Implementing a third-year emergency medicine medical student curriculum

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine Training

Background:

• Emergency Medicine (EM) rotations are often placed in the fourth year of medical school.
• Evidence for the optimal timing and duration of EM rotations is lacking.
• Some institutions currently offer third-year EM rotations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To expand on a recently published syllabus for third-year EM rotations.
• To provide a comprehensive curricular guide for third-year medical student EM rotations.
• To focus on the implementation of a third-year EM curriculum.

Main Methods:

• Consensus-derived learning objectives.
• Discussion of various educational methods.
• Considerations for curriculum implementation, feedback, and evaluation.
• External validation using a content validity index from a survey of third-year rotation directors.

Main Results:

• A consensus-derived curricular guide was developed.
• The guide includes learning objectives, educational methods, and implementation strategies.
• Content validity was established through external validation.

Conclusions:

• The curricular guide can assist faculty in developing or revising third-year EM medical student rotations.
• It offers practical guidance for implementing such a curriculum.
• This resource supports standardized and effective EM training for third-year students.