Residency

Letter from the Program Director

Quite a bit can happen in only a year's time.

All in all, I consider the Residency's last year to be a success in a variety of ways. The Residency received a record number of high quality applications from medical students wanting to join our Class of 2014. We evaluated the program and determined that we have the means to expand our class complement to 8 residents per year, and we matched 8 excellent candidates who started residency in July. They join us from medical schools in Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Washington and Nevada, representing a good mix of local, regional and national interest.

I continue to be very impressed by the current group of residents for taking an active part in improving the program as a whole. Not only do they continue to improve their skills in the clinical setting, but many of them have made it a priority to leave a lasting mark on the residency. This has taken the form of actively participating in the residency interview process and promoting the residency to the applicants; organizing an update of the resident lounge to include new furniture, lockers, computers and a television; improving the residency website; and participating in multiple hospital quality improvement programs. Four of the current EM 2 class of residents also fielded a team at this year's MedWars competition in Georgia as interns. This competition is part timed outdoor adventure race and part graded wilderness medicine simulation exercise.

We had both of our chief residents' research projects accepted for presentation at the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine Annual Meeting in Boston, MA in June of 2011. Dr. Todd Crum presented his research in emergency ultrasonography and Dr. Tyler Price presented his research on  EM residency education at this year's meeting. Most of the current EM2 class also attended SAEM as interns to experience the CPC competition and research opportunities in EM. We intend to expand this experience to the entire EM1 classes of the future beginning with the 2012 meeting in Chicago.

Last, but not least, the Residency Class of 2011 graduated as a group of proficient emergency physicians, any one of whom I would entrust with the care of me or my family. With the support of their peers, friends and family, they have all become excellent emergency physicians who should be proud of their accomplishments.

Lance H Hoffman, M.D.
Associate Professor and Program Director
Emergency Medicine Residency Program
University of Nebraska College of Medicine