Junior Resident

Priorities for PGY1 and PGY2

• Your focus during your first year should be on developing good habits and learning how to effectively take care of patients. Learning how to balance clinical work, individual learning, and personal life is a difficult task but is crucial to creating a strong foundation for the rest of your career.
• In your second year, look for leadership and research opportunities. Most hospitals have multiple opportunities to contribute to patient care such as through institutional committees, quality improvement/assessment projects, and research in both the emergency department (ED) and intensive care unit (ICU).
• Check out the SAEM Fellowship Directory to familiarize yourself with the various critical care fellowships available.
• Read and familiarize yourself with a Critical Care textbook, such as Marino's The ICU Book or Vincent's Textbook of Critical Care.
• Cultivate mentors who will assist you through the process. They can teach valuable study habits, provide opportunities to support hospital projects, write letters of recommendation, and help answer questions along the way.
• Consider obtaining an Emergency Neurological Life Support (ENLS) certification. This is certainly not mandatory, but may be helpful for education.

What if Your Program Doesn't Have Critical Care Mentorship?

Reach out to national organizations and attend conferences to network. You can also utilize web-based mentorship programs such as the Emergency Medicine Critical Care Medicine (EM-CCM) Mentorship Program. Fill out the form online to receive an assigned mentor who can support and direct you in your decision-making process.