Most Interesting Articles of 2012
The following compilation of the Most Interesting Articles in 2012 is the work of the EM residents at the Jacobi/Montefiore Emergency Medicine Residency Program. INTRODUCTION Standing at the intersection of patient care and academics, we Emergency Medicine residents have overwhelming expectations. We’re the ones dropping NG tubes, popping abscesses, and pushing stretchers, while also expected to remain up to date with current research and trends in our field. With all these lofty expectations, not to mention the ever-present requirement of sleep and caloric intake, how does a resident pick which papers to read in this sea of literature? [+]
Physical exams: A relic of the past?
Why do most of us dread patients who complain of dizziness in the ED? Because it is so vague, and the differential is so broad from elusive posterior cerebellar strokes to ear wax clogging up our ear canals. And this is one of those diagnoses where the differential really depends upon performing a thorough physical examination. Think really hard, when is the last time you focused upon getting a complete and accurate physical examination? In medical school, there are courses dedicated to the art. I always laugh when I think of my neurology attending who just loved to bang on [+]
To debrief or not?
Learners have limited time. Residents have work hours restrictions, practicing physicians have work / life demands, and the list goes on. Time is valuable. Therefore, educational interventions must be hard-hitting, effective, and worthwhile. We discussed previously “What is debriefing?” Debriefing is a facilitated discussion and reflection about objectives previously chosen by the educator. Dr. Ernest Wang (NorthShore Center for Simulation and Innovation) states that it’s about getting learners to that “aha!” moment. [+]
Teaching internationally: More than just a language barrier
I recently traveled to San Salvador to help teach a pediatric and adult ultrasound course. The course was well received and it was wonderful traveling around San Salvador. I wanted to share some of our experiences, and discuss some challenges to educating internationally. More importantly, I want to engage you, the readers to share some of your experiences when educating internationally as well. [+]
The secret to patient presentations
“So there’s a patient, and umm… they are in the hallway, they came to the ED today for breathing problems, I mean dyspnea. They also don’t speak any English. So, uh the respiratory rate is normal, and they had a blood clot, er… I mean PE, in the past, but not on coumadin anymore. Shoot, I forgot to tell you my exam…they had pitting edema for 3 months. By the way, the labs came back on that other anemic patient in the other hallway, and they are really anemic…” – Anonymous medical student Sounds familiar? Imagine working in a hectic ED [+]
Andragogy: How adults learn best
Andragogy refers to learning strategies which help adults to learn more effectively. It is a term that was first used by Alexander Kapp in 1833 and later expanded by Malcolm Knowles to fit the needs of adult education. The concept is contrasted with pedagogy in which the child is lead through the learning process by the teacher. In andragogy most of the learning is self-directed and the teacher is a facilitator in the learning process. [+]
Article review: Macrocognition in novices and experts in the ED
Expert physicians: These are the ones who effortlessly handle a busy Emergency Department while juggling patient load, learners and consultants. How do they make decisions? How do they get there? This article 1 studied macrocognition differences between novices and experts in the Emergency Department. [+]
What is debriefing in simulation education?
Medical education high-fidelity simulation allows for deliberate practice in a safe environment. We are able to miss the intubation repeatedly or botch up the management of aspirin overdose without the demise of the patient. At the end of each session, we gather in a pow wow and debrief…. I have been involved with debriefings, and often wonder what residents are thinking: Do they understand what debriefing means? Do they think this is the time where they are scolded for mistakes? Do they think it is a valuable part of the simulation? What does debriefing even mean? [+]
Seth Godin’s TED talk on "Stop Stealing Dreams"
Seth Godin, a marketing guru, discusses his opinion about “what school is for” in this above video. Although this talk or Seth Godin are not directly related to medical education, this is still related to education and can still be applied to today’s medical education curriculum in many aspects. Mr. Godin goes on to explain that school was modeled in the industrial age and has changed little ever since. The video covers such concepts as: Standardized exams in the industrial age were used as a tool to sort students. The person who created the standardized exams later on came to [+]
Trick of the Trade: Searching for Comments to a Published Article
One day back in 2005 during my PGY-1 pharmacy practice residency, I remember a conversation with my residency director. He was a Surgical/Trauma ICU pharmacist. There had been a recent article published (I think it may have been one linking ‘tight’ glucose control to decreased mortality in ICU patients). Funny how times change… Anyway, he mentioned all of the ‘discussion’ surrounding the article in terms of comments submitted to the journal. It was my first introduction to the idea that published literature could be challenged through an avenue provided by the journal. Just this past week during EM residency journal [+]
Director of Growth, Strategic Alliance Initiative, Center for Innovation and Digital Health
Massachusetts General Hospital;
Chief Scientific Officer, Conductscience.com
Latest posts by Shuhan He, MD (see all)
- The Discharge Severity Index: Early Research on ED Readmission Risk Assessment - August 14, 2025
- Suboxone and the Emergency Physician: Get Waivered Training - August 12, 2022
- A Tale of Two Epidemics: COVID-19 and the Opioid Crisis - April 23, 2020