Educational Activities
Weekly Didactic Conference
Conferences are held every Wednesday from 8:00 am - 12:30 pm. Conference time is protected time, and residents are expected to attend, regardless of which rotation they are they are currently on. Our format combines a mixture of lectures given by residents, EM attendings, lecturers from outside departments, and interdepartmental interactive case discussions with pediatrics, cardiology, and trauma. Regularly scheduled mock oral boards sessions and study guides prepare our residents to pass both written and oral boards. Study guide includes a scheduled reading program with question review. Emphasis is on making the educational activities interactive and case based.
Thirty minutes of conference time has been replaced with an asynchronous learning curriculum. Residents have articles, videos, podcasts, or recorded lectures assigned. This allows our residents to make up for lost conference time on their own schedule.
We are exceedingly fortunate to have our own state-of-the art Simulation Lab. Our residents are regularly challenged with adult and pediatric simulation cases that bring to life scenarios which require emergent management. These are often conducted in concert with the nursing staff or EMS to build teamwork and communication. The Simulation Lab provides an opportunity to practice caring for critically ill or infrequently encountered patients, and allows for the practice of a wide variety of procedures.
Annual Oral Board Exam
Once a year, all residents participate in a mock oral board exam presented by faculty members and alumni. It is designed to closely mimic the ABEM Oral Boards, with 3 sets of single and multiple patient encounters. Feedback is provided to improve performance. Along with the oral board exams that are held during conference, these additional practice boards contribute greatly to the success of our residents in the ABEM Oral Boards.
Procedure Labs
We provide a variety of hands on practical skills labs throughout the year. During our annual Airway Course faculty provide instruction on the use of various advanced airway techniques including rigid and flexible fiberoptic intubation, laryngeal mask airways, lighted stylet intubation, retrograde intubation and cricothyroidotomy. Dental Lab reviews common dental emergencies and frequently used dental blocks. Eye Lab provides an opportunity to practice the use of the slit lamp, panoptic ophthalmoscope, tonopen, and to practice ocular foreign body removal. A trauma procedures lab is conducted at the beginning of EM-2 year to give residents hands-on experience in chest tube placement, central line placement, burr hole, pacemaker placement, diagnostic peritoneal lavage, thoracotomy and open heart massage via the use of a porcine model.
Journal Club
Journal clubs are held every other month at the home of an attending. A favorite of the residents, Journal Club functions as a combined academic and social event. Hosted by an attending, participants are treated to a night of delicious food and drink before diving into the assigned literature. Articles are analyzed and presented by residents, followed by lively discussion of the study quality and clinical implication by the entire group.
Ultrasound Workshops
Under the leadership of Dr. Michael Lambert, our Emergency Department ultrasound program is an integral part of our residents' education. Many of our ED attendings are RDMS (Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer) certified, and many other attendings use ultrasonagraphy regularly. Dr. Lambert and the ultrasound fellow hold multiple ultrasound workshops yearly, reviewing the basics of Emergency Ultrasound with ample time for hands-on practice. The goal of the fellowship program is not only to train fellows, but to also provide hands-on instruction and didactic lectures to our residents on emergency ultrasonography. In addition to the workshops, each resident completes a dedicated ultrasound rotation during which they get hands on experience while being supervised by a fellowship trained ultrasonographer.