Emergency Medicine
Since 1976, our Carolinas Medical Center Emergency Medicine Residency program has trained leaders in the field of Emergency Medicine. Our residents receive world-class exposure to a full spectrum of medical and surgical pathology at one training site. During their 3-year training program in emergency medicine, residents will:
- Work side by side with renowned faculty and physician experts from around the globe
- Receive unparalleled mentorship and academic opportunities
- Create meaningful, long-lasting connections with their peers and teachers
- Share our commitment to social emergency medicine, inclusion and equity in education and healthcare
- Access incredible fellowship opportunities under the supervision of full-time, board-certified academic and clinical faculty in the following sub-specialties:
EMS, Operational and Disaster Medicine, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Research, Global Emergency Medicine, Toxicology and Ultrasound
An Inside Look at the Emergency Medicine Residency Program
Training You on Day One: A Perspective from Our Faculty
From Community Care to Tertiary Care: A Resident’s View
Where You Will Train
Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center
Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health’s flagship hospital, is consistently rated among the nation’s top. Named a Best Hospital by U.S. News and World Report, Carolinas Medical Center is renowned for seeing a complex variety and volume of cases.
- An 874-bed community-based teaching hospital
- The region’s only Level 1 trauma center
- An urban emergency department managing more than 115,000 patients annually, including approximately 30,000 in our state-of-the-art children's emergency department
- A cardiac referral site resulting in the transfer of approximately 1,000 cardiac patients annually
What Residents are Saying About the Emergency Medicine Program
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CMC is my dream program! I was so happy when I opened my Match Day envelope - true tears of joy! I was drawn to CMC because of the tribrid training model - it is an academic program with community resources that serves a diverse, county patient population. Additionally, I strongly valued the longitudinal pediatrics exposure, the opportunity to learn from world-class faculty, the insane ED patient acuity/volume/complexity and the endless opportunities to pursue any and every one of your professional passions! Most importantly though, the PEOPLE here are absolutely fantastic! Everyone is so down to earth and humble. I still cannot believe that I matched to CMC, and I am extremely grateful to train at CMC every day!
Kendrick Lim, DO (PGY-1)
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CMC attracts compassionate, smart, hard-working residents and faculty who are committed to providing excellent patient care. It has been a privilege to train amongst such amazing people, many of whom are leaders in the field of emergency medicine. To top it off, we train at a large volume high acuity emergency department in downtown Charlotte. I know that after graduating from this program I will be able to thrive in either an academic or community setting.
Maddie Watts, MD (PGY-2)
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If I could describe CMC EM in two words, it would be: “all in.” The faculty are "all in” with their passions: education, research and clinical excellence. My coresidents are “all in,” showing up every day to have my back as we push ourselves to be the best emergency physicians and human beings possible. The lifestyle is “all in,” balancing hard work, family and socialization. If you’re willing to go “all in,” then CMC is the right place for you.
Aaron Fox, MD (PGY-1) -
CMC trains you to be the best emergency medicine physician you can be in an environment that is encouraging and supportive. To be the best you have to surround yourself with the best. The faculty are some of the best in the country, and the training here pushes you to see the sickest patients while balancing the high volume of patients at the same time. This program strives for you to be the best for your patients.
Angela Pikus, MD (PGY-3)
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One defining feature of working at CMC Main is the relationship you will build with the entire emergency department staff. All levels of staff, from security guards, secretaries, technicians, nurses, social workers, respiratory therapists, residents, fellows, to attending physicians… everyone becomes familiar. Working alongside the same core team day in and day out builds a layer of trust that makes difficult cases easier to navigate. Attendings at CMC are the most approachable, humble and easy to work with group of teachers I have ever encountered. From day one, they made me feel supported, yet pushed me to practice at the edge of my comfort zone. Reflecting on my experience at CMC, it is that constant expansion of my comfort zone that will allow me to practice independently with confidence when I graduate.
Mark Baumgarten, MD (PGY-2)
Meet the Faculty
"If you have the courage to care, this Emergency Medicine program has everything you need to become a talented clinician whether your path points toward academic or community medicine. We are fortunate to see an incredible breadth and depth of pathology in our safety net hospital (also tertiary care hospital, referral hospital, large pediatrics hospital and only regional level one trauma center...all in the same building). The pathology though is not what drives us; it is the honor of caring for the diverse people who come through our doors in their moment of need."
Sean M. Fox, MD
Program Director
Professor of Emergency Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics
Carolinas Medical Center
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Emily MacNeill, MDAssociate Program Director
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Bryant Allen, MDAssistant Program Director
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Mary FiorilloResidency Coordinator
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Blanca BenavidesMedical Education Coordinator
With a nationally and internationally renowned team of emergency medicine physicians who serve as faculty, our residents have access to a breadth of experience and knowledge in the Emergency Medicine program. View their bios here.
Program Curriculum
Residents of the Emergency Medicine program have word class exposure to a broad spectrum of medical and surgical pathology at one training site. Our mission of inclusion and equity in education and healthcare drives all that we do for our patients and communities. Our emergency medicine residency program is fully accredited (with zero citations) and conforms to the curriculum requirements of the American Council of Graduate Medical Education as set forth by the Residency Review Committee.
The residency adheres to a postgraduate year (PGY) 1 - 2 - 3 format with 14 residents per year in addition to fellowship positions in research, toxicology, emergency medical services, pediatric emergency medicine, ultrasound, and operational and disaster medicine. Residents learn the practice and art of emergency medicine in a busy urban medical center with a good blend of private and underserved patients. They are supervised 24 hours a day by experienced academic and clinical faculty who are actively involved in bedside teaching. Residents spend an average of 50 hours per week managing patients during emergency department months. Coordinated scheduling of medical students and residents at each postgraduate level allows for graded responsibility and teaching.
Learn moreIn addition to the many educational and career benefits of the Emergency Medicine program, residents will receive financial benefits as well. Residents will receive a competitive salary, vacation, continuing medical education funds, benefits, lab coats and moonlighting information.
Learn moreThe residency adheres to a PGY 1 - 2 - 3 format. Emergency medicine residents spend much of their first year of training with other specialties, acquiring skills and knowledge that are fundamental and essential to the practice of emergency medicine. Because most services take care of their own patients in the intensive care units, the PGY-1 resident will have an opportunity to be involved with the management of critically ill and injured patients. Additionally, the first-year residents have early critical care exposure for a month in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU).
Learn moreHonors and Awards
Our world-class faculty members in the Emergency Medicine program have won numerous awards for their incredible work in the field. View their honors and awards here.
Application Criteria
If you would like to apply for our residency program, we only accept standard electronic applications through ERAS. Please submit your ERAS application to us. Please contact your school for specific information on the ERAS program. We have no Step score requirements, though we do require passing either the USMLE Step 1 or COMLEX Level 1 reported in your application. We have a 2 year maximum from medical school completion.
Many times we receive inquiries from international medical grads as to whether we can accept IMGs. The answer is yes (and we will sponsor their visa). We sponsor J-1, F-1, H-1B, TN, EAC and Green Cards. All fees will need to be paid by the prospective employee – the only fee that Atrium Health pays is the $1,000 fee required by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) for processing an H-1B visa. The person offered the position must have a current work authorization before they can start.
For the 2024 ERAS® cycle, our program will be collecting and reviewing data from applicants’ supplemental ERAS applications. Completion of the standard MyERAS application is a requirement; completion of the supplemental ERAS application is optional.