Welcome ALiEM Resident Editor Dr. Natalie Desouza

There are many things that print journals do well. One of the best ideas that I have seen from the Annals of Emergency Medicine is the unique idea of having a Resident Editor on the executive team. This provides the resident exposure to the behind-the-scenes operational processes of running a journal under a mentored environment. Similarly, ALiEM has experienced such rapid growth in the past year with the addition of amazing regular bloggers that we are ready to welcome our first Resident Editor Dr. Natalie Desouza (UCSF-SFGH EM senior resident).

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By Michelle Lin, MD|2016-11-10T21:24:51-08:00Sep 3, 2013|Medical Education, Social Media & Tech|

Simulation Trick of the Trade: Blindfold the Leader

Simulations are routine now in medical training. But sometimes routine can start to get boring! All learners now know, especially for high fidelity simulations, to prepare for the unexpected. The stable patient will inevitably crash, maybe when your back is turned; the confederate in the room may or may not be a friend or a foe, you may never know! But these twists have become so integral to the simulation case that most learners know how to deal with it, or at the least know to anticipate it. But here is an idea for adding a new challenge to a stale simulation case. Blindfold the leader!

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By Nikita Joshi, MD|2016-11-11T19:03:25-08:00Aug 31, 2013|Medical Education, Simulation, Tricks of the Trade|

Open Educational Resources

The Internet has not only facilitated connectivity between people, but it has also helped us to connect with educational material quite different from that of a physical textbook. We are consuming information at a much more rapid rate, and we are also becoming producers of content online. With the use of hyperlinks we are also connecting one content material with another, allowing for a more dynamic-instantaneous flow of knowledge as opposed to the static print in a physical textbook. People have started seeing the potential that this brings to education and are placing educational content online. These educational materials include lectures, videos, images, textbooks to name a few.

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By Javier Benitez, MD|2026-06-16T16:04:06-07:00Aug 31, 2013|Medical Education, Social Media & Tech|

MEdIC series: The Case of the Difficult Consult

Inspired by the Harvard Business Review Cases and led by Dr. Teresa Chan (@TChanMD) and Dr. Brent Thoma (@BoringEM), the Medical Education In Cases (MEdIC) series puts difficult medical education cases under a microscope. On the fourth Friday of the month we will pose a challenging hypothetical dilemma, moderate a discussion on potential approaches, and recruit medical education experts to provide “Gold Standard” responses. Cases and responses will be made available for download in pdf format – feel free to use them!

If you’re a medical educator with a pedagogical problem, we want to get you a MEdiC. Send us your most difficult dilemmas and help the rest of us to bring our teaching game to the next level.

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By Brent Thoma, MD MA|2016-11-11T19:03:34-08:00Aug 30, 2013|MEdIC series|

The Checklist Manifesto: ALiEM Book Club Synopsis

Our dear readers have chimed in and we’ve received amazing commentary and feedback regarding this month’s book The Checklist Manifesto. Please read the summary of the discussion below.

CHECKLISTS ARE EVERYWHERE IN EMERGENCY MEDICINE

Our readers have spotted checklists in a number of places including PALS/ACLS algorithms, Procedural Sedation protocols, and Clinical Decision Rules. Dr. Javier Benitez (@jvrbntz) stated that he uses a checklist for resuscitations at the start of shifts. Dr. Michelle Lin (@M_Lin) stated “We already use our own mental checklists in Med[icine]. It’s just not explicitly shared. Should have more overt shared checklists.”

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By Teresa Chan, MD, MHPE|2019-02-19T18:09:09-08:00Aug 23, 2013|Book Club, Social Media & Tech|

Heuristics and Cognitive Errors in Diagnostic Reasoning

Medical error is among the top ten causes of death in the United States, and while there are different forms and sources, diagnostic error is one of the most significant and consequential. Graber et al, 2002 classifies diagnostic error as one of 3 types:

No-fault error
System error
Cognitive error

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By C. Kene Nwoye, MD|2026-06-16T16:04:02-07:00Aug 21, 2013|Medical Education|

Retrieval Practice: 10 benefits of testing

Tests terrify people, especially when used for summative assessment. But in reality, tests have also helped students learn the material. Retrieval practice, also known as test enhanced learning or the testing effect, has been demonstrated to have more benefits than re-studying the material or multiple choice tests. As per Henry L. Roediger et al.

If students are quizzed frequently, they tend to study more and with more regularity. Quizzes also permit students to discover gaps in their knowledge and focus study efforts on difficult material; furthermore, when students study after taking a test, they learn more from the study episode than if they had not taken the test…

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By Javier Benitez, MD|2019-02-19T18:08:43-08:00Aug 19, 2013|Medical Education|