The workplace - Emergency Medicine Specialty Training Program

Patients may arrive in the emergency department via personal transport, ambulance or even helicopter! The department is divided into areas according to the seriousness of the medical problem encountered. These often include resuscitation/trauma cubicles, cubicles for stable patients likely to be admitted and general clinic rooms where low acuity problems are attended to. Larger departments may also have an inpatient short stay unit for patients needing admission/observation only for short periods.

Patients from any age range or socioeconomic background can present to the emergency department. Levels of psychological stability and sobriety are often highly variable. For this reason emergency department can be a hectic and frustrating environment to work in.

Emergency Medicine is one of the most hands on specialties. Emergency doctors will often find themselves performing endo-tracheal intubation, plastering broken limbs, enlocating dislocated joints and performing ultrasound for abdominal blood in trauma. On the floor teaching of junior colleagues is an important part of emergency medicine, particularly in public hospitals.

Emergency medicine can have some frustrations and pressures. Consultants with many years experience may find their opinions challenged and/or referrals rejected by relatively inexperienced registrars. They are responsible for overseeing the work of more junior medical staff which can be stressful and requires very good organizational skills. Senior emergency physicians also need to deal with the inevitable focus on patient flow through the department, which reduces their ability to focus solely on clinical aspects of the job.

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