s symptoms could be caused by a serious medical condition.
For patients in distress, the ED doctor may perform emergency resuscitation, start intravenous lines, or take other steps to stabilize the patient before transfer to another hospital department. Less serious injuries, such as lacerations or broken bones, can be treated in the ED.
Other patients may be admitted to the hospital for further work-up. Some patients will be discharged to follow-up with their physician for a work-up.
Finally, the ED doctor must fully document the case. In a busy ED, patient charting can add significantly to the physicians’ workload. In fact, many emergency department physicians have to be reminded to eat and take bathroom breaks.
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Becoming an emergency medicine physician takes years of preparation. First, you must complete a four-year college degree, taking appropriate courses and earning high enough grades to be accepted into medical school.
You’ll be in medical school for four years training to become a medical doctor. During medical school, you will likely take a rotation in an emergency department.
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), which oversees accreditation of U.S. medical schools, has recommended that all medical students spend some time in an ED, since every physician needs the ability to quickly assess a patient’s condition and design a treatment plan.
Following medical school, you’ll work as a resident for three or four years. Residencies in emergency medicine are highly competitive, so you’ll need excellent grades and recommendations from your medical school professors.
In order to qualify to practice emergency medicine, you must complete an emergency medicine residency approved by the Residency Review Committee. Once residency is complete, board certification requires passage of both the written and oral examinations with recertification by written exam every 10 years.
Board certification also requires advanced training in life support and a passing score on the certification exam.
American Board of Emergency Medicine
Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
American Academy of Emergency Medicine
American College of Emergency Physicians
American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians
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Last updated: August 22, 2014
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