Dear applicants,

Thank you for considering our residency program. As one of the oldest Emergency Medicine residency programs in the country, we are proud of our history, but we are equally focused on how we continue to grow. Emergency Medicine is an incredibly rewarding career, but it asks a lot of the people who choose it. Few things are more meaningful than the opportunity to care for patients during some of the most vulnerable and uncertain moments of their lives. Our goal is to train excellent emergency physicians who are prepared for that responsibility and who never lose sight of the privilege that comes with it.

The majority of training takes place at Detroit Receiving Hospital, a Level I Trauma and Burn Center and urban safety-net hospital in the heart of Detroit. Residents care for patients with a remarkable range of illness and injury, including many who rely on the emergency department as an essential point of access to the healthcare system. They are given increasing responsibility and autonomy throughout their training while caring for patients who truly need their expertise and advocacy. Residents also rotate at Children’s Hospital of Michigan for dedicated pediatric training, Harper University Hospital for tertiary and specialty care, and Huron Valley Sinai Hospital for community emergency medicine. Each site is different, and together they prepare our graduates to feel comfortable practicing in almost any environment.

Just as important as where you train is who you train with. Residency is challenging, and the people around you become an important part of the experience. We are fortunate to have residents who support one another and faculty who genuinely enjoy teaching and getting to know the people they train. We strive for a culture where residents are challenged to become better physicians while knowing that their faculty, colleagues, and program leadership are invested in them along the way.

Training in Detroit is also an important part of who we are. Our patients entrust us with their care during some of the most difficult moments of their lives, often while facing challenges that extend well beyond their immediate medical needs. There is tremendous purpose in being able to care for people when and where they need us, regardless of their circumstances. In return, our patients and community teach us lessons about medicine, advocacy, humility, and service that are difficult to replicate elsewhere. Our Social Emergency Medicine elective and community outreach opportunities allow residents to take that work beyond the walls of the emergency department.

When selecting residents, we certainly look for people who have demonstrated that they can succeed academically. But we are also looking for residents who demonstrate humanism, perseverance, and a strong sense of community. We value people who care deeply for their patients, persist through challenges, support their colleagues, and contribute meaningfully to the communities they serve. We want residents who will bring something of themselves to our program and, in turn, leave here having grown both as physicians and as people.

Choosing where to train is an important decision, and we appreciate the time you have taken to learn about our program. I look forward to meeting you during the interview process and sharing more about the residents, faculty, hospitals, and community that make this such a meaningful place to train.

Sincerely,
Elizebeth Dubey, MD FACEP
Program Director
Department of Emergency Medicine
Detroit Receiving Hospital
Wayne State University School of Medicine