Frequently Asked Questions
Mayo Clinic has an international reputation as a premier tertiary medical center, with patients traveling here for care from throughout the world.
What you may not realize is that Mayo Clinic in Rochester is also a major regional health-care provider. The majority (>85%) of its patients live in the cities surrounding Rochester and present with a full range of common and uncommon problems. The Mayo Clinic Emergency Department is a major Trauma Center, with a catchment area close to 900,000 people, treating more than 75,000 patients annually with every conceivable condition.
The following common questions have been answered by our residents and staff and will provide a more accurate picture of the Emergency Medicine Residency at Mayo:
Back to topBack to topWhy should I choose to train at Mayo Clinic?
One should choose to train at Mayo Clinic for a vast number of reasons. The faculty here is diverse and the off service rotations are unparalleled with world renown staff in departments such as cardiology, orthopedic and neurology. Renowned scholars who have written the text on ACLS as well as ATLS reside here too. Additionally, our patient population is extremely complex with a great variety of pathology. If one is interested in research, there are endless opportunities and furthermore you have a vast amount of resources to pursue your own individual interest in EM. We are also a family here and work together as a team to support one another. Lastly, and probably one of the most important reasons to train here is that the residents play not only an integral role but also a crucial one in designing the program.
Back to topHow do you like having 20% of your curriculum taught through high-fidelity simulation?
These are intense learning experiences, they are fun and educational. The encounters one experiences in simulation are designed to meet several learning objectives. A team approach is used where an intern is accompanied by a senior to help guide one through the scenario. After the patient encounter, a debriefing is done where teaching points are highlighted using the most up- to- date literature available. This discussion reinforces the teaching points in a non- evaluative manner. Many of our residents when asked about simulation openly admit these are incredible learning opportunities and among the highest yield didactics. In fact, some residents in our program believe it is easier to retain the learning objectives in simulation tha n reading from a text because you experience the clinical condition first hand.
Back to topHow can I get good emergency medicine training at a place that only sees zebras?
While the Mayo Clinic is a referral center for all of southeast Minnesota, southwest Wisconsin and northern Iowa, and, yes many parts of the rest of the world it is also a primary caregiver for all of southeast Minnesota. This is the heartland of the Midwest. The majority of what we see is bread and butter complaints from local and surrounding rural and urban community patients. The zebras only drop in a minority of the time as they decompensate and require emergency care.
Back to topWhat types of patients will I see in a week working in the Emergency Department?
First of all, there is no average shift. There is a various amount of pathology that moves though our emergency department, and you will experience first hand just how efficiently we see our patients. On average and depending upon your postgraduate level of training, you will see anywhere from 1-3 patients an hour. In a week long of "average" patients you will see a dozen chest pain patients of whom one to two will have STEMIs. Many overdoses as well as abdominal catastrophes (e.g., AAA, perforations, mesenteric ischemia) will be worked up by you personally as well as several gastrointestinal bleeds. You will perform several procedures per week secondary to any number of medical conditions such as flash pulmonary edema and a bout a half dozen trauma and syncope patients. Several patients will have fractures for numerous reasons of which you will have the opportunity to reduce. You will see many patients with atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular rate as well as you, yourself, converting a patient's rhythm either chemically or electrically depending on the clinical scenario.
Back to topDo you see enough trauma and who is responsible for coordinating the resuscitations?
We see a great amount of blunt trauma. We do see less penetrating trauma because Rochester is a generally safe town but numbers have been increasing in recent years.
If we seek a more intensive penetrating trauma experience, as is seen in the inner city population, electives at Mayo Clinic in Arizona , Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, North Memorial Hospital in Minneapolis, or University of Jacksonville Shands allow this type of exposure. Trauma in Rochester is run by teams which consist of emergency medicine and surgery residents. The trauma team leader alternates each day between the EM senior and the surgical senior.
Back to topHow is the relationship between trauma surgery and the Emergency Department?
To summarize this in one word, excellent. Our trauma teams are composed of half EM residents and half surgery residents. The trauma teams have excellent communication during the resuscitations, and we work very well together. We work hand-in-hand with surgery residents during our SICU (surgical intensive care unit) months. This is a great time to bond with and establish relationships that are needed for communication later in the Emergency Department.
Back to topHow is your pediatric experience?
The experience is excellent. We spend about 25% of each month in the p ediatric e mergency medicine care area. We see the seasonal variation inherent in pediatrics. Additionally, in the first year you have a dedicated month seeing pediatric emergency medicine patients. The teaching is excellent, and two of our pediatric EM faculty were given teaching awards this past year.
Back to topWhat are the off-service rotations like?
Our off-service rotations are extremely valuable and educational. We spend time in obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedic hand/trauma, anesthesia, PICU (pediatric intensive care unit), SICU (surgical intensive care unit), emergency psychiatry, EMS and ultrasound. Within these rotations we work with world-renowned faculty that will provide an excellent teaching experience that Mayo has been known to provide since its inception.
Back to topWhat is your research month like? Can you really finish a project?
The research month is what you make of it. The bulk of the research can be finished in one month, but you will most likely use time outside of the month to wrap things up. And yes, you most definitely can finish a project. In fact, a majority of our residents have completed multiple projects. The resources for research at Mayo are plentiful. If you can think of the project and are motivated to work on it, there are no roadblocks for supplies and resources. A project can also be as big or a small as you would like it for those who are ultimately not interested in doing a lot of research in residency.
Back to topCan you do rotations at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville and Arizona?
Yes, definitely. Many of us have gone to other campuses to get a variety of different experiences. If you can think of a rotation you would like to do, it can likely happen. We have had residents rotate to other campuses to do PICU (pediatric intensive care unit), anesthesia, ultrasound, and general emergency medicine. As an added bonus, Mayo provides for transportation and housing.
Back to topDo you get enough teaching? If so, does it come mainly from other residents or do the faculty teach as well?
Teaching is certainly a strong point of the residency. Faculty members give almost all of our lectures, but we do have guest speakers as well. There are four hours of lecture per week, which include morbidity and mortality conferences which are resident run. At the bedside faculty are readily available to give feedback or a pearl.
Back to topWhere do your residents go after graduating?
The answer to this question as you may imagine is simple, wherever you want to go. G raduates are spread throughout the United States and internationally in both academic and community settings. Our training provides the background to do both successfully.
Back to topDo you have a book fund?
Currently, first-year residents receive a textbook chosen bv the residency. For the remainder of your residency, you receive a Mayo Bookstore credit to purchase texts of your choice. Additionally, the Mayo Clinic Library, online and in person, has a vast array of journals and textbooks that are readily accessible from home or at work.
Back to topWhat is there to do in Rochester?
There is plenty to do in Rochester. For instance, we have a great trail system for running and biking. If hunting and fishing is your thing there is plenty of that going on around here as well. For the avid golfer, we have a lot of public courses to choose from. The Rochester Civic Center hosts well known artists in concert throughout the year and Olmsted County (the county in which Rochester resides) holds several fairs throughout the year that are fun to attend. During w inter, we can cross-country ski, snow mobile or go snowboarding. There are several theatres throughout town ensuring one exists close to where you live. Additionally, we are only one hour away from Minneapolis/St. Paul for whenever you crave that big city feeling. Lastly, many of the things discussed do qualify for our "Mayo" discount, which makes things easier on the budget.
Back to topCan a non-Minnesotan survive a Minnesota winter? If so, how?
Yes, you can. Minnesotans are famous for finding fun ways to enjoy winter and will gladly share their techniques. And no, it doesn't snow year-round! In fact, we have wonderfully warm summers for lots of outdoor activities. By mid-June, daytime highs are in the 80s, and during July and August, highs in the 90s are common. Occasionally, we'll have a short period of 70-degree weather in the summer to cool things down. During this time, we play all kinds of team sports (e.g., softball and volleyball), swim, hike, bike and skate and generally enjoy the outdoors. Golfers and tennis players have access to several public golf courses and tennis courts. The winter time though also offers just as many fun activities such as, ice skating, hockey, downhill and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, so be prepared to work and play.
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