Abstract
ContextWe lack guidelines to inform the necessary components of an emergency medicine undergraduate rotation. Traditionally, clinical reasoning has been taught using linear thought processes likely not ideal for diagnostic and management decisions made in the emergency department. MethodsWe used the Delphi method to obtain consensus on a set of competencies for undergraduate emergency medicine that illustrate the non-linear concepts we believe are necessary for learners. Competencies were informed by a naturalistic observational study of emergency physicians. A survey outlining these competencies was subsequently circulated to emergency physicians who rated their relative importance.ResultsEleven competencies were included in Round 1, all rated within the “for consideration” for inclusion range. This was reduced to 10 competencies in Round 2, which was only marginally more definitive with respondents rating one competency in the “definite inclusion range” and the remaining in the “for consideration” range. ConclusionsThis study was conducted to address a gap in the current undergraduate emergency medicine curriculum. Consensus on the relative importance of each competency was not achieved, though we believe that the competencies that arose from this study will help medical students develop the non-linear thinking processes necessary to succeed in emergency medicine.
Highlights
We have lacked undergraduate guidelines and standards across several medical fields [1]
This study was conducted to address a gap in the current undergraduate emergency medicine curriculum
Consensus on the relative importance of each competency was not achieved, though we believe that the competencies that arose from this study will help medical students develop the non-linear thinking processes necessary to succeed in emergency medicine
Summary
We have lacked undergraduate guidelines and standards across several medical fields [1]. In 2009, the CFPC adopted similar roles, with each linked to a set of competencies [2] These competencies were traditionally taught in linear thought processes which may not be ideal for the Emergency Department (ED) where undergraduates must constantly evaluate and re-evaluate their assessments, diagnoses, and management plans based on changes in clinical status and response to clinical interventions. This practice is essential as fully trained emergency practitioners (EPs) must make rapid diagnostic and management decisions for undifferentiated patients, often with very little clinical information available and while under severe time constraints with a high cognitive load. Linear thinking would seem to leave the learner several steps behind when addressing these complex and evolving clinical situations
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