Great Schedule/Work-life Balance
“The work-life balance at our program is the best you will find anywhere in the
country. Interns only work fifteen 12-hour shifts, and you get 5 consecutive days
off in each of your EM months. As an intern, you have 5 EM months, 8 months as a 2nd
year, 11 months as a 3rd year. This is a ton more time off than other programs can
offer.”
Wellness
“Our wellness activities are pretty exceptional. Camping at Kilbourne Hole, Franklin
Mountains hike, paintball, meditation...it shows we care about socializing and have
lives outside of the hospital, even in residency.”
Opportunities in Border Medicine
“You will get a chance to really develop your medical Spanish. I came in speaking
little to no Spanish, and now finishing my second year can complete most encounters
on my own. This has been huge for me and I know will be invaluable going forward.”
“Extremely close to the US-Mexico border. Therefore, we receive patients transferred
from the border frequently.”
“Third-world medicine with first-world resources.”
“Everywhere will tell you 'we have really sick patients', and we do, but nowhere
else will you work less than a mile from the international border and care for patients
who are either (1) managing themselves with unthinkable OTC medication regimens or
(2) completely falling through the cracks of the Mexican health care system. That
is an education you really and truly cannot receive anywhere else”
“The fact you can fly anywhere in Mexico from Juárez airport for cheap is awesome.”
Patient population
“Full of gratitude and very thankful.”
“[Our patients’] gratitude for the littlest of things. You could fill a Tylenol
prescription and many would be excited. Start an IV and you could cure them.”
Family-friendly culture of our EM Program
“People are kind, culture is very family centric. Cost of living is inexpensive,
and homes are affordable even on a resident’s salary. Public schools (for residents
with children) are superior to most other public schools we looked at.”
“Attending physicians invite residents his/her family members to come into their
home, eat delicious food, swim in their pools, and make you feel loved for the monthly
journal club.”
Support from administration
“N95 always available, elastomeric respirators bought quickly, antibody testing
for residents, no issues with shift coverage.”
“They have our backs.”
“My intern year, we told admin we weren't getting enough tubes at our current
anesthesia rotation, and the rotation was changed and the following class is now
having an amazing anesthesia experience.”
Access to the Outdoors
“Trails of the Franklin Mountains.”
“I have especially enjoyed the mountain biking opportunities that are so close.”
“The relatively short drives to get away to places like Cloudcroft, Ruidoso, and
Albuquerque, New Mexico.”
Orientation month
“Orientation month!! Another amazing feature that you won't find many other places.”
“During orientation month you get oriented to our program and hospital, learn
medical Spanish, and get used to our ED. You will have only 5 clinical shifts where
you are strictly extra personnel and not expected to move the meat of the department.
This is a great chance to ease into being a resident and learn the workflow. But you
also have a TON of time off. You will get to explore the city and bond with your co-interns.
My co-residents and I still talk about how amazing our first month was.”
Events
“Interactive weekly didactics, not the usual text-filled powerpoints.”
“ EM:RAP gatherings.”
“Monthly Journal Club- present one article per year as a PGY-1 and PGY-2 usually
held at an attending physician’s home”
Hybrid community/academic feel
“The spectrum that exists in a combined County/University system - from the sick,
underserved population that know this hospital as their last resort and the number
of people that can easily overwhelm us to the state-of-the-art technology we have
in Sim and resources available to us through the University. We get a mix of the best
of both worlds.”
“The rural experience in Artesia is great.”
“Patient transfer directly from the Mexico-U.S. border provides a feel of small
community EM experience mixed with state-of-the-art medical equipment and resources.”
Benefits and Perks
“The internal moonlighting gig is pretty great as well and potentially a huge
salary boost.”
“We have amazing healthcare, dental, and vision insurance that doesn't come out
of our salary and has excellent coverage. We also get a $210 stipend every 2 weeks
for food in the cafeteria (which very infrequently if ever is completely used up).”
“For those of you coming from a big metropolitan area like I did and know how
expensive parking can be, we have free covered parking right next to the hospital.”
“Opportunity to teach medical students for additional remuneration on top of annual
salary.”
El Paso cost of living
“The cost of living is ridiculously low.”
“Many of my co-residents find themselves buying a house instead of renting thanks
to how much cheaper things are here.”
“I love not shoveling my car out of snow after decades of PA and NY snowstorms.”
“Welcome to El Paso! Where a dollar still gets you a taco!”
“The only place in the USA where $800 gets you a 4-bedroom house!”
Faculty
“Approachable, friendly, willing to teach, and enjoyable to work with.”
“They take our feedback seriously and make changes based on our suggestions.”
“They ‘have our backs’ when it comes to off service rotations.”