years, you will use part of this money to attend a board review course during your EM3 year. Speaking of textbooks, what “freebies” do I receive from the department? In your first year you are provided with both the Tintinalli and the Robert/Hedges "Clinical Procedures" textbooks. You will be given the 2-volume Rosen's in your second year and the textbook of your choice in your final year. We will pay for the purchase of three scrub suits your first year. Your membership in national societies such as EMRA, AAEM, ACEP, and SAEM is paid by the department as well as your subscription to the on-line CORD testing service and your subscription to eMed. The certification fees for PALS and ATLS are also paid by the department. And, most importantly, free sodas are kept stocked in the refrigerator! If I am coming off the overnight shift, am I required to stay for Thursday’s didactics conference? You are allowed to miss 30% of conferences each quarter. You may leave the hospital after your night shift but remember you must ration your absences. We strongly encourage you attend as many conferences as possible. If attendance at a particular conference is mandatory of residents you are required to stay regardless of your previous shift. What if I am on an off-service rotation and cannot attend conference? All off-service rotations at UAMS and each of our participating teaching hospitals (ACH, BMC, CAVHS) have been instructed to excuse you from duty for the hours of 0700-1200p. Should you encounter resistance to this, please contact the program director immediately. Residents are required to report back to duty no later than 12:00p (12:15p for ACH and BMC due to driving / parking). What counts as an excused absence for conference? If you are on any type of educational leave (ie: ACEP, SAEM, board review course) you are not counted as absent from conference. Family leave and emergent care leave are not counted against you. Pulse class at ACH is also excused. Vacation, sick days, and any time you choose to leave rather than attend conference are counted as absent and are factored into your 30% quota for that particular quarter. You must sign in for each and every conference as any conference not signed for is counted as an absence. I need money – when can I start moonlighting? First, you must have a valid Arkansas state medical license. Most residents will use the last few months of their PGY1 year to begin the application process so they may begin moonlighting during their second year (you cannot do transport moonlighting until after your PICU rotation). Moonlighting is considered a privilege that must not interfere with your daily performance. Should your performance suffer, or should we receive negative evaluations about you and/or your work, we reserve the right to rescind moonlighting privileges. I have never done an administrative project or a research project. Where do I start? Throughout your residency you will meet with Dr. Tal Holmes to discuss your research project. If you do not have a topic selected by the end of your first year he will help you choose something appropriate. Your administrative project is to be completed during your Admin rotation as a PGY3. Any of the faculty can assist you in selecting a topic. I feel overwhelmed – where’s my mommy?! Any time you need to rant, cry or blow off steam go to the program manager. She is there to help keep you sane and will do what she can to help make your day run smoother. Don't carry the world on your shoulders - you're not the first person to experience the "freshman blues" and won't be the last. Better to ask for help than to have an entire department angry with you! UAMS
Department of Emergency Medicine
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