An Emergency Physician’s Path

A career in emergency medicine can be truly rewarding, despite the long hours and adverse conditions. The decision to embark on this journey typically starts during medical school, usually with the allure of resuscitations and life-saving procedures performed in the fast-paced environment of the emergency department. During an emergency medicine residency, the young physician is faced with career decisions that may involve working in a community or academic emergency department setting, or pursuing specialization through fellowship. Following residency and fellowship training, the emergency physician may decide to purely work clinically in an emergency department, or combine clinical responsibilities with administrative, education or research pursuits. This unique text provides medical students, residents, fellows and attending physicians with a comprehensive guide to be successful in a career in emergency medicine. Sections include the history of emergency medicine, choosing a career in emergency medicine from a medical student’s point of view, pursuing fellowship and additional training, community and academic careers in emergency medicine, career options in emergency medicine, critical skills in emergency medicine, research/scholarship, being a teacher, and carving a path in emergency medicine. All chapters are written by experts in the field, representing emergency departments throughout North America.