Franciscan Health Olympia Fields Program

The Franciscan Health Emergency Medicine Residency is an ACGME accredited program that spans three years, providing comprehensive training in emergency medicine. This program, which commenced in 2021, is rooted in the legacy of the MWU/CCOM program responsible for training over 500 residents, marking a significant history in emergency medicine education in the United States. The program actively aims to cultivate skilled emergency medicine physicians, dedicated to serving patients with expertise and compassion in urban and suburban settings throughout the south Chicago suburbs and northwest Indiana.

The mission of the residency program emphasizes the importance of training emergency medicine physicians who are capable of practicing in diverse cultural and socio-economic environments. By promoting evidence-based knowledge, skill development, and professionalism, the residency underscores the significance of lifelong learning necessary for delivering safe and effective patient care.

Curriculum Overview

The residency comprises a structured curriculum featuring 12-hour shifts across various hospitals, amounting to 15-16 shifts per month. The training schedule includes rotations in Trauma & Toxicology at Stroger Cook County, Pediatrics and PICU at Advocate Christ Medical Center, and elective rotations in several specialties such as Cardiology, Gastroenterology, and Orthopedics. Didactic sessions are held every Wednesday morning, providing residents with crucial educational experiences including simulation labs and hands-on procedures in various clinical settings.

Rotations and Training Sites

The residency program incorporates multiple training sites, ensuring a broad exposure to different clinical environments:

• **Franciscan Health Olympia Fields Home Site**: Features 26 main beds and 7 minor care beds with approximately 47,000 emergency department visits a year, focusing on EM, IM, ICU, OB, EMS, and ultrasound rotation.
• **Franciscan Health Dyer Core Site**: Equipped with 17 main beds and 5 minor care beds that manage about 30,000 ED visits annually, with all classes rotating here for one block each year.
• **Franciscan Health Crown Point Core Site**: This Level 3 trauma center with 18 main beds and various intake resources serves as a core training site, with all classes completing a one-block rotation.
• **John H. Stroger Cook County Hospital**: A prestigious Level 1 trauma center offering trauma and toxicology rotations for second and third-year residents.
• **Advocate Christ-Aurora Hope Children's Hospital**: Where residents gain experience with pediatric inpatient care and participate in the Pediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) elective.
• **Midwestern University Clinical Skills & Simulation Center**: This simulation site provides full fidelity simulations, ultrasound procedures, and cadaver labs for comprehensive skills training.

Research and Scholarly Activity

Residents are encouraged to pursue scholarly activities throughout their training. Faculty members provide one-on-one mentorship to guide residents in their research initiatives, aimed at advancing emergency medicine and enhancing the healthcare system's viability and quality.

Applications and Competitiveness

The program is known for its competitiveness, welcoming applications from U.S. MDs, DOs, and international medical graduates (IMGs). However, applicants should note that the program does not currently sponsor visas. Along with the application via ERAS, candidates should submit a personal statement, three letters of recommendation (preferably including two Standardized Letters of Evaluation from an emergency medicine rotation), and their USMLE or COMLEX scores. All applicants are expected to have completed COMLEX Level 1 and, ideally, Level 2 or equivalent STEP scores for MD students.

Visa Support

Unfortunately, the program cannot sponsor any visas. This limitation may affect international applicants who require visa support to join the training.

Audition Rotations

Medical students interested in experiencing the program can participate in audition rotations, which provide firsthand exposure to the residency's day-to-day responsibilities in a busy emergency department. Up to four students may be accepted per rotation block, and application materials must be submitted for consideration.

Unique Aspects of the Program

The residency program emphasizes the importance of mentorship and individual attention from faculty. With a strong commitment to training culturally competent emergency physicians, the program integrates various educational formats, including didactic sessions, hands-on practice in lab settings, and diverse clinical rotations to enhance the residents' learning experience.