BUMC Interview

Nada Mohamed, OMS-III –
Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
EMRA MSC Southwest Representative

Mary Pendleton, OMS-III
Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine
EMRA MSC West Coordinator

Emergency Medicine Residency at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, TX is a three-year program where residents train in a 74-bed ED where they boast a Level 1 Trauma Center and Comprehensive Stroke Center. They receive over 100,000 patients per year with a 26.6% admission rate. Their program accepts 8 residents per class, both MDs and DOs. The following questions were answered by their program director, Dr. Karina Reyner, MD.

What sets your program apart from others?

Our emergency department is part of a large quaternary care center located in the heart of Dallas, TX. Our program is unique in that despite having a robust clinical training site for other residency programs, we are largely unopposed in the department when it comes to procedures. Our residents have the privilege to care for patients with complex medical and traumatic pathologies. BUMC is a Level 1 Trauma Center, Chest Pain Center, Comprehensive Stroke Center, and Transplant Center with an ED ECMO program. We have a robust ultrasound department - utilizing ultrasound to perform regional anesthesia in the ED. We recently implemented a TEE protocol to guide resuscitative efforts during cardiac arrest. Our residents ​train in a rich learning environment and are prepared to work in any clinical setting upon graduation.

What are the benefits of attending a 3 vs. 4 year EM residency program?

A four-year program allows you to explore more residency tracks than a three-year program. A three-year program really condenses your clinical experience, but when you train at a very high acuity emergency department, you can accomplish what you need in three years. That extra year allows you to explore fellowship opportunities.

What is something students may not know about your program?

Having an unopposed clinical training experience is really unique and rare at a level one trauma center. Our residents also alternate running major traumas with our surgical colleagues. The interdepartmental relationships are exceptional, and that's really special.

What range of USMLE/COMLEX Step 1 scores do you look for in an applicant for the program? Or alternatively, how do you feel about the change to pass/fail Step 1 grading?

No range. Pass/fail is fine - program directors tend to focus more on the Step 2/COMLEX 2 scores now.

What kinds of opportunities for research exist? Do you look for residency candidates with research experience?

Research experience is great, we have a ton of opportunities to do research at BUMC. We have a number of faculty and resident quality improvement projects, ultrasound research, pharmacy research and a number of quality improvement projects. Our acuity is excellent and it's easy to get a case report after your first month in the ED!

What are some qualities that your program looks for in applicants?

Three things - humility, work ethic, and a great attitude. BUMC's patients and acuity will teach you the rest. If you have those three, you will be unstoppable.

Can you describe any attributes and qualities that make applicants stand out?

Applicants who are humble despite impressive accolades, students who advocate for their patients, and believe that no task is too big for them.