Lev Libet, MD, FAAEM, is the program director at the Kern Medical Emergency Medicine Residency, a four-year program located in Bakersfield, CA. During an interview with the EMRA Medical Student Council, Dr. Libet shared the unique aspects of his residency program.
What sets your program apart from others?
Kern Medical Center is a level 2 trauma center located in Bakersfield, CA, and is the only county hospital in Kern County. As such, this facility serves a high proportion of low-income and vulnerable patients; many of which do not have easy access to primary care. Due to its location and patient population, this program provides a vast exposure to a great deal of pathology, which allows for trainees to develop as diagnosticians. Furthermore, residents are able to see how the extremes of poverty manifest within EM and learn to navigate a patient’s care taking into account their socioeconomic status. With these foundations, graduates leave the program well-equipped to serve patients in a wide variety of practice settings after residency.
What is something students may not know about your program?
The main thing students don’t know about this program is how strong the training is. Although it hasn’t received any national recognition on television or documentaries, Kern Medical Center has been open since 1976 and is one of the busiest trauma centers in California. It isn’t until students experience working in a facility like this that they realize how strong of a clinician they can be with the training provided with this program. Given the acuity of patients treated at this facility, the training received here is very procedure-heavy, making trainees very comfortable with the more complicated procedures that they may encounter later in their careers.
What qualities does your program look for in residents?
This program looks at SLOEs to get a sense of how applicants functioned at other EM rotations. They look for candidates who have a good track record of work ethic, teamwork, and maturity. Being a resident comes with a great deal of responsibility, and we select candidates who have the demonstrated life experiences to be able to be handed these responsibilities.
What kinds of research opportunities exist in this program? Do you look for research experience with residency candidates?
Research experience is always nice to have, generally because it gives a sense of commitment to the field; however, weight isn’t placed heavily on research for candidate selection. This program has research woven into the four years and a graduation requirement of a presentation in at least one conference; all under the tutelage of a Faculty Research Director.
What range of USMLE/COMLEX Step/Level 2 scores do you look for in an applicant for the program?
This program does not have a cut-off score to interview applicants. They accept COMLEX scores if Step scores aren’t available.
What are the benefits of attending a 3-year vs. 4-year EM residency program?
An applicant’s selection of the residency program they do is very much an individual decision. With a 4-year program, such as the Kern Medical EM Residency, trainees have more flexibility in the schedule, which allows for more time for electives to explore avenues for additional training. Furthermore, the additional year provides more experience with rare procedures and pathologies that trainees may not see when doing a 3-year program.
At the Kern Medical EM Residency Program, residents get to hone the skill of managing a department with the 4th year. By the middle of 3rd year, they are assigned to a “Resident in Charge” role, where they are in charge of highest acuity patients and managing the ED, which is a necessary skill to have when working in EM. By the second half of the 4th year, residents are placed in a teacher role, mentoring junior residents and medical students.