Emergency Medicine

Mission Statement of the Clerkship

This 4-week clerkship helps students to improve their evaluation and presentation skills and to practice medical decision making under the supervision of Emergency Medicine faculty. Clinical experiences in the Emergency Department (ED) allow students to assess patients of all ages with acute, urgent, and critical complaints, practice procedural skills, and facilitate application of evidence-based medicine. The didactics, labs, simulation, and web-based exercises enhance their knowledge, promote use of clinical guidelines, medical decision making, and provide opportunities for self-directed learning and reflection. Professionalism and the ability to work effectively in teams under challenging situations are modeled. Patient and family education and appropriate use of outpatient community resources are practiced. It is our mission to provide a superior Emergency Medicine clerkship experience.

Goals of the Clerkship

As a required fourth year clerkship, faculty seek to prepare students for the more independent practice required for residency. The clinical experience will focus on teaching students to recognize emergent conditions, prioritize treatment options, manage an interdisciplinary team, and determine appropriate disposition. At the end of the clerkship, students should be more comfortable with their assessment of patients with potentially dangerous conditions, and more autonomous in their practice. Students should hope to gain confidence in their skills and feel more prepared to enter residency. We are committed to helping each student reach their greatest potential and experience within Emergency Medicine.