Emergency medicine resident involvement in EMS

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) activities are a required component of Emergency Medicine (EM) residency training. To determine resident involvement with EMS, all 135 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited and 34 American Osteopathic Association-accredited EM residencies were surveyed in June 2005 regarding the EMS activities required of their residents. One hundred twelve surveys were completed (66% response rate). Observing with ground EMS is required in 88% (n = 98) of residencies; working as an EMS provider is required in 28% (n = 31). Helicopter-based EMS involvement is uncommon, only 16% (n = 18) require observing and 21% (n = 23) require working as a provider. Most residencies (60%, n = 67) allow optional helicopter observation. Insufficient time is the most common reason for limiting EMS activities. Residents routinely provide on-line medical command (79%, n = 88). Most residencies (72%, n = 81) require lecturing to prehospital personnel; a minority require serving as Advanced Cardiac Life Support (38%, n = 42) or Advanced Trauma Life Support (13%, n = 14) instructors. Disaster training is required of most residents (73%, n = 82), whereas providing medical care at a mass gathering is not frequently required (28%, n = 31). Except for reviewing EMS patient care reports (54%, n = 60), quality improvement activities are rarely required. Serving as a medical director or assistant medical director for an EMS service is seldom required (6%, n = 7), and most residencies (63%, n = 70) do not specifically provide financial support for EMS physician-related training.