Frequently Asked Questions

Being we are still a relatively new residency, we expect you to have some questions about our program. This is an attempt to answer some of these questions. For more information about the program from a resident prospective, see the "FAQ" section under the "Applicant Information" tab.

Question: How many residents are in each class?

Answer: 6 residents per year, for 3 years of residency training

Question: When can I apply? When will I hear anything about my application?

Answer: We will be participating in the EM Unified Interview Release this year. This means that interview offers will be sent out on Wednesday, October 20 and Interview Scheduling will open on Thursday October 21. We will never send out more invites than we have spots, and will always give ample time for you to respond and plan accordingly.

Question: Can I learn anything else about the program?

Answer: We would love to talk in person (or on screen). We will host periodic video chats to talk about different aspects of the program. More information will be available on our webpage and our Twitter and Instagram accounts when it becomes available. You can also email our current residents; their names and emails can be found under the pertinent section of the "Who We Are" tab.

Question: What is required in ERAS to apply?

Answer(s): At least one EM SLOE, either COMLEX or USMLE 1 completion, your MSPE, CV, other Letters of Recommendation, and an otherwise completed ERAS file. We have no cutoffs, we do not filter, and we will review every single application sent to us, and score it on a rubric that is based on our Mission Statement.

Question: What are some of the issues that are faced as a newer program?

Answer(s): Admittedly, there are several. You need the presence and support of your hospitals GME (these are the individuals who make sure residencies provide everything needed for a successful program) – we are truly fortunate at Loyola to have a very present, very robust, very well-versed and involved GME office. We have over 50 current residency programs, so rest assured that as a newer program, we have the structure and leadership to make this happen.

You also need to be aware of the desire of the department to bear the responsibilities of a residency program. As Dr. Cichon, our Chair, will tell you – it has been 15-20 years of planning to get to the point where we could be approved for a program. The faculty have been working with the promise of a residency for many, many years. They are ready.

The clinical environment is something else that needs to be considered. A newer EM residency usually means the introduction of clinical teaching to an EM attending, who may have been out of this environment for some time. In Loyola’s ED, given the teaching nature of our hospital, this is not the case. We have a very robust Medical Student Clerkship, which is required of all Stritch students. We also welcome the residents of many different residency programs to our ED to rotate, including Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology, ENT, and many others. Our faculty know how to provide an environment of teaching and support in the clinical setting, and we expect for this to flourish with the addition of our EM Residency.

Question: What are some of the challenges that residents of a newer EM program will encounter?

Answer: Going forward, our new residents will have senior residents above them. We have also built a support and mentoring structure to ensure you have everything needed to achieve your goals during this challenging opening year.

There is a lack of a true Loyola EM residency alumni network, which many feel is needed for success after residency. However, Loyola is not only a known name in medicine, but also in Emergency Medicine, through our Stritch School of Medicine graduates who are currently in training, and practicing throughout the country. Given the core characteristics of a Loyola graduate, there is a bond that does not weaken after graduating from medical school, and we have received words of support from so many of our Stritch graduates throughout the process of applying for a residency. We have attempted to showcase this SSOM EM Alumni network on our alumni page, and we feel very confident that new graduates from our EM program will not be heading into the EM world alone. Please also keep in mind that because we have not had a residency before now, every single one of our faculty trained at a residency outside of Loyola, thus adding to the network of people who will help you with process of both employment or further training in fellowship.

Question: How many SLOEs do I need to apply to your program?

Answer: Five. Only joking. One is the answer.

OK – this is a somewhat controversial area, as some programs absolutely state you need two or more. I (Snow) have a problem with this, as we have the ERAS part required by mid-September, and with the M4 year starting not too soon before this, it doesnt leave too much time to complete two rotations and get both SLOEs completed and submitted. Consider also that students are completing more rotations in EM than in years past, and again this gets harder. To "require" two is something a program is absolutely allowed to do – we can all decide our own rules for such things – but requiring two is not what we will do.

I will not lie in furthering my answer – the presence of two SLOEs is certainly a great thing to have in any application, as the SLOEs are so vital in this process, so having more than 1 is a great additional data point. This is especially true if the application is lacking in regards to USMLE scores, or in the MSPE. The presence of additional SLOEs speaking highly about your clinical skills will remove fears PDs may have about your knowledge base from other parts of your application.