For community physicians, mentoring medical students is often a rewarding, one-on-one experience. Without residents or other learners on shift, you get the rare chance to work closely with students, teaching them the ropes of emergency medicine in a more personal setting. This level of access not only helps them gain confidence and skills but also positions you as a key figure in their journey into the specialty.
The EM residency landscape has shifted significantly in recent years, making the path to a successful match much different than what we experienced. Being a community-based physician, you might feel somewhat removed from the academic side and the latest in residency trends. But your perspective, experience and practical knowledge are immensely valuable to these students. You can guide them on what it truly means to work in EM, how to balance personal and professional life, and what to expect from a career that is both demanding and deeply rewarding.
This article is the first in a series of two that will cover the essentials you need to know to become a supportive mentor for a student interested in EM. From an overview of the latest changes in the match process to standardized letters of recommendation and resources, you’ll find helpful information to make a lasting impact on a future colleague.
How to be a Good Mentor
So, the good news is that you don’t have to have extensive experience to be a good mentor. A mentor is someone who can share their journey and experience with someone else. So, congratulations! You are a mentor! To ensure your mentoring meetings with your student are as effective as they can possibly be, consider setting SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-based) goals with your student. Be responsive to their outreaches when they have questions or need advice.
However, no matter how good of a mentor you are, your student likely needs an advisor in addition to your mentorship. An adviser knows all the latest and greatest hard data about the match process, especially over the last few years. This data changes annually. Your job as a mentor is to ensure your student also has an advisor, one who is an EM-trained physician.
Match Updates
So, although you may not be filling the adviser role, your student will likely ask you some very specific advising questions. You are not expected to be the expert (that’s their advisor’s job), but here are some broad strokes of information that may come up:
- The timeline for the application season begins in the Spring of the 3rd year. Students should complete their sub-intern (acting intern) rotations beginning in April/May and ending in October/November. Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) applications are released to programs at the end of September. Students can expect to receive interview invitations and complete them from October through the winter months and sometimes as late as the end of January. Students are aiming to have 10-12 interviews in order to maximize their rank list chances of successfully matching; completing more than 12 interviews (and ranking more than 12 programs) does not benefit their match chances in any way and takes an interview spot from another student who might need it.
- There is ONE single application pathway for residencies through the ACGME. Both MD and DO students use this process.
- The ERAS application now limits students to only list their top 10 experiences from medical school or before. No more laundry lists of every single volunteer experience, so encourage your student to do some soul searching about the experiences that have meant the most to them and define them as an individual and future physician.
- There are new sections in ERAS for students to select a geographic region or practice setting preference. These are hidden from programs where they don’t apply (e.g. a West coast program will not be able to see if a student selected an East coast preference). Students should use these options IF they have a true preference and then explain why they do. Encourage them to be honest; programs want to know why you are choosing their location to spend the next 3-4 years of your life.
- Students currently have 5 “signals” they can use to send to a program indicating they are very, VERY interested in that program. This can be for any variety of reasons, but it is most helpful to indicate that a student is genuinely interested in a place and not just blanket applying. Students should NOT signal any program where they did a sub-intern rotation or are already guaranteed an interview for a different reason. Research has shown that signaling a program does help in getting an interview at that program, although it does not necessarily increase a student’s likelihood of matching at that program. That being said, you cannot match at a program unless you have interviewed, so this is a useful tool as part of the application process.
- The vast majority of residency programs are still completing interviews virtually, but there is a slow trickle of programs heading toward a return to in-person interviews. Students should be aware of this, and when scheduling their interviews, make sure to account for the time and finances of travel if interviewing in person. Many programs also now offer an in-person second-look experience after the conclusion of their interviews. These are designed to benefit the students and give them a chance to see the program firsthand. There is an agreement amongst most programs that whether a student comes to a second-look that it will not be used as a reason to move them on the rank list. CAVEAT! Students should remember to be on their best behavior. Egregious or unprofessional behavior will likely move them down the program’s rank list.
Mentoring medical students as community physicians offers a unique opportunity to shape the next generation of emergency medicine physicians. By sharing your real-world experiences and providing hands-on guidance, you play an essential role in helping students understand the demands and rewards of a career in EM. While navigating the complexities of the modern match process may seem challenging, your mentorship can make a significant impact, especially when combined with access to knowledgeable advisors who stay current on match trends.
As you encourage your mentee to set meaningful goals and approach each step with intentionality, remember that your insight is invaluable. By blending practical advice with genuine support, you equip students not only to succeed in the match but to thrive in their careers. Your investment in their growth helps ensure a bright future for both them and the field of emergency medicine.
Check back for part two in this series, where we’ll cover key aspects of writing letters of recommendation, advising special populations of students, and essential resources to support both you and your mentee on their journey into emergency medicine.
