Five hours of conference are scheduled each week, and residents are excused from most clinical duties to attend. The conference topics will cover the core content of the Model of the Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine. Conference time will also include morbidity and mortality conference, trauma conference, pediatric conference, procedure labs, SIM, ECG and radiology interpretation, and board review. Journal club is held 5-6 times per year at an attending or resident's house in the summer and during conference.
All PGY-1 residents will begin the Emergency Medicine Residency training program by completing a 4 week orientation in the Emergency Department. During the rotation there will be a decrease in clinical workload and an emphasis on didactics in the curriculum. Interns will receive training in basic ultrasound skills, advanced airway skills, procedural skills and certification in ATLS. Conferences for the didactic sessions focus on core clinical topics in emergency medicine.
Residents will participate in the Rosh Review online tests, participate in the annual In Service Exam, and have regularly scheduled mock oral board examinations. Wellness topics and outings will be included in the conference schedule. Additionally, there will be an annual retreat for the entire residency.
First Year
The first year of training is designed to give the resident a h4 background in various specialties, which they will need to practice clinical medicine. At the same time, they will be taught to use these skills in the application of emergency medicine. Emphasis is placed on applying the broad knowledge base gained in medical school to a clinical setting. Problem solving and logical thinking skills are fundamental to the successful practice of medicine and the clinical staff will be continually helping residents to become proficient in using these tools in the clinical setting. The resident will see the natural progression of various pathologic states and the results of the therapeutic modalities employed in the treatment of patients. Emphasis is placed on learning to obtain a problem-oriented history and physical examination and the ability to develop a practical list of differential diagnoses when seeing patients. Under guidance and supervision, the resident will examine and treat critically ill patients in the emergency department. The year begins with a 4 week orientation in the Emergency Department. During this time there will be a decrease in clinical workload and an emphasis on didactics in the curriculum. Interns will receive training in basic ultrasound skills, advanced airway skills, procedural skills and certification in ATLS. Conferences for the didactic sessions focus on core clinical topics in emergency medicine.
First year residents will present patients to a PGY-3 or EM attending after evaluation, and will confirm that the patient has been seen by an attending prior to discharge. The resident will be responsible for presenting an article at journal club twice during the year. Not having the responsibility of administration or supervision of other residents will allow the resident to concentrate on gaining a solid clinical foundation to achieve clinical expertise in emergency medicine.
Second Year
The second year resident will continue to perfect the skills of physical diagnosis and stabilization of the critically ill patient. The resident begins to take a leadership role in the resuscitation of patients. Time spent in the critical care units ensures that the resident is comfortable treating and caring for critical patients for prolonged periods, and is aware of the progression of pathology in these individuals. The resident will be granted more responsibility and will begin to learn to vary the pace at which patients are seen in order to efficiently control flow in an emergency department. Residents will continue to learn to manage multiple patients simultaneously and perform invasive procedures during emergency department resuscitations. Second year residents will take presentations from medical students and will be responsible for presenting two conference lectures and two journal club articles during the year.
Third Year
The third year is a time of perfecting clinical skills and improving supervisory and administrative skills. As the resident becomes more experienced in emergency medicine, the supervising and teaching of junior residents and medical students will increase. The resident must develop the capability of taking charge of a busy emergency department by the completion of the third year, including directing resuscitations, managing multiple patients simultaneously, providing medical direction for prehospital providers, and coordinating patient flow through the emergency department. This is also a time for career planning and the residents will be given guidance so they can develop future goals as well as make informed choices about the type of environment in which they want to practice. The resident will present two conference lectures and two journal club articles during the year. At the end of this period, our goal is to have trained physicians who are efficient and comfortable in the clinical practice of emergency medicine, with clear goals for their future career and the tools to continue developing professional skill.