Twitter: @VUMC_EM

Location: Nashville, Tennessee

Year founded: 1993

Current number of residents: 39

Program length: 3 years

Fun facts:

Only Level 1 trauma center and burn center in middle Tennessee.

A varied patient population, as both a quaternary referral center and one of the largest charity care providers in the state.

Nationally known for a focus on didactic and bedside teaching.

Mentorship tracks include a “3+1” design intended to help residents find a career track that fits their needs and interests. (The program supports residents who decide to continue beyond the three years of training, whether that involves moving into a focused faculty practice or doing a fellowship.)

Fellowships include EMS, international medicine, and ultrasound.

What makes the research program stand out?

It regularly ranks in the top 10 of National Institutes of Health funding for emergency medicine research. The Vanderbilt Emergency Medicine Research Division provides residents interested in research with education and opportunity. For example, PGY-3 resident Chris Evans, MD, just joined the editorial board of the Annals of Emergency Medicine.

What unique benefits does your city have to offer?

Nashville is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. Known as “Music City,” Nashville is a hot spot in the entertainment industry. Other industries of note include finance, insurance, and health care. Despite its booming population, there is an abundance of parks and green space, lakes, and other outdoor activities. It is a city with a small-town feel and one of the friendliest cities in the United States.

How has the coronavirus outbreak impacted the program?

We took advantage of the increased use of virtual meetings to include our faculty, fellows, residents, and alumni from all over the country in weekly Zoom calls. This allowed us to band together with friends old and new to check in, provide support, and share some time together amid this time that is crazy for all of us.

Trivia

In the 1800s, Nashville was named the “Athens of the South” as there were numerous institutions of higher education. There is even a giant replica of the Parthenon of Athens, Greece. It was also the first southern city to establish a public school system.

—Nicole McCoin, MD, Keith D. Wrenn Residency program director