2019-20 Wellness Think Tank: Open call for 30 passionate EM residents focused on physician wellness
We are thrilled to announce the open call for the fourth class of the ALiEM Wellness Think Tank. Every year has a different ambitious focus and this upcoming year is no different. We are lead by a 4-person powerhouse team (Dr. Simiao Li-Sauerwine, Dr. Sarah Mott, Dr. Katie Rebillot, and Dr. Sneha Shah). Want to learn more about it? Think you have what it takes to make the 30-member cut? Membership is free, if invited. Applications are due June 14, 2019. Read all about it and apply on the Wellness Think Tank home page. UPDATE: Deadline extended to July 15, [+]
Ultrasound Gel Warmers in the Emergency Department?
How many times have you told a patient “The gel will be cold?” How many times have you watched a patient retract from the transducer because of the cold gel? How about a pediatric patient? Could warm gel improve your rate of clinically successful scans? It seems easy enough to install gel warmers alongside our ultrasound machines. But, should we do this? Read more
SplintER Series: Case of a First Metacarpal Fracture
Click image to enlarge view A 22 year-old male was playing football when he fell, landing on his outstretched left arm with his thumb flexed. He now has pain at the base of his thumb. This AP view of the hand best demonstrates the injury (photo credit). What is this fracture, what additional imaging is needed, and what should be the management plan? [+]
ALiEM AIR | Neurology 2019 Module
Welcome to the Neurology Module! After carefully reviewing all relevant posts from the top 50 sites of the Social Media Index, the ALiEM AIR Team is proud to present the highest quality online content related to neurological emergencies. 6 blog posts within the past 12 months (as of January 2019) met our standard of online excellence and were curated and approved for residency training by the AIR Series Board. We identified 1 AIR and 5 Honorable Mentions. We recommend programs give 3 hours (about 30 minutes per article) of III credit for this module. [+]
DIY Ultrasound Model Compendium in Emergency Medicine
As the use of point-of-care ultrasound expands in emergency medicine, phantoms offer an attractive training solution for new learners and continuing education. Unfortunately, commercially available products are expensive and likely cost-prohibitive for individual practitioners to purchase. Luckily, there are a number of quality, low cost do-it-yourself (DIY) models published in journals and on the Internet. To help you navigate your options, I have created a compendium of DIY ultrasound models relevant to emergency medicine. The models are divided by system or application with a cost estimate for each model, if provided, as well as a list of materials and a [+]
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 [+]
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! [+]
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. [+]
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. [+]
Health Insurance 101 for the Emergency Physician
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. [+]