So you’re considering combined training, eh? That’s amazing! Congratulations!

If you’re truly interested in combined training that tells me that you’re probably the kind of person who just wants to know more in order to be better at your job, and you don’t mind taking another year (or two or three) to do it.

Yes, EM/IM+/-CC training is more demanding than a categorical residency; it takes 5 or 6 years; requires trainees to frequently switch between inpatient and outpatient settings, shift from acute care, to chronic care, to preventive care. But, at the end of it all, you’re the one person in the entire hospital who knows what it’s like to care of the patient across the entire continuum. You’re the only one who truly understands how primary care ties into ED care ties into the inpatient and ICU management, and how all of these, together, help shape our patients’ health trajectories. Only the EM/IM doc takes care of the patient at every point in their medical lives.

Combined training programs draw a diverse group of applicants. There are those who want to work in 2 or 3 specialties, others plan to go into education or leadership, and physicians with an interest in global health or advocacy also see the benefit of this kind of “generalist” training. You likely have your own reasons. No matter what’s drawn you to consider an EM/IM residency I hope you’ll take a close look at our program.

We’re one of the two oldest EM/IM programs in the country, and also one of only a handful of EM/IM-Critical Care residency programs. Our main training sites are located at the New York City – Long Island border which means we care for an incredibly diverse patient population. Our health system’s clinical sites span from Manhattan and Staten Island in the west to the far east end of Long Island and so our residents have opportunities to participate in the care of patients in inner city community hospitals, urban and suburban academic centers, suburban and rural community hospitals, and at the only Free Standing ED in NYC.

There are many reasons to pursue combined training, and many more reasons to choose Northwell EM/IM. While this application season is different than prior years, and we will not be able to meet in person during rotations or interviews, I invite you to reach out to me if you’d like to hear more about us or about combined training in general. I’m happy to set up a time to speak with you personally, or with a group of your friends via Zoom.