Emergency Medicine

Rotation: EMD 401-1

Length: 4 weeks

Goals: To learn the approach to patient management in the ED, including ABCs, triage, diagnosis, and disposition. To learn the principles and techniques of basic wound management. To learn the basic principles and rationale for the initial management of patients with trauma. To become familiar with the evaluation of patients presenting to the ED with common complaints, including: chest pain, dyspnea, abdominal pain, headache, fever, and altered mental status.

Objectives:  To understand the history and development of emergency medicine as a specialty. Six integral parts of the rotation include: Clinical experience in the emergency department, Medical student lecture series and department didactic sessions/grand rounds, Pre-hospital paramedic/EMT observation, Independent reading, Formal case presentations, Participation in practical laboratories on intubation, airway management, splinting techniques, and suturing- to be held at Hollywood Fire Rescue Training Facility, future dates and program pending.

Additional Information and Description: You work approximately 12 eight, ten or twelve hour shifts per month in the emergency department. Shifts are 7 AM to 4 PM, 7 AM to 5 PM, 7 AM to & PM, 11 AM to 11 PM. In addition, there is two required night shift (7 PM to 7 AM), to get a "flavor" of what goes on at night in the ED. During the 4 weeks, you will be divided between the acute and non-acute sections of the emergency department. Acute sections include Red and Yellow, non acute is the Green section.

You are supervised by board certified or board eligible attending physicians and will see patients independently (unless the patient is critically ill), and are primarily responsible for their patients while in the ED.

You are expected to see between one and three patients at a time, depending on their own level of comfort, the relative complexity of their patients' problems, and the tempo of the emergency department. You are encouraged to do all necessary procedures on their patients.

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