This chapter describes how and why important the emergency medicine clerkship is. Although it aims to reach medical student/interns, there are many lessons to learn for us, educators.
The Importance of The Emergency Medicine Clerkship
by Linda Katirji, Farhad Aziz, Rob Rogers, USA
The Emergency Medicine (EM) clerkship typically takes place during the fourth year of medical school. However, some programs may have an optional elective during the third year. Whether or not you plan to specialize in Emergency Medicine, the rotation is an important aspect of your medical education. The emergency room is a unique learning environment which is different than any other setting in the hospital. It provides clinical opportunities that are largely unavailable in other clerkships and rotations. During residency, many specialties will also spend a significant amount of time in the Emergency Department (ED). This may be within a structured EM rotation, or while admitting or seeing patients for a certain medical or surgical service. Therefore, it is important to gain an understanding of the flow of the ED as well as the particular thought process that must be employed with emergency department patients…
