We will welcome six residents per year to our four-year program. Our intentionally small class size allows us to know each resident as an individual and provide mentorship, educational opportunities, and career development tailored to their interests and goals.
Our primary clinical site is OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical Center, with pediatric training at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital on the same OU Health campus. Residents will also train at OU Health Edmond Medical Center, approximately 15 miles from the main campus, and our OU Health freestanding Emergency Department/Urgent Care, approximately 12 miles away. All clinical sites are within the Oklahoma City metro area.
Joining a new residency means having a unique level of opportunity, individualized attention, and influence from the very beginning. Residents will have opportunities to develop as leaders early in training and play an important role in establishing the culture and traditions of our program, while program leadership provides the structure and support needed for them to focus on responsibilities appropriate to their stage of training.
Resident feedback will be essential to our continued growth and intentionally built into the residency experience. Residents will have dedicated opportunities during protected educational time, regular meetings with program leadership, and formal program evaluation processes to share feedback and identify opportunities for improvement. Our goal is to create a culture where resident input is a routine part of how we evaluate, refine, and strengthen the program.
Residents will train across several busy OU Health emergency care settings. Our primary Emergency Department at OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical Center sees more than 65,000 visits annually, while Oklahoma Children’s Hospital sees approximately 45,000 emergency visits, OU Health Edmond Medical Center approximately 12,000, and OU Health ER & Urgent Care approximately 29,000 each year.
Residents will care for a broad and diverse patient population, from common emergency presentations to complex medical illness, critical disease, and major trauma. OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical Center is the only Level I Trauma Center within 100 miles, caring for approximately 8,000 trauma patients annually, including more than 1,000 Level I trauma activations. Approximately 25% of Emergency Department patients are admitted to the hospital, with 22% of admitted patients requiring ICU-level care, providing substantial exposure to high-acuity and critically ill patients.
Progressive autonomy is a core part of our competency-based approach to training. Residents are evaluated not only on what they know, but on the level of responsibility faculty can confidently entrust to them in clinical practice. As residents demonstrate increasing competence, clinical judgment, and readiness for greater responsibility, supervision and autonomy evolve accordingly. This allows residents to take on progressively greater roles in clinical decision-making, procedures, resuscitations, and Emergency Department leadership as they prepare for independent practice.
Our approach to resident well-being is built around six interconnected pillars: emotional, occupational, physical, social, intellectual, and spiritual well-being. Throughout residency, these areas are supported through mentorship and coaching, fatigue mitigation and schedule protections, retreats and social activities, opportunities for service and reflection, dedicated well-being education, and access to confidential counseling and other support resources. Our goal is to support well-being during training while helping residents develop the skills, connections, and sense of purpose that contribute to a sustainable and fulfilling career in emergency medicine.
Residents interested in fellowship will have the opportunity to build toward that goal throughout their training. Through mentorship, targeted electives, scholarly activity, national involvement, and access to subspecialty expertise across OU, residents can develop meaningful experience in their chosen area. The flexibility of our four-year curriculum allows us to individualize that preparation based on each resident’s interests and future goals.
Yes! We believe involvement in emergency medicine beyond our institution is an important part of professional development. During residency, each resident will be supported to attend the SAEM Annual Meeting, CORD Academic Assembly, and ACEP Scientific Assembly, providing opportunities for education, networking, scholarship, and involvement in the broader emergency medicine community. As an additional opportunity for our inaugural class, residents will attend the SAEM Annual Meeting and Chief Resident Forum during their intern year, supporting early professional development and leadership as they help establish our new program.
We encourage residents to become actively involved in the broader emergency medicine community through committee work, leadership, education, advocacy, and other opportunities aligned with their interests. Residents will receive program-sponsored memberships in SAEM and ACEP/EMRA, along with support for involvement in national emergency medicine organizations. Faculty with experience and leadership in these organizations will help residents identify opportunities, make connections, and find meaningful ways to become involved throughout training.
Yes! Residents will have opportunities to teach medical students and other learners throughout their clinical rotations, as well as through dedicated teaching rotations. These experiences are designed not only to develop effective clinical teachers, but also to build broader skills in medical education, including curriculum development, feedback, assessment, and educational leadership.
Residents interested in academic emergency medicine will have opportunities to intentionally build the skills needed for a career as an educator, scholar, and leader. Through dedicated teaching experiences, mentorship, scholarly activity, curriculum development, research, national committee involvement, and leadership opportunities, residents can begin developing an academic niche during residency. Our four-year curriculum provides the time and flexibility to individualize these experiences, while faculty with backgrounds in medical education and academic leadership can provide mentorship as residents begin building their own careers in academic emergency medicine.
Each resident will have a dedicated faculty mentor who provides longitudinal coaching, career advising, and support throughout residency. Mentorship will evolve with the resident, from navigating the transition to residency early in training to identifying areas of interest, pursuing individualized opportunities, and preparing for the next stage of their career.
Yes. Eligible upper-level residents will have opportunities to moonlight, subject to program approval and applicable institutional and ACGME requirements.
Oklahoma City offers a wide range of neighborhoods and communities to fit different lifestyles. Residents can choose to live closer to the OU Health campus in areas such as Downtown, Midtown, the Paseo Arts District, or the Plaza District, or farther out in communities such as Edmond, Moore, and Norman. Whether you prefer walkable neighborhoods with restaurants and entertainment nearby or more space in a suburban setting, there are many affordable options within the Oklahoma City metro area.
Yes. Parking is provided to residents at no cost at affiliated training sites.
Yes. Residents receive an annual meal allowance loaded directly onto their ID card for use at OU dining facilities. Food is also available 24/7 at affiliated clinical sites, ensuring residents have access to meals while working clinical shifts.
Residents receive a comprehensive benefits package through the University of Oklahoma, including medical and dental insurance, life and disability coverage, professional liability insurance, and retirement savings options.
Residents also receive paid vacation and medical, parental, and caregiver leave, as well as educational leave for approved professional activities.
For current salary and detailed benefit information, please visit the OU College of Medicine Graduate Medical Education Benefits page.