Actor David Arquette was once asked in an interview which of his three children is the most like him. He replied, “They’re all a little part of me, a little part of their mother, and then they have their own magic.” I saved this quote because I thought it was a beautiful way to frame parenthood, and I think it also applies to the role of an emergency medicine residency program director. A program director’s job is not to mold residents into their own or the program’s image; rather, it is to foster and support the special, individual qualities unique to each trainee.
I personally benefited from that support as a resident here at Georgetown. If someone had asked me as an early intern what I thought my future EM career looked like, I would have said that I will be back home in Iowa and working in a community ED; a career in academics was not on my radar at all. It was entirely because of the mentorship and encouragement I had here as both a resident and junior faculty member that I have reached this point in my career.
And I am not alone. Dozens of my fellow alumni across the country are thriving in careers beyond their imagination as a direct result of completing this program. I believe I speak for all of us when I say we feel so grateful to have had such wonderful guidance. It is an honor to pay that gratitude forward to our current and future residents as program director.
If I had to pick one word to describe our program, it would be range. First, we have a wide range of faculty from dozens of different training programs and fellowship expertise in critical care, sports medicine, ultrasound, EMS, toxicology, simulation, and telehealth, to name a few. And, incredibly, residents work with these experts one-on-one to directly learn from their experience and practice.
Georgetown also has a range of clinical sites including community, rural, and international EM sites. MedStar Washington Hospital Center, our primary clinical site, is Washington DC’s busiest ED, highest volume Level One trauma center, largest cardiac service, busiest L&D service, and is the regional burn center as well as the National Institute of Health’s designated regional stroke center. Our ED is proud to care for our high-acuity, urban, underserved patient population.
Importantly, our program also allows for—and encourages—range in a resident’s personal life. Clinical shifts are 9 hours total but scheduled as 8 hours + 1. There is a built-in hour to wrap up patients, finish charts and sign out. For the most part, residents leave their shifts on time and still have hours left in their day to do other things like spend time with family and friends, exercise, and pursue non-clinical activities and interests.
Georgetown EM is comprised of residents and faculty who are happy and thriving. I graduated from medical school nearly 20 years ago and I’m not burnt out, I love my job, and I love coming to work. We can show you, too, how to maintain happiness, balance, and a love for emergency medicine over a decades-long career. Join us!
Joelle Borhart, M.D., FACEP, FAAEM
Program Director
Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine
Department of Emergency Medicine