We appreciate your interest in our EM Elective! The 2024-2025 MS4 Visiting Student application is currently available to view and prepare for submission. We will begin accepting completed application submissions on March 1, 2024.
Please check back often as the guidelines may change.
We ask that all medical students interested in our EM Elective follow the policy of their individual medical schools regarding away elective rotations. It is the responsibility of the student to verify if they will receive credit from their school for an away rotation in our department. Please submit your completed application, current CV, and essay to Lucia Ontiveros at Lucia.Ontiveros@aah.org. For questions, please contact Dr. Tekwani, Clerkship Director at christemstudents@gmail.com
For students who have been accepted into the elective, please visit our e-orientation page.
Advocate Christ Medical Center Emergency Medicine Visiting Student Elective Scholarship Program
The ACMC Emergency Medicine Residency Program and Department of Emergency Medicine are committed to supporting diversity and inclusion in medicine. We are fortunate to practice on the south side of Chicago, serving patients from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. We appreciate that a diverse medical team provides superior medical care and enriches our lives.
We are pleased to offer several $2,000 scholarship in order to defray travel, housing and living expenses during a four-week medical student elective in our emergency department. Housing arrangements are the responsibility of the student. Further information regarding this opportunity, including eligibility, instructions and application deadline can be accessed by clicking the information button below. As of March 1, 2024, our application will be available and can be accessed by clicking the MS4 Visiting Student Application above.
Senior Medical Student Career Elective (May-December)
Advocate Christ Medical Center’s Department of Emergency Medicine offers a 4-week career elective for senior medical students interested in pursuing emergency medicine as their specialty. The elective is scheduled using the University of Illinois block scheduling dates, which are found on the application. Unfortunately, due to a large number of applicants, we do not accommodate off block rotation requests. Prospective students must have completed their 3rd year core clerkships at an ACGME-accredited Medical School, and passed Step 1 of their boards.
Additional Forms needing completion after acceptance and prior to rotation can be found HERE.
Brief Clerkship Highlights:
one-on-one experience with senior EM resident and attending faculty members
gain valuable, inclusive clinical experience with high acuity patients
perform essential emergent procedures under resident/attending supervision
high fidelity simulations
student specific procedure labs
dedicated attending teaching rounds
optional ambulance ride-along
Clerkship Director name: Karis Tekwani, MD, FAAEM
Clerkship Director email address: christemstudents@gmail.com
Additional contact information can be directed to
Lucia Ontiveros- Internal Medicine Coordinator
708-684-5405, Off-Site
Lucia.Ontiveros@aah.org
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Elective:
Who can take an elective in emergency medicine at Advocate Christ Medical Center?
Any medical student who has completed his/her core clerkships in Surgery, OB/Gyne, Pediatrics, Medicine and Psychiatry, and has passed USMLE or COMLEX Step 1 may apply. Priority elective assignment is given to students from our academic affiliations. The remaining elective spots are open to all Allopathic and Osteopathic students currently enrolled in ACGME accredited US medical schools. At this time, foreign medical students and graduates are not accepted. All applications are extensively reviewed for the appropriate prerequisites, and an email confirmation with rotation dates will then be sent to you.
When should I apply?
Applications become available in late February or early March for the following academic year, and you may apply any time after that. Elective spots go fast, especially for the July-through-January timeframe. Only 6 students are accepted per block, including students from our academic affiliations. While we do not primarily operate on the "first come, first serve" basis, we do selectively populate our schedule, and the sooner you apply, the more likely you are to get your first choice. Please contact Lucia Ontiveros at (708) 684-5405 if you have specific questions about availability.
When will I be notified of my elective acceptance?
We are fortunate to have good interest in our elective. Therefore, we have a high number of potential rotators, and generate a significant number of applications. Because of this, and the time spent working students into the schedule, it will likely be 3-4 weeks before you are notified back. Once the schedule is full, any student who did not receive an elective spot will be offered to be put on our wait list. The schedule can be dynamic, and spots may open later.
What kind of patients will I see and care for?
Students who rotate through the Department of Emergency Medicine are involved in the care of all patients. They are part of a team of physicians caring for all patients from ankle sprains to heart attacks. You are not limited or excluded from any patient encounter (unless extenuating circumstances exist or specifically instructed by your attending).
Do I get to participate in resuscitations?
Yes. Again, rotating students are part of the physician team and fully participate in patient resuscitations. Supervised procedures and assisting in critical patient management are cornerstones of our EM rotation.
What other courses are required before my emergency medicine rotation?
The core clerkships are required before rotating in the emergency department. ACLS, PALS, or ATLS are not required, but definitely helpful. Due to the fast pace of the emergency department, students who have not had core rotations are not able to learn from all the available experiences, or get the most from the rotation.
Why should I rotate at Christ?
Quite simply, we offer one of the best elective experiences in the country. We have a very busy, high-acuity department, with a very diverse patient population. We have an excellent teaching staff, with nationally recognized attendings, and some of the most intelligent residents in the country. Our elective is organized, comprehensive, and with only six students per block, personally attentive. Combine this with hands-on teaching and simulation labs, lectures, and conferences, and you can consider yourself fully immersed in emergency medicine.