The 2023 Match results are concerning and the reasons for the results are likely complex. For the last two years, the volume of medical student applicants for the specialty did not keep pace with the increased number of training positions. Students may also have concerns about a lack of employment opportunities. They are concerned about working conditions that make the practice of Emergency Medicine increasingly difficult. Whatever the reason, it is important for us to continue to believe in the values of our discipline. It is more critical than ever that we adhere to the highest standards of excellence.
It is essential that our leaders and the specialty’s organizations seek solutions to the pervasive issues that challenge our emergency departments. The elements that thwart our best attempts to deliver the highest quality of care to our patients are leading to burnout among our ranks. None of us were trained to believe that this specialty was easy or that the delivery of emergency care would always be smooth. But our incredible capacity as individuals and as a specialty to continuously absorb the inefficiencies and gaps in our health systems has been saturated. Together we need to find ways to lessen these burdens and create a more enriching professional environment.
Emergency Medicine is still attracting the best of the best. We continue to deliver innovative and science-based approaches to the practice of emergency care. Now more than ever ABEM remains committed to implementing the highest standards of excellence for our specialty and for the patients and communities we serve.
Sincerely,
Samuel M. Keim, M.D., M.S.
President