Study: Thematic analysis of our “How I Work Smarter” series

In 2014-15, we hosted a “How I Work Smarter” (HIWS) series, led by Dr. Ben Azan, focusing on the individual strategies of high-performing, successful emergency physicians. After the conclusion of the series, Ben went one step further and recruited a team which included Drs. Marilyn Innes, Brent Thoma, myself, Alex Van Duyvendyk, Zafrina Poonja, and Teresa Chan to conduct a thematic analysis, which was just published in Cureus [open access full text].¹ Although the content is from 2014-15 and many of the featured contributors have moved institutions with different roles, the themes and tips remain salient and informative in today’s era of digital and cognitive overload in the clinical and non-clinical environments.

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2019-04-19T00:08:28-07:00

April 22nd, 2019 | How I Work Smarter, Research

By: Michelle Lin, MD

Teaming Tips Case 8: The Wayward Collaborator | ALiEM Faculty Incubator

Many of you are asked to take a leadership role in leading a team, whether it’s for research, administration, or even clinical. It is easy to feel unprepared for these roles, and there are many pitfalls waiting to sabotage your team’s productivity. The ALiEM Faculty Incubator has created a series of 10 case-based teaming problems to provide you with evidence-based advice and solutions for tackling some of the more common problems encountered in our professional team experiences – including the wayward collaborator!

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2019-04-19T00:42:57-07:00

April 19th, 2019 | Faculty Development, Incubators, Medical Education

By: Simiao Li-Sauerwine, MD, MS, Shannon McNamara, MD and Christopher Lloyd, DO, FACEP

Guideline Review: ACEP 2018 – ED Procedural Sedation with Propofol

The last American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) guideline recommendations regarding the use of propofol for ED procedural sedation was in 2007. Much research has since demonstrated its safety in adults and children. Furthermore, many clinicians are co-administering ketamine or fentanyl in conjunction. This 2018 ACEP update¹ addresses these issues and much more. The following infographic summarizes the key points.

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2019-04-17T02:11:12-07:00

April 17th, 2019 | Guideline, Tox & Medications

By: Kelly Wong, MD

Welcome to the ALiEM Faculty Incubator 2019-2020 Class

The ALiEM Faculty Incubator reviewed stellar applications from around the globe for the 2019-2020 Faculty Incubator cohort and we are thrilled to announce our latest group of 30 medical educators! We are beyond excited to see what kinds of amazing things come out of this group (spoiler alert: it’s going to be epic!). A warm congratulations to this group and thank you to everyone who applied to be part of our virtual community of education scholars.

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2019-04-11T19:20:57-07:00

April 12th, 2019 | Faculty Development, Incubators

By: Sara M. Krzyzaniak, MD, FACEP

Health Insurance 101 for the Emergency Physician

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A 28 year-old single man with type I diabetes mellitus presents to your busy Texas emergency department in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). This is his third hospitalization for DKA in 5 months. When you ask the patient about his current medication regimen, he admits that he frequently skips doses as a cost-savings measure. He shares that he works 45 hours a week at a small local grocery store, makes minimum wage ($15,660 pretax), and has no health insurance. His prescribed insulin regimen, consisting of Lantus at bedtime and Humalog with meals, costs approximately $600 a month. This cost estimate is based on 25 units of nightly Lantus and 25 total units of Humalog daily from GoodRx advertised list prices for the San Antonio area.

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2019-04-10T23:14:19-07:00

April 10th, 2019 | Public Health, Public Policy

By: Sarah Goldman, MD MPM

The Leader’s Library | Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.

We proudly introduce ALiEM’s newest series, The Leader’s Library, with Dr. Brené Brown’s newest book, Dare to Lead!

Have you ever gotten to work with someone who just “got it?” Someone who inspires greatness in all people with whom s/he worked, seemingly effortlessly, all the while maintaining humility and approachability? What about the converse– have you ever worked with someone who just seems out of touch with the rest of the team, failing to unite the group under a common goal, leaving the team members feeling unheard and voiceless? Unfortunately, we’ve all probably worked more with folks from the latter category than the former, and this can lead us to believe that good leadership is a mysterious, innate quality that some people are lucky enough to have, while the rest of us are stuck bumbling through our days, just trying to avoid catastrophic mistakes.

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2019-04-13T18:12:31-07:00

April 5th, 2019 | Book Club, Faculty Development

By: Dina Wallin, MD

ALiEM is Growing

You’ve probably noticed by now, but ALiEM is going through some pretty significant changes–especially in the way that the site looks and feels. We’ve shifted the platform that was used to create ALiEM and taking a few minutes to explain why.

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2019-04-04T20:39:19-07:00

March 30th, 2019 | Social Media & Tech

By: Shuhan He, MD