Senior Medical Student Career Elective
Advocate Christ Medical Center’s Department of Emergency Medicine offers a 4-week career elective
for senior medical students interested in pursuing emergency medicine as their specialty. The elective
is scheduled using the University of Illinois block scheduling dates, which are found on the application.
Prospective students must have completed their 3rd year core clerkships in an accredited ACGME Medical
School, and passed Step 1 of their boards. The application for the Senior Medical Student Clerkship in
Emergency Medicine at Christ hospital is now available. Click below to download.
- Application For Clerkship (2012-2013) (Microsoft Word Document)
Completed applications, and a copy of your CV, may be mailed:
Advocate Christ Medical Center
Department of Emergency Medicine, RM 185W
ATTN: Ann Nestor
4440 W. 95th Street
Oak Lawn, IL 60453
or
Faxed: (708) 684-1028
Attn: Ann Nestor
or
emailed: Ann.Nestor@advocatehealth.org
Additional Forms needing completion after acceptance and prior to rotation:
Brief Clerkship Highlights:
- one-on-one experience with senior EM resident and attending faculty members
- gain valuable, inclusive clinical experience with high acuity patients
- perform essential emergent procedures under resident/attending supervision
- high fidelity simulations ("SimMan," "SimBaby," and "Airway Man")
- student specific procedure labs and lectures
- dedicated attending teaching rounds and student specific lectures
- optional ambulance ride-along
Clerkship Director name: Dennis Ryan, MD
Clerkship Director email address: dennisrmd@yahoo.com
For more specific information about our elective requirements, please see the elective e-orientation page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Elective:
Who can take an elective in emergency medicine at Advocate Christ Medical Center?
Any medical student who has completed his/her core clerkships in Surgery, OB/Gyne, Pediatrics, Medicine and Psychiatry, and has passed USMLE or COMLEX Step 1 may apply. Priority elective assignment is given to students from our academic affiliations. The remaining elective spots are open to all Allopathic and Osteopathic students in ACGME accredited US medical schools. At this time, foreign medical students are not accepted. All applications are extensively reviewed for the appropriate prerequisites, and an email confirmation with rotation dates will then be sent to you.
When should I apply?
Applications become available in late February or early March for the following academic year, and you may apply any time after that. Elective spots go fast, especially for the July-through-January timeframe. Only 6 students are accepted per block, including students from our academic affiliations. While we do not primarily operate on the "first come, first serve" basis, we do selectively populate our schedule, and the sooner you apply, the more likely you are to get your first choice. Please contact Ann Nestor at (708) 684-1277 if you have specific questions about availability.
What kind of patients will I see and care for?
Students who rotate through the Department of Emergency Medicine are involved in the care of all
patients. They are part of a team of physicians caring for all patients from ankle sprains to heart attacks. You are not limited or excluded from any patient encounter (unless extenuating circumstances exist or specifically instructed by your attending.)
Do I get to participate in resuscitations?
Yes. Again, rotating students are part of the physician team and fully participate in patient resuscitations. Supervised procedures and assisting in critical patient management are cornerstones of our EM rotation.
How do I apply for an elective?
Download and fully complete the above application. Completed applications and a copy of your CV may be emailed, mailed, or faxed. That’s all you need to do. If you have any questions or problems, please contact Ann Nestor, at (708) 684-1277.
What other courses are required before my emergency medicine rotation?
The core clerkships are required before rotating in the emergency department. ACLS, PALS, or ATLS
are not required, but definitely helpful. Due to the fast pace of the emergency department, students who have not had core rotations are not able to learn from all the available experiences, or get the most from the rotation.
Why should I rotate at Christ?
Quite simply, we offer one of the best elective experiences in the country. We have a very busy, high-acuity department, with a very diverse patient population. We have an excellent teaching staff, with nationally recognized attendings, and some of the most intelligent residents in the country. Our elective is organized, comprehensive, and with only six students per block, personally attentive. Combine this with hands-on teaching and simulation labs, lectures, and conferences, and you can consider yourself fully immersed in emergency medicine.