Are you a medical student who is interested in Emergency Medicine, but you’re not sure how to get involved or where to find mentorship? Look no further! In this episode, Patricia is joined by leaders from EMRA, AAEM RSA, and the ACOEP RSO to discuss the various EM Organizations and how to get involved.
What are the organizations?
The mission of the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Medicine (ACOEP) – Resident Student Organization (RSO) is “to support the continuing education, osteopathic philosophy, and career development of emergency medicine residents and students worldwide.” It is a smaller organization that allows for great relationships and mentorship. The RSO also has the opportunity to interface with the EM Over Easy crew as EM Over Easy is the official podcast of the ACOEP. Additionally, they have many leadership opportunities, committees, and subcommittee groups. ACOEP has two major conferences, one in the fall (typically October) and one in the spring (typically April).
Emergency Medicine Resident Association (EMRA) is the oldest and largest resident organization in the world. Their mission is to be the “voice of emergency medicine physicians-in-training and the future of our specialty.” They are not directly linked to a specific organization but are very involved with ACEP and the other major EM organizations. EMRA has a medical student council and many committees dedicated to the different niches in EM. Uniquely they are a resident and student-run organization for residents and students. EMRA is usually present at all the major conferences. Most of their in-person programming is done at ACEP in the fall (typically October) and then at the Leadership and Advocacy Conference in Washington, DC in the spring (typically April).
The American Academy of Emergency Medicine Resident and Student Association (AAEM RSA) is “the advocacy association for emergency medicine residents and students.” They “advocate, educate, and elevate emergency medicine trainees.” One benefit of being a member of RSA is that once you pay your yearly fee, you can attend all of their conferences and local symposiums for free. Like many of the organizations, RSA has a ton of leadership opportunities, some of which include the cabinet of delegates, the medical student council, and a whole host of committees to become involved in. AAEM hosts one big conference every year which is typically in April.
The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine – Residents and Medical Students (SAEM- RAMS) “provides a forum for emergency physicians-in-training to have a voice within the academic community. There are many opportunities for residents and students to get involved in research, education, and leadership within emergency medicine, and to advocate for the unique needs of emergency medicine trainees.” SAEM hosts one conference every year which is typically in May.
The Council of Residency Directors (CORD) is “the organization that provides resources, develops best practices for emergency medicine training programs, and offers professional development for leaders in emergency medicine education through the CORD Community.” Their mission is “to lead the advancement of emergency medicine education.” For the most part, CORD is an organization of attending physicians and residents. There are fewer opportunities for students to get involved here as the focus is medical education in the setting of residency training.
How do we get involved?
- Get involved early and often.
- Talk to your peers.
- Check out the organizations’ websites.
- Follow the organizations on social media.
- Attend a conference.
- Engage with the many leadership and networking opportunities.
- Check out the virtual events and publishing opportunities.
Take-Home Points:
- Just show up!
- It’s never too early to get involved.
- There are so many leadership opportunities available.
- Find your niche.
Post by Patricia Capone, DO PGY2
About Our Guests:
ACOEP-RSO Director of Student Affairs, sappingtona@acom.edu
Current EMRA Representative to the Coalition on Psychiatric Emergencies and Past EMRA Medical Student Chair
AAEM-RSA Medical Student Council Chair, KatyWyszynski@my.unthsc.edu
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