Residency Program
Our three-year residency program prepares graduates for careers in all aspects of emergency medicine
The UT Southwestern Department of Emergency Medicine Residency Program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
Founded in 1996, our program provides an excellent, comprehensive experience and exposure to high-quality emergency medicine and its many subspecialties. We accomplish this by reinforcing the principles of:
- Sound patient care
- Procedural expertise
- Strong clinical and conference teaching
- Innovative research and academic writing
- Humanistic and ethical considerations
- Health Equity and Community Outreach
- Community engagement
- Dedication to lifelong learning
As our goal, we mold well-balanced emergency physicians that excel in academics, community settings, and various fellowships across the country.
Mission Statement
We educate, develop, and mentor clinically excellent, compassionate, well-rounded Emergency Physicians that are committed to service and are ready to excel and lead in any clinical or academic environment. UTSW EM is committed to the development and delivery of leading edge, impactful medical education to a wide array of aspiring health care professionals across various disciplines and our community. As a world class medical center, we feature an innovative approach to training, and focus on health equity, accountability, and service. Quality education and training shall reflect the adaptive nature of medicine, while maintaining the exceptional roots at the core of our institutional mission. These characteristics of our program are in line with UTSW mission of promoting health and a healthy society that enables individuals to achieve their full potential.
What Our Residency Program Offers
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Diversity in Clinical Training
One of the busiest emergency departments in the country
Our home base, Parkland Memorial Hospital, houses:- A 149-bed Emergency Department (ED) that’s the busiest single site ED in the U.S. based on volume
- Numerous other top education programs which provide the opportunity to learn from and work with premier physicians from other specialties.
Reaching the underserved population
Parkland offers a vast array of front-line experience as:- A level 1 adult trauma center
- A regional pediatric and adult burn center
- The only county hospital in Dallas County, which grants us the privilege to care for a very large underserved population.
A front row seat to expertise
At walking distance from Parkland are:UT Southwestern’s William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, which offers:
- A destination care facility for cancer, transplant, and cardiac patients
- Resident rotations through the ED and CVICU, giving residents the opportunity to not only care for typical emergencies, but also manage LVADs, pulmonary hypertension, and ECMO.
Children’s Medical Center Dallas, which is:
- One of three level 1 pediatric trauma centers in Texas
- One of the 10 largest pediatric hospitals in the U.S.
- A PECARN research site
- Home to a world-renowned pediatric faculty.
Community rotations
Our program integrates numerous community rotations to sharpen our clinical acumen and polish our personal practice while gaining exposure to different styles of ED workflow and patient populations.These unique training experiences build physicians that are exceptionally well-rounded, clinically excellent, and capable of practicing emergency medicine in any environment.
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World-Class Faculty
More than 100 strong
Our department faculty of more than 100 have a diversity of expertise and are leaders in their fields.
Prestigious leadership- The Chair of our department, Deborah Diercks, M.D., was Society of Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) president from 2015-2016.
- The Executive Vice Chair, Mark Courtney, M.D., was SAEM president from 2017-2018.
- Ray Fowler, M.D. was National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) president from 1992-1993.
- Angela Gardner, M.D. is a past president of both American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and Texas College of Emergency Physicians (TCEP).
- Ava Pierce, M.D. was Academy for Diversity & Inclusion in Emergency Medicine (ADIEM) president for 2018-2019.
- We have two past American College of Emergency Medicine (ACEM) presidents, Angela Gardner, M.D. and Robert Suter, M.D., on staff and more than a dozen board-certified toxicologists.
- The Chair of the Institutional Review Board (IRB), Ahamed Idris, M.D., is one of our faculty.
- Many of our faculty members are double or triple board-certified.
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Resident Involvement
Our residents hone their leadership skills through participating in a variety of activities. From improving patient care to education to wellness, our residents lead and serve on both local and national levels.
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Weekly Education Conferences
Residents are excused from clinical duties in all EDs to attend Conference every Thursday from 7:30-11:30 a.m. Weekly conferences incorporate multiple modalities and use modern principles of education to maximize learner benefit, including:
- Small group, case-based, and longitudinal lectures that cover every field of Emergency Medicine tested on EM boards
- Specific content tailored to residency class (i.e. first-years receive more foundation lectures while third-years will focus more on billing, contracts, and fine tuning their practice)
- Yearly, full-body cadaver lab to practice rare procedures and yearly cadaveric hand lab
Foundations curriculum
Our Foundations curriculum utilizes a “flipped classroom” approach with suggested reading, podcasts, and video series to independently review core content. This information is then reinforced through oral board cases in small group settings.
Simulation Center
We perform monthly, hands-on procedural labs and simulation-based conferences in our state-of-the-art Simulation Center, one of the largest in the United States.
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Wellness
The resident-run Wellness Committee organizes monthly social events that help maintain balance during residency. Our Wellness activities include:
- Monthly outings
- A new intern welcome dinner
- Volleyball team
- Soccer team
- Running group
- Wellness Week
- Annual class day off
- Karaoke night
- Secret Santa
- Snacks for the resident lounge
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Fellowships
Whether you are set on a fellowship or still undecided, we have many options available. The Department of Emergency Medicine offers fellowship programs in:
- Clinical Ultrasound
- Critical Care Medicine
- Emergency Disaster and Global Health
- Emergency Medical Services
- Hyperbaric and Undersea Medicine
- Medical Education in Emergency Medicine
- Medical Toxicology
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Simulation-Based Medical Education
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Global Health Rotations
Previous opportunities for global health rotations have taken our EM residents to diverse locations, including:
- Chile
- Colombia
- Ethiopia
- Guatemala
- Kenya
- Malawi
- South Africa
- Thailand
- New Zealand
We are especially proud of our longstanding partnership with New Zealand, where we send R3 residents for a funded two-month rotation in a community emergency medicine setting. This rotation has been a cornerstone of our global health offerings, providing residents with a unique, compensated experience. Our program remains committed to supporting residents in exploring rotations in regions of personal and professional interest.
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FemIn EM Group
The UT Southwestern FemInEM group is dedicated to supporting women in academic emergency medicine by fostering professional growth, mentorship, and leadership development. Our group provides a platform for women physicians to connect, share experiences, and advocate for gender equity in the field. Through networking events, educational workshops, and career development opportunities, FemInEM aims to empower women to achieve their full potential in emergency medicine and contribute to a diverse and inclusive academic environment.
FeminEM (Women in EM) of the Class of 2027.
Our Commitment
The UT Southwestern Department of Emergency Medicine is committed to enhancing an environment that fosters excellence in health care education, innovation, and discovery.
5:4
Resident Male/Female Ratio
1
Veterans Among Residents
Culture of Support
Our residents support each other through social activities including:
- Monthly journal club meeting
- Monthly podcast club meetings
- Frequent gatherings and activities hosted by trainees and faculty, including flag football, pool volleyball, and bowling
Meet Some of Our Residents
UT Southwestern was an easy choice as soon as I finished my interview day. I knew it was a fantastic program, but what sold me was the passionate and personable residents and faculty who shared the same patient-focused mission as me. I knew if I trained at UT Southwestern, I would get the high patient volume, high acuity, and passionate educators for which I was looking, and I still believe that to this day. To all applicants, whether you're at our county hospital, Parkland, our university hospital, Clements, or Dallas Children's Medical Center, the quality of clinical training is top notch. I hope you consider us for your residency training!
Jason Vadhan, M.D.
Resident
It was definitely nerve-wracking being the first year of students doing virtual interviews during the pandemic. I was worried that I couldn't figure out a "vibe" of a program. This concern didn't exist for UT Southwestern. When I attended the virtual happy hours, and later during the interview, the residents and the attendings had me laughing and smiling the entire time. If our program's supportive feel is that palpable across a virtual screen, you can imagine how much fun we are in person.
Peter Yun, M.D.
Resident
Growing up and completing most of my training in Florida, I thought that was where I would stay. However, after experiencing the supportive family-feel atmosphere during the pre-interview social, I knew I would be packing up and moving to Texas. It was further solidified during my interview day. I am thankful I went with my gut. Training at UT Southwestern, I reap the benefits of learning from our vast number of fellowship-trained faculty in addition to the high volumes and acuity. Best of all are the amazing people who match here and make every day fun.
Jackie Nguyen, M.D.
Resident
I knew immediately after my interview day that UTSW was the perfect fit for me. UTSW allows me to train at the busiest ER in the country, work alongside world-renowned faculty at an academic institution, and get to serve an underserved population. Our faculty give me autonomy, allow me to develop my own practice style, and support me to find my niche and long-term career fulfillment within Emergency Medicine. The best part is my 70 built-in best friends. My co-residents and faculty are my family. They make it all worth it. I know that for the rest of my career, I will be honored to say that I got to train at Parkland Hospital.
Sarah Wells, M.D.
Resident
I love being part of a residency program where the leadership, faculty, and residents exceed expectations. Although I was initially nervous about being part of a large program, my nervousness quickly transformed into a sense of belonging. Residents and faculty become a closely-knit family that supports each other. Training at one of the busiest emergency departments has exposed me to a diverse array of medical conditions and emergencies, enriching my clinical skills and decision-making abilities. Learning from faculty with diverse backgrounds and extensive expertise has given me the privilege to gain insights from some of the very best in the field. I am immensely grateful for the opportunities, experiences, and relationships that my residency program has provided. It has not only exceeded my expectations, but has empowered me to become the best possible emergency physician I can be.
Mounir Contreras Cejin, M.D.
Resident
Leadership
