Curriculum

Cutting Edge Emergency Medicine Curriculum

Our exciting curriculum provides the tools for you to function and succeed in today’s complex healthcare environment. The residency leadership recognizes the various learning modalities of residents and brings all of this to our educational experience. Learning begins the week before conference, with electronic resources delivered right to your inbox. In coordination with the upcoming conference’s core curriculum, our education team sends an e-mail with links to today’s most relevant FOAM-based material, primary literature, chapter readings and board review questions. 

Bringing everyone – and everything – together...

The residency leadership is committed to providing a rigorous educational environment that is both high yield and enjoyable. The crux of our educational experience is the weekly five-hour conference during which all residents are excused from clinical work in the ED. Say goodbye to traditional one hour talks and embrace shorter lectures and small group case-based learning split by class. This allows each lecturer to tailor their talk to the level of the learners involved. However, this is only a small piece of your learning. You will be regularly surrounded with education throughout your training in daily morning reports, monthly journal clubs, bi-monthly Simulation days, specialty track meetings and, most importantly, stellar bedside teaching in the ED.

Tintinalli Core Content

We expect residents to complete the weekly reading assignment from the Tintinalli Emergency Medicine Manual - shorter and more high-yield than a traditional textbook. Additionally, we will assign board review questions to be completed prior to conference. Our three chief residents lead this first half-hour and focus on topics that are core knowledge for clinical care and the written boards. 

PGY-1 Clinical Showdown

PGY-1 residents will get a taste of academic presentations and learn how to critically appraise emergency medicine research with Clinical Showdowns, a new lecture format that pits resident-against-resident to make their case for (or against!) a particular controversial or evolving topic in emergency medicine. Presenters will work closely with their faculty mentor to create an engaging and informative presentation that is sure to generate lots of debate and discussion. 

PGY-2 Special Topics Lecture  

PGY-2 residents have ample opportunities to deepen their presentation skills through various formats including our joint Trauma conference with Trauma Surgery, the much-loved Ultrasound Image of the Month review and through our Case Conference series. Anyone who wishes to do a deeper dive into a topic they are passionate about is welcome to work with our Conference Chiefs and APDs to craft an additional presentation.

PGY-3 Senior Topic Lecture

This lecture is a highlight of the senior resident's year.  Based on interests and often career plans, each resident chooses a topic for this presentation. The goal is to master the literature, to understand management, and to provide cutting edge evidence for the audience. This talk is often the first step in developing a niche for future lectures in their career.

PGY-3 Continuous Quality Improvement Conference

As part of the administration rotation during third year, each resident is assigned a departmental QI case to review. After a thorough chart dissection, interviews with the involved providers and discussion with a faculty preceptor, the resident completes the formal QI Committee write-up and presents the case in a monthly CQI conference.

Oral Boards Case Conference

Oral Boards Case Conference is a unique rapid-fire case discussion loosely based on the paradigm of oral board examinations. Several residents are expected to have a case prepared and, on their turn, will call upon a fellow resident to solve through their case, progressively revealing pertinent history, physical exam or diagnostic tests. The presenting resident will then provide educational pearls on their case for the audience.

Pediatric Case Conference Series

Focusing on the pediatric EM core curriculum, we use case-based small groups to discuss a pediatric topic (e.g. cardiac emergencies, neurological emergencies, toxic ingestions). We divide the residents by year of training in order to provide appropriate targeted teaching.

Ultrasound Lectures

Our dynamic ultrasound faculty deliver multiple sessions in conference throughout the academic year. These interactive, video and imaged-based talks bring new ideas to discussion and ultimately to the bedside.

Journal Watch

Scattered throughout the conference year, these brief summary sessions focus on new and relevant articles to our practice. Instead of the deep dive of a journal club, this is a chance to discuss current practice-changing articles.

Wellness Curriculum

Beyond our robust retreat program, we believe that a discussion of wellness issues is critical to success. Under the guidance of the resident director of professional development and residency leadership, we cover burnout, resilience, mindfulness and other important topics of well-being.

FOAM Education

Led by Dr. Beck-Esmay, one of the country's eminent leaders in podcast education, residents will discuss an emergency medicine podcast in a similar style to journal club. Through the process, residents will learn to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this new modality of continuing education and make objective assessments on the information provided.