Teaming Education & Training

PGY I

The first year experience offers residents a strong background in the specialties needed to practice clinical medicine and the opportunity to apply these skills in Emergency Medicine situations.

A four-week orientation program is completed in July of the PGY-1 year. The orientation topics are presented in a number of formats which include facilitated discussions, lectures, workshops and skill stations. It provides the resident with a broad introduction to the practice of Emergency Medicine and eases the transition from student to resident physician. There is a retreat during this month where faculty and residents stay overnight at an experiential learning center in a rural setting. This time fosters team building and familiarity with the program and its leadership/residents, while addressing issues of ethics/professionalism, communication, and physician wellness.

Throughout the year, the resident will observe the natural progression of various pathological states and the results of therapeutic modalities employed in the treatment of patients. Emphasis is placed on learning physical diagnosis and developing a practical list of differential diagnoses when seeing patients. Under guidance and supervision, the resident will examine and treat critically ill patients presenting to the Emergency Department.

PGY II

Second year residents will begin to take responsibility for stabilizing the critically ill/injured patient. The second year resident assumes more responsibility in routine patient care, and will learn to adjust the pace at which he/she sees patients to efficiently control flow in an Emergency Department. Residents begin taking a leadership role in the resuscitation of patients. Time spent in the critical care units enables residents to become comfortable treating critical patients for prolonged periods, and witness the progression of pathology in these individuals.

PGY III

During the third year, residents obtain progressive responsibility while perfecting clinical skills and improving supervisory and administrative skills. As our senior residents become more experienced/comfortable in Emergency Medicine, the supervision and teaching of junior residents/students increases. Senior residents must develop the capability of taking charge and directing all the members of a busy Emergency Department team by the completion of their third year.

Reading Curriculum: 

SGH uses Rosen’s Emergency Medicine Clinical Concepts and Practice. Reading is assigned to residents based on the rotation that they are in at that time. While in the department, attendings will assign residents 1-2 reading assignments per week, based on their strengths and weaknesses.