Medical Students

Your guide to Emergency Medicine

Dear Students,

Welcome to your Emergency Medicine rotation.

Emergency medicine is a fast paced, team orientated, dynamic specialty that focuses on the rapid evaluation and treatment of a diverse patient population. The Emergency Department is an environment like no other.  While it can sometimes be chaotic and overwhelming it’s also a very rewarding place to work. As a medical student rotating through ED you will be exposed to a wide range of undifferentiated acute presentations. You will have the opportunity to have a hands on role with regards to their diagnosis and management.

How to get the most out of your EM Rotation

  1. Be organised

    • Your EM rotation is brief

    • Each group of students should divide itself into two groups

    • One group attends 8am to 2pm, the second group attends 2pm to 8pm

  2. Be on time & dress appropriately

    • You are expected to be punctual

    • You should be dressed in scrubs

    • You should be bare below the elbow

  3. Introduce yourself to the team

    • Introduce yourself to the doctor and nurse in charge at the beginning of each shift

  4. Be goal orientated

    • Have a goal for each shift

    • Either a presentation to perform or a procedure to perform or observe

    • Communicate your goal so we can help facilitate it

  5. Attend tutorials

    • There will be formal tutorials in the seminar room at 2pm on a Tuesday and a Thursday

    • Attendance is mandatory

    • You will be told ahead of time the undifferentiated presentation that the tutorial will be based upon

    • Each student should take a history from a patient with this presentation prior to the tutorial

    • These tutorials will be facilitated by an EM consultant

  6. Get involved

    • You will get as much out of your rotation as you put into it

    • Approach patients

    • Ask questions

    • Ask to get involved with procedure

    • Offer to help the team

  7. Keep a logbook

    • you will be allocated with a booklet that contains a logbook of patient presentations and procedures you are expected to have completed before the end of your rotation. A copy of this logbook can be found here

  8. Read

    • Read around one case you saw each shift.

We look forward to working with you and we hope you enjoy your time with us.

Best Wishes,

The EM team