Resident Prehospital Education
Interns during “Extrication Day” with HFD Technical Rescue
At McGovern Medical School Department of Emergency Medicine, we feel that our prehospital partners play a vital role in the emergency care of our patients. Additionally, with the introduction of EMS as a board-certified subspecialty of Emergency Medicine in 2013, it has become an exciting career option for many EM-trained physicians. For that reason, we feel that education in EMS and a familiarity with the prehospital setting is a vital part of Emergency Medicine residency education, and the Prehospital and Disaster Medicine Section seeks to provide that education.
Intern EMS Orientation and Ride-outs
During Intern Orientation week, incoming residents are exposed to several aspects of EMS, including an orientation to EMS in general and the Houston Fire Department specifically, an “Extrication Day” with the HFD Technical Rescue Team, and an orientation and helipad tour with Memorial Hermann Life Flight. Additionally, Interns will do four (4) EMS ride-outs during the course of the intern year with the Houston Fire Department with a variety of HFD EMS units spanning the range of capabilities from Basic Life Support units to EMS Supervisors. Ride-outs with HFD EMS Medical Director’s are also available to interested residents by request.
EMS Elective
During their second or third year, McGovern EM residents have the option of selecting EMS as an elective rotation within their schedule. This elective gives upper-level residents the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of prehospital care and it’s integration into the larger healthcare system. The elective includes administrative and operational experiences with the Houston Fire Department, including the twice-monthly HFD EMS Medical Directors’ meeting, ride-outs with medical directors, supervisors, and ALS units, and experiences at the Houston Emergency Center dispatch center and the HFD Telemetry Base Station. They will participate in didactics with the EMS Fellows and Fellowship faculty, and have access to mentorship from a variety of experienced EMS faculty physicians. Additionally, residents on EMS elective have the opportunity to work with other local EMS agencies through the Prehospital and Disaster Medicine Section faculty.
Memorial Hermann Life Flight Elective
More information coming soon.
EMS Vice Chief
The Vice-Chief of EMS is a role for a resident leader with a distinct interest in increasing the breadth and depth of knowledge of EMS and out-of-hospital care as it pertains to Emergency Medicine, as well as working to improve that care and the interaction between the prehospital providers and the Emergency Department. This is accomplished by playing a significant role in the education of faculty, residents, staff, students, and others regarding the limitations, difficulties, and unique aspects of prehospital emergency care, as well as assisting in educating prehospital providers to assist them in providing more effective and appropriate care. The Vice-Chief of EMS also helps to foster improved interactions between prehospital agencies and the Emergency Department in order to better facilitate training, research, and smoother interoperability. This experience is gained through integration into multiple aspects of administrative, operational, and scholarly activities throughout the course of the year.
Upon completion of their tenure in this position, the resident will have both knowledge and experience making them ideally suited to pursue an academic career which may involve further training in prehospital medicine (i.e. fellowship in EMS, Disaster Medicine, Wilderness Medicine, etc.) and will be able to lead the department of their employment in optimizing their interaction with their local prehospital providers.
Disaster Vice Chief
The Vice-Chief of Disaster Medicine is a role for a resident leader with a distinct interest in increasing their knowledge and experience in the field of disaster medicine as it pertains to pre-hospital care and emergency management from a healthcare perspective. This role will allow the resident leader to enrich members of the pre-hospital section in the field of disaster medicine as it pertains to the fundamentals of disaster medicine as well as incorporating these elements in real-life events and hospital response. The Vice Chief of Disaster Medicine will also help develop interactions within the different departments involved in hospital emergency management (including pre-hospital agencies, emergency departments, operations, and hospital administration) in order to facilitate a consistent and systematic approach to disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Upon completion of their tenure in this position, this resident will have a solid foundation in healthcare emergency management. This foundation will allow them to take their expertise into a community or academic career and become a department leader. Resident can also build on their knowledge by pursuing a fellowship in emergency management.