Educational Opportunites
Medical Students & Off-Service Residents
Third-year clerks participate in multiple simulation scenarios during a two-day introduction to Emergency Medicine.
Fourth-year clerks preparing for the transition to residency participate in a one-day high fidelity simulation event with multiple small group scenarios designed to consolidate their management of critically ill patients. Off-service residents rotating through EM participate in at least one simulation session during their EM block. These sessions focus on core emergency medicine presentations and teamwork.
EM Residents
Western CCFP-EM and RCPSC residency programs hold monthly high-fidelity sessions in small groups. These high-impact sessions, focus on emergency care of critically ill patients, communication and teamwork skills, resource utilization, and leadership.
Third year residents participate in procedural skills practice on cadavers at Western University’s Anatomy Lab. Each resident has the opportunity to practice thoracotomies, lateral canthotomies, surgical airways and extensor tendon repairs.
Senior EM residents participate in simulation sessions with a focus on transitioning to practice. They also co-facilitate simulation sessions for junior residents and medical students along with an attending emergency physician.
Residents are invited to annual mass casualty training events run by Fanshawe College. These collaborative events involving paramedics, nurses and respiratory therapists in training, among other allied health professionals, are a great opportunity to develop teamwork and leadership skills, while also managing a department with multiple critically ill patients.
Residents from Western’s EM program are regular participants in annual simulation competitions at both Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) and Family Medicine Forum (FMF).
Continuing Professional Development
The Western EM Simulation Program performs regular in-situ simulation sessions in the ED. These sessions involve a multidisciplinary group including EM consultants, trauma surgeons, nursing, administrative clerks, ED technicians, and the ED management team. They serve as an excellent learning opportunity for the entire EM team and are critical in highlighting system issues aimed at quality improvement and error prevention.
