Third Year Clerkship

With the start of the 2011-2012 academic year, the Emergency Medicine mandatory clerkship has moved into the 3^rd year curriculum.  It remains a completely intranet web-based rotation. Students enhance their history and physical exam skills while learning about acute care and differential diagnoses under the direct supervision of the EM senior residents and attendings.

Students are expected to work a total of 15 eight-hour shifts during a 28-day period.  They enjoy two weekends free of clinical duties. The shifts include time in the Adult Emergency Department, Pediatric Emergency Department, and Fast Track Area. As part of their training, students participate in a procedure based cadaver lab, case based simulation training on both adult and pediatric manikins, and a hands on airway lab.  Dedicated bedside teaching rounds with an attending physician and an EMS ride along completes the clinical curriculum.

Ten lectures, based on the national curriculum’s “approach to” series, are given by emergency medicine faculty. All of the lectures are available on-line in Power Point with an accompanying handout and most are based on a case series format.  The students are also encouraged to attend the emergency medicine residency conferences during the week on Wednesdays from 8a-12:00p. There are separate clinical reading assignments that are constantly updated and reviewed.  A case presentation in Power Point, based on a clinical scenario the student encountered on the rotation, is required at the end of the rotation.  As well, there is a final multiple question examination covering the reading material and lectures.

Lecture Topics:
Approach to the ED Patient
Approach to Chest Pain
Approach to Shortness of Breath (Adult)
Approach to Toxicology
Approach to Shock (Peds / Adult)
Approach to GI bleeding
Approach to Headache
Approach to Pediatric Respiratory Distress
Approach to Pediatric Fever
Approach to Reading an ECG