Top 10 Secrets to Success as an Emergency Medicine Resident
So you are about to start your first year as an Emergency Medicine (EM) resident in a few short weeks. Or perhaps you are entering a new, more senior resident role in your department. You are probably unsure of what to expect, a bit anxious, but definitely excited to start. As part of a multi-institutional initiative launched by the ALiEM Chief Resident Incubator, chief residents from across the country pooled together what they wanted residents to know to become an amazing resident. After compiling the responses, we came up with these “Top 10 Secrets to Success as a EM Resident”. [+]
Ultrasound For The Win! – 63M with an Erythematous Abdomen #US4TW
Welcome to another ultrasound-based case, part of the “Ultrasound For The Win!” (#US4TW) Case Series. In this case series, we focus on a real clinical case where bedside ultrasound changed the management or aided in the diagnosis. In this case, a 63-year-old man presents with a painful, warm, and erythematous area of his abdomen. [+]
MEdIC Series: Case of the Terrible Code – Expert Review & Curated Commentary
The Case of the Terrible Code outlined a scenario where a resident observed a resuscitation that was not going well. Should he intervene even though the code leader was an attending? How? This month the MEdIC team (Brent Thoma, Sarah Luckett-Gatopoulos, Tamara McColl, Eve Purdy, John Eicken, and Teresa Chan), hosted a discussion around these questions with insights from the ALiEM community. We are proud to present to you the Curated Community Commentary and our 3 expert opinions. Thank-you to all our participants for contributing to the very rich discussions last week. [+]
10 Life and Work Tips for EM Residency Graduates
Congratulations to the Class of 2016 graduating class of emergency medicine residents! It is the end of a chapter and a beginning of another. For those of us practicing medicine for so many years, there are many things that we would have done differently… especially in that first year post-residency. In the following infographic, we present crowdsourced reflections and advice for residency graduates from the the UCSF Department of Emergency Medicine faculty. [+]
Diagnose on Sight: Swollen Leg
Case: A 58 year-old female presents with a one-day history of worsening right lower extremity pain and swelling, and an acute onset of dyspnea. Her past medical history consists of stage IV renal cell carcinoma diagnosed six months previously. Triage vitals are remarkable for a heart rate of 120 beats per minute and a blood pressure of 68/48 mmHg. What is the diagnosis? [+]
ALiEM Book Club: The Digital Doctor – Hope, Hype, and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine’s Computer Age
“Medicine is the most information-rich, knowledge-intensive human activity, probably ever.” — Matthew Burton in The Digital Doctor Medicine is becoming an even more information-intensive field as we continue to make new medical discoveries. This, among many other reasons, has prompted increasing efforts over the past couple of decades to develop computerized systems in healthcare. Through this lens, Dr. Robert Wachter examines modern medicine – both the achievements and downfalls that have manifested. [+]
Top 5 FOAM Radiology Resources: ALiEM Chief Resident Incubator Recommendations
There is no shortage of free open access medical education (FOAM) resources available to the current emergency medicine (EM) learner. It seems that no matter what the concept, FOAM has it covered. And radiology is no different. However, with a specialty as vast as radiology, finding educational material pertinent to the emergency practitioner can be overwhelming. The 2016-2017 ALiEM Chief Resident (CRincubator) class also encountered this when attempting to create an organized FOAM radiology curriculum for EM residents. To tackle this challenge, the chief residents have brought together the best online resources to help EM practitioners gain expertise in the field [+]
5 Tips for Battling Academic Writer’s Block: Insights from the ALiEM Faculty Incubator
Academic writing is a core competency for any faculty member. As much as we hate to all admit it, professional advancement (and dissemination of your hard work) still heavily relies on academic publications – in a variety of formats original research, review papers, case reports, simulation cases, blog, and website writing. It is important to prioritize writing just as consistently as you do staying up-to-date with all the latest practice-changing evidence as a habit early in your health professions education career. [+]
PV Card: Ankle and Hindfoot Fractures | Quick Reference Guide
Orthopedic fractures and injuries are commonly managed in the emergency department. Often a quick bedside reference card is needed to remind the clinician about the acute management and follow-up instructions. Thanks to the efforts of a 2015-16 ALiEM Chief Resident Incubator team, we are pleased to announce the first of these reference cards. Ankle and hindfoot fractures covered include ankle malleolar fractures, talus, and calcaneus fractures. These cards were expert reviewed by Dr. Scott Sherman, co-editor of the Emergency Orthopedics textbook and illustrations were created by Dr. Mary Haas. [+]
ALiEM Book Club: Beyond the ED – Recommendations from Dr. Jamie Santistevan
It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it. – Oscar Wilde Dr. Jamie Santistevan is a senior resident at the University of Wisconsin EM Residency Program. Throughout residency she has been active in the FOAMed community as contributor to multiple educational blogs including emdocs.net. She has also been a leader in the American Association for Women Emergency Physicians (AAWEP) section of ACEP whose mission is to promote women leadership in EM. In July she will continue her training as the Quality and Administration fellow also at the University of [+]