Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Nationwide survey findings that most U. S. emergency medicine clerkship directors were interested in participating in a methodologically rigorous student testing program prompted the development of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Medical Student Online Testing Service (SAEM Tests). ⋯ Specifically, we review the construction of SAEM Tests and present validity and difficulty statistics obtained at the first analysis of test performance 6 months after its release and again 12 months later after revisions aimed at enhancing test performance. We then review the current status of SAEM Tests and summarize future goals and directions.
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The authors hypothesized that a new strategy, termed the independent-capacity protocol (ICP), which was defined as primary stabilization at the emergency department (ED) and utilization of community resources via transfer to local hospitals, would reduce ED overcrowding without requiring additional hospital resources. ⋯ After introduction of the ICP, ED LOS decreased without an increase in hospital capacity.
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To assess the ability of a screen-based simulation-training program to improve emergency medicine and pediatric resident performance in critical pediatric resuscitation knowledge, confidence, and skills. ⋯ In this study, improvements in resident knowledge, confidence, and performance of certain skills in simulated pediatric cardiac arrest scenarios suggest that screen-based simulations may be an effective way to enhance resuscitation skills of pediatric providers. These results should be confirmed using a randomized design with an appropriate control group.
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Although many residency programs mandate at least one rotation in emergency medicine (EM), to the best of our knowledge, a standardized curriculum for emergency department (ED) rotations for "off-service" residents has not been developed. As a result, the experiences of these residents in the ED tend to vary during their rotations. ⋯ This knowledge will be applicable in the clinical settings in which residents will continue to train and ultimately practice their specialty. It is flexible enough to be applicable and implementable without being limited by resource availability or faculty strengths.
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Emergency medicine (EM) residency programs spend significant time and money offering an interview day experience for their applicants. The day may include a range of activities, although which are most important from the applicants' point of view are not known. ⋯ Residency programs have the opportunity to control two of the three most important ways in which applicants use the interview day to assess programs by offering off-campus gatherings with residents and ensuring that every candidate interviews with the program director. Residency programs may use this knowledge to optimize interview day resources.