Advanced topics in emergency medicine: curriculum development and initial evaluation

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine Training
• Graduate Medical Education

Background:

• Emergency Medicine (EM) is an emerging medical specialty with a recently developed curriculum.
• Many medical schools lack mandatory EM clerkships, offering only brief overviews.
• This gap highlights the need for comprehensive EM training for medical students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a 10-month longitudinal elective in Emergency Medicine for fourth-year medical students.
• To equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to excel at the beginning of their EM residency.
• To assess if students in this elective felt well-prepared for residency.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive, internet-based course evaluation was administered to participants at the end of the academic year.
• Students utilized a 5-point Likert scale to rate the benefits and appropriateness of course components.
• Data were collected from participants over the first two years of the elective's implementation.

Main Results:

• All participating students reported feeling well-prepared for their EM residency.
• Specific components like resident-led teaching, Advanced Pediatric Life Support (APLS), Grand Rounds, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), and ultrasound training were highly beneficial.
• Student feedback indicated strong satisfaction with the program's components.

Conclusions:

• A longitudinal, immersive EM experience better prepares fourth-year medical students for residency compared to a standard one-month clerkship.
• The elective's structure and content contribute to enhanced readiness for the demands of emergency medicine residency.
• Further data support the efficacy of extended, in-depth training in preparing future EM physicians.