Emergency Medicine Residency Program

Emergency Medicine Residency Program

"We are a family of independently-driven, collectively strong, compassionate individuals who build each other up and catch each other when we fall. We train clinically excellent, resilient emergency physicians who can handle anything, anywhere, anytime. We seek coachable individuals who are adaptable, reliable, hardworking, thrive on challenge, and who focus not on what they can take, but what they can give. We find grit, enthusiasm, humility and dedication to be of the utmost importance. We work hard, play hard. Together we are DRMC emergency medicine.

We are an ACGME approved, three year teaching site servicing the Coachella Valley. The program will accept ten residents per year. It is our goal to provide exceptional medical care, education and an environment that fosters personal growth in our residents."

- Joel Stillings, D.O. Program Director, Desert Regional Medical Center Emergency Medicine Residency

Curriculum

The curriculum for Desert Regional Medical Center has been designed to meet ACGME accreditation standards and utilize the clinical strengths of the hospital faculty to produce quality trained physicians.  The hospital has elected to use 13, four-week arrangement for rotations.

Didactic Curriculum

The didactic curriculum is delivered through a combination of conferences, seminars, journal clubs, case studies, grand rounds, mortality and morbidity conferences. Four-hour sessions with two hours devoted to didactic lecture, one hour devoted to skills, and one hour are devoted to reading assignments, mortality and morbidity review, and case presentations that occurs weekly. Journal club, educational activities, and written exams occur on a monthly basis. Oral board simulation occurs on a quarterly basis. The in-service exam occurs on a yearly basis. Residents are expected to maintain active certification in ACLS, BLS, ATLS, and PALS.

Applications

The Department of Emergency Medicine participates exclusively with the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and can be found on the  ResidencyCAS | Centralized Medical Residency Application Platform. You may apply through the dean's office at your medical school, or through the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.

Interviews

Scheduled in October through December, on Wednesdays and Thursdays and are offered to applicants who have submitted an application through ERAS. (Applications sent by fax or email will not be reviewed.)

The interview day starts at 9:00 a.m. and concludes by 2:00 p.m. The itinerary includes:

• Weekly didactic lectures
• Interviews with four faculty including program leadership
• Tour of DRMC
• Lunch with the residents and faculty

Information for International Medical Graduates (IMGs)

• DRMC training programs are competitive and do not meet the hard to fill criteria required for Visa (Temporary TN work status, temporary H-1B and J-1) sponsorship.
• Passing scores on the first attempt of USMLE steps 1 and 2 are required.
• Applicants should have graduated from medical school within five years and must meet the accreditation requirements of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education for licensure.

Resident Stipends for 2025-2026

Benefits and Compensation

Desert Regional Medical Center provides residents with benefits and compensation that are competitive in today’s market. General benefits offered include, but are not limited to the following:

• Medical – eligible to participate in Employer’s group health insurance program on the first day of the month following the first month of employment.
• Dental – eligible to participate in Employer’s group dental insurance program on the first day of the month following the first month of employment.
• Vision – eligible to participate in Employer’s group vision insurance program on the first day of the month following the first month of employment.
• Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Spending Accounts or Health Reimbursement Accounts.
• Life, AD&D and Disability Insurance – eligible to participate.
• Hyatt Legal
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Tenet Personal Health Team and Employee Assistance Program
• Access to an on-site research library, a collection of online databases and full text journals, and research support by a staff librarian
• Vacation – 20 days per academic year

Note: All benefits and compensations are subject to change

Additional benefits offered only with the approval of the Program Director and Director of Medical Education:

• Allowance for books and other self-education materials (including directly related and pre-approved verifiable expense for authorized continuing education program(s).
• One-time stipend that can be applied to a smart phone, palm pilot or smart phone applications as a PGY-1
• Allowance to attend national and/or state conferences representing the hospital and residency program.
• One-time Reimbursement for registration fee to take COMLEX 3
• Reimbursement for State of California Medical License
• Reimbursement for Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) License.