The educational curriculum of the Residency is a unique combination of didactic conferences, interactive case simulations, laboratories, peer review, specialized seminars, and clinical training. An Introduction to Emergency Medicine course initiates each incoming class.

The Core Content for Emergency Medicine, as approved by the major sponsoring organizations of emergency medicine, has been rigorousl y reviewed by the faculty.The Program intends that each resident be exposed in a structured manner to a variety of educational experiences that cover the scope of emergency medicine practice.

Conferences
Five to six hours of didactic sessions are held each week on Wednesday mornings. This lecture material is arranged in tracks that include life threatening presenting complaints or symptoms; organ system categories, eg. cardiovascular; toxicology; radiology; telemetry review; administrative and medical-legal issues; and other basic subjects. The lectures are usually given by the faculty or members of the University community; resident participation is encouraged.

The Residency meets monthly with surgical faculty and residents for Trauma Review and with our medicine colleagues for Critical Care Conference. These jointly supported discussions foster a collaborative approach to the care of critically ill patients.

Journal Club covers specific topics and assesses classic and current literature with an analysis of the latest research. Peer Review is an interactive discussion of the patho-physiology and clinical management of difficult or unusual patient cases. The goal is to refine problem-solving and management techniques for application in the emergency department setting. Grand Rounds features noted speakers who provide in-depth views on controversial and rapidly changing areas of emergency medicine knowledge and practice.

Laboratories
Hands-on manipulative skill labs covering airway management, fiberoptics, wound repair, orthopedics, Eye/ENT procedures and neonatal resuscitiation are offered on an ongoing basis. In addition, we offer a cadaver based procedure laboratory to provide additional training in common procedues such as tube thoracostomy placement as well as an opportunity for the resident to master advanced surgical airway management and formal thoracotomy techniques. Of note, there is a regularly recurring faculty led small group workshop which focuses on airway management and a separate monthly faculty led course in ultrasonography.

Simulated Patient Encounters
These are interactive sessions in which the faculty present patient case scenarios and the residents interpret data, manage the patient's care and answer pathophysiology questions. This format increases resident confidence in oral presentation skills and serves to make the resident comfortable with the oral board examination process.

Simulation Laboratory
A fully interactive, high-fidelity medical simulation (SIM) manikin laboratory offers a realistic environment of patient care activity that allows the resident to master application of medical knowledge, performance of emergency procedures, and leadership skills in a setting where immediate feedback is provided via programmed responses to resident actions. The creation of a simulated health care setting where the resident is able to master new cognitive functions and manipulative procedural skills without fear of untoward patient outcome is the future of medical education and will be the standard for preparing the next generation of physicians. In addition to common procedures such as tracheal intubation, focus on less common procedures such as cricothyrotomy is undertaken in the laboratory through the use of multiple manikin models. As important, the mastery of leadership behaviors in the critical care setting for single and multiple patient encounters. In addition, computer-based table top exercises in physician decision-making and systems-based practice address disaster and mass casualty settings.

Medical-Legal Seminar
Residents participate in an intensive, interactive Medical-Legal Seminar during the second year of training. This one week long seminar examines legal issues critical to the emergency physician, including discussion of case law that guides our actions. It is coordinated by a physician-attorney specializing in emergency medicine; invited faculty from the medical and legal professions enhance this long-standing University of Chicago tradition.

ACLS / ATLS / PALS / NRP
ACLS provider instruction is given on entry into the program. During the residency each resident will have the opportunity to become certified as an ACLS instructor. The Residency also provides Advanced Trauma Life Support, Pediatrc Advanced Life Support and Neonatal Resuscitation Program instruction to all residents.

International Health Care
Our senior residents have a number of options for participation in international health care, including the opportunity to participate in the University of Chicago’s efforts on health sector redevelopment in post-conflict Liberia, West Africa. They will provide health care directly to patients who present to the emergency department as well as the inpatient wards of the country's only teaching hospital, the John F. Kennedy Medical Center, located in the capital city of Monrovia. Residents will also assist in the development and implementation of protocols to rapidly assess and treat patients in a resource limited health care setting and study the efficacy of such interventions. An important aspect of this experience will be resident participation in educational programs that include developing and hosting emergency medicine related lectures, workshops, and seminars for JFK Medical Center resident physicians, medical students, and other health care providers.

Geographic Medicine Scholars Program

The GMSP is a Global Health Competency program available to our emergency medicine residents. This Program is also available to residents and fellows from the Department of Medicine and to University of Chicago Pritzker medical students. Designed for trainees who may or may not have had international medical experience before, the GMSP teaches skills necessary for clinical and research activities in international resource-limited settings. The program consists of monthly symposia, local clinical competency experiences, and a four week international clinical experience.

The GMSP monthly symposium on international health topics meets the first Wednesday of every month from 5-6:30pm and is open to the public. Lecturers include both University of Chicago faculty members and guest faculty. For a listing of upcoming events, please visit GMSP Symposia of Events. GMSP resident participants are encouraged to participate in local clinical experiences such as service at the University of Chicago Travel Clinic. The international ("Out-of-Country") portion of the curriculum is a 4 week clinical experience led by faculty from the University of Chicago Sections of Infectious Diseases and Global Health and Emergency Medicine. The 2009 GMSP Out-of-Country Experience will take place in Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Dominican Republic. The 2007 and 2008 Out-of-Country Experiences took place in Hyderabad, India.

"The curriculum provides us exposure to high acuity patients in a very diverse population... .from bread and butter patients to zebras...."

Justin Gatewood M.D.

The NICU call provides experience managing newborn resuscitations and performance of procedures- skills reinforced during neonatal transfer flights in the second year.

"The intensive care month is a very challenging and high yield experience. The faculty are wonderful clinicians and teachers, including the well recognized: Dr's Hall, Schmidt, and Wood who regularly attend in the MICU."

-Todd Ellingson, MD

"The ultrasound machine has become a part of the landscape of all three ED's in the program. Practicing without it now for me would be like forgetting my stethoscope at home. Bottom line, If you train at UC, you will be very well trained in emergency ultrasound."

-Tony Macasaet, MD