Competency Based Goals and Outcome Course Objectives

The Stritch School of Medicine offers an elective in Emergency Medicine. The course is an introduction to the specialty, its role in the continuum of care, and its unique clinical approach. At the completion of this program, medical students will be expected to demonstrate competence in the following areas:

Medical Knowledge

Students will be able to:

1. Relate the basic science (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, etc.) to patients encountered in the Emergency Department.
2. Identify the relevant catastrophic ("think of the worst first ") potential causes for patients' ED presentations.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the following:
   1. Advanced Life Support
      1. Drugs used in cardiac arrest and arrhythmias.
      2. Treatment of shock.
   2. Asthma
      1. Role of magnesium and heliox.
      2. Non-invasive ventilation.
   3. Acute Coronary Syndrome
      1. Atypical presentations.
      2. Indications for acute interventional cardiology.
      3. Role of drugs used.
      4. Utility of cardiac enzymes in acute setting.
      5. EKG manifestations of acute myocardial infarction.
   4. Neurology
      1. Role of CT scan and lumbar puncture in diagnosing subarachnoid hemorrhage.
      2. Bell's palsy
   5. Orthopedics
      1. Compartment syndrome.
      2. Septic joint.
      3. Ottawa ankle and knee rules.
      4. Scaphoid fractures.
      5. NEXUS criteria for cervical spine clearance in blunt trauma.
   6. Wound Care
      1. Infection risk and prevention
      2. Foreign bodies.
      3. Tendon and nerve injury.
   7. Toxicology
      1. General approach to the poisoned patient.
      2. Acetaminophen overdose.
   8. Legal
      1. 4 components of negligence claim.
      2. Difference between civil and criminal law.
      3. EMTALA requirements for permitted patient transfer.
   9. OB/GYNE
      1. The importance of the pregnancy test in guiding ED management.
   10. Environmental
       1. Heat and cold related illness.
       2. Altitude related illness.
       3. Bites

Communication

Students will be able to:

1. Present in an orderly and coherent manner complete, accurate and appropriately focused H&Ps.
2. Include information in their case presentation that reflects their differential and thought process and justifies their diagnostic and management plan.
3. Effectively explain to patients and families the findings and management plans.
4. Demonstrate skills and strategies to avoid or diffuse difficult situations.
5. Respectfully, accurately and effectively collaborate with physicians and other health care professionals directly and over the phone.
6. Document in a medical and legally prudent manner.

Professionalism

Students will be able to:

1. Display behaviors that foster patients' trust, including those relating to:
   1. dress, grooming, and demeanor.
   2. behavior and conversation that patients may see or hear.
   3. confidentiality
2. Work collaboratively with physicians, nurses, medics and other personnel.
3. Develop a collegial dialogue with pre-hospital EMS professionals.
4. Be punctual.
5. Work diligently and systematically complete tasks.
6. Introspectively examine experiences in the ED

Patient Care

Students will be able to:

1. Perform in a timely manner complete and appropriately focused H&Ps for a wide variety of undifferentiated patients.
2. Integrate information obtained at the bedside and immediately synthesize diagnostic and management plans.
3. Make prompt and accurate assessments regarding patients' general condition and likelihood of admission.
4. Arrive at diagnoses using schematic-inductive reasoning rather than pattern recognition.
5. Multi-task
6. Improve their speed and efficiency.
7. Perform basic airway assessment and management including bagging.
8. Interpret labs, EKGs and X-rays.
9. Perform at least one procedure such as suturing, establishing IV access, incision and drainage, foreign body removal, joint reduction, splint application, lumbar puncture, or CPR.

Practice-Based and Lifelong Learning

Students will be able to:

1. Access books or web-based resources regarding cases that are concurrently being managed in the ED (“Read on the run”).
2. Review and present current knowledge relating to some aspect of a patient cared-for in the ED.

Social and Community Context

Students will be able to:

1. Recognize some of the reimbursement, regulatory, and social issues that are unique to emergency medicine.
2. Describe the “Prudent Lay Person” definition of an emergency.
3. Recognize the role of pre-hospital health care and the ED in the continuum of healthcare.
4. Recognize the role of the Poison Center in the medical and lay communities.

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  © 2001 Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. All rights reserved.
Please send questions or comments to: Joseph Mueller , M.D.
Updated: 05/24/2007 ... Created: 03/24/2006