I’ve recently heard from several residency applicants who are considering emergency medicine as a back up specialty for the coming Match. These candidates are interested in applying in their field of primary interest and using emergency medicine as a safety specialty. I would not recommend this strategy! Emergency medicine’s popularity has waxed and waned over the years, but currently it is pretty hot. It’s far from a back up.

For more information about emergency medicine candidacies and careers, take a look at my piece “Why Are Emergency Physicians Burning Out” on KevinMD.