The Emergency Medicine curriculum at VCU is designed to maximize residents’ proficiency and comfort in treating ill patients with a wide variety of medical and surgical problems.  The program relies heavily on educational experiences within the Emergency Department and the various intensive care units as well as focused training in the specialty areas of Emergency Medicine including Toxicology, Emergency Medical Services, the Clinical Decision Unit and Pediatric Emergency Medicine.

FIRST YEAR

Residents are transitioned into 1^st-year responsibilities through an orientation block that combines clinical shifts with a didactic curriculum of lectures, workshops as well as  certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS),  Residents are also oriented to the local EMS systems – specifically the Richmond Ambulance Authority and the LifeEvac helicopter transport system.  They also undergo training in ultrasonography, and on the Human Patient Simulator.

When in the Emergency Department first year residents work a total of seventeen 12 hour shifts.  Vacations are taken in three separate weeks during the EMS, Anesthesiology and one of the Emergency Medicine rotations.

SECOND YEAR

In the second year EM residents manage the airways for trauma resuscitations and care for the most severely ill and injured patients presenting to the department.  Residents work sixteen 12 hour shifts. Vacations are taken as three separate weeks during the Radiology, Clinical Decision Unit(CDU), and one of the EM rotations. The Community Emergency Medicine rotation at our partner site, Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center located in nearby Mechanicsville, VA (7mi) exposes the resident to the unique characteristics of community practice.

THIRD YEAR

The emphasis in the third year is to advance resident autonomy and emphasize independence in the department.  Senior residents assume the responsibility for managing the department as a whole, helping to direct patient flow, supervising the care of patients under the direct care of more junior residents and assisting in teaching interns and medical students in the department

EM-3's also explore specialty care in greater depth in preparation for independent practice. Four of the adult emergency medicine weeks are spent in the emergency department of the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center where the resident is exposed to a unique patient population.

The EM Resuscitation and Teaching block provides residents the opportunity to lead resuscitations throughout the institution to enhance there teaching abilities both at the bedside and the classroom. The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit rotation allows the resident to further their medical and procedural proficiency with critically ill children. The Elective Rotation allows the resident to explore any area of interest in medicine. This experience can be away from the institution.

Senior residents work fifteen shifts per month while in the Emergency Department. Vacations are taken in the EM Resuscitation and Teaching, Elective and one of the Adult EM blocks.

A minimum of five hours of educational activities are scheduled each week of the academic year. The educational activities include lectures (occasionally with other departments), laboratories (eg, splinting, suture, slit lamp, simulation, ultrasonography, procedure, animal, etc), and journal clubs. Residents are freed from their clinical activities to attend these conferences. They also are required to give lectures each year of the curriculum.