EMRA’s Emergency Medicine Interest Group of the Year 2018 - 2019 Runner Up

Rich Dowd, OMS-III, Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
EMRA MSC Midwest Coordinator 2020-21

Wayne State University was led by Aaron Sherwood M3, Amanda Robichaud M3, Lexi Jarman M3, Bryant Hansen M3, Chelsea Johnson M2, and Christopher Merriman M2.

What were some of your EMIG’s more successful events? Unique events?

WSUSOM: Our most successful event was our EM Skills night. This event was run by EMIG leadership as well as EM residents and attendings on our campus. During this event, about 80 students rotated between EM skills stations taught by residents and attendings. Our stations included tutorials on lumbar puncture, FAST exams, US-guided IV placement, IO placement, suturing, splinting, casting, code simulations, and more! Of note, our chest tube placement station was particularly fun for students. Dr. K, our EMIG faculty mentor, created a chest tube model using pork ribs to simulate the actual puncturing of muscle and fascia when placing a chest tube.

Our most unique event was our Program Director Panel. We hosted Program Directors from Detroit Receiving, Sinai Grace, Beaumont, University of Michigan, Henry Ford, and St. John. Students were able to ask questions about applying to each of these programs, as well as more broad questions about the important aspects of residency applications and interviews. Next year, we plan to incorporate other medical school programs into this PD panel to maximize the spread of information regarding residency applications.

Collaborating with another EMIG sounds pretty straightforward, but in our experience it’s easier said than done. Between coordinating around two schools’ differing calendars, distance between sites, and making it worthwhile for all, how did you go about collaborating with other EMIGs and did you find it to be a valuable experience?

WSUSOM: We had the opportunity to partake in two skills nights with medical students from Oakland University last year. The skills nights were hosted by Beaumont and St. John, two EM residency programs in close proximity to Wayne State University and Oakland University. The fact that the residency programs hosted these events and invited our respective EMIGs made coordination much easier. It was undeniably valuable for our students to work closely with students from other medical schools, as this is what we will be expected to do on rotations and in residency.

Your chapter has strong engagement in the field of EM outside of simply belonging to the EMIG (ie EMRA membership, National org leadership, publications). How do you promote such engagement and what benefits did your EMIG see because of it?

WSUSOM: The events that our EMIG hosts help drive our community’s engagement in regional and national EM activities. Prior to large events like our introductory meeting for M1s, our home institution's skills night, our residency director panel, and our “Meet the Matched” luncheon, we always advertise opportunities for involvement within the EM community. We also have an email list to keep EM-bound folks up to date with news and events.

What advice do you have for newly elected EMIG leadership in running a successful club?

WSUSOM: One of our keys to a successful year is making an outline at the beginning of the year for activities and events we want to host. Transition meetings between incoming and outgoing coordinators is really important so institutional knowledge is not lost. For example, there are certain dates that work best with our school’s curriculum to host specific events. Seeking out a faculty advisor who is interested in developing your group is also incredibly important.

The EMIG of the Year Award was instituted in 2019 as a way to recognize the outstanding achievements of the most productive Emergency Medicine Interest Groups (EMIGs) on a regional and national scale, along with the hardworking EMIG medical student leadership who organize valuable EM-related learning and networking opportunities for their student members. Any EMIG associated with an LCME-accredited allopathic or osteopathic medical school is eligible, as well as EMIGs associated with international medical schools. EMIG leaders must make sure to keep track of the events your EMIG puts on throughout the year to maximize point total. Ask your regional representative for more information and specific instructions. Good luck!

Read more about the EMIG of the Year award here and make sure to download a copy of the EMIG Events Tracker to conveniently keep tabs of your EMIG’s scoring throughout the year!