Academic Tracks

Our four-year emergency medicine residency program has several academic tracks, allowing residents to distinguish themselves in a specific area. We have mentorship and projects that give you the keys for a long-term and more fulfilling career as an emergency medicine physician. Personalized rotation curricula are available and not only limited to the following academic tracks.

Administration

Residents on this academic track will be trained to move quickly into emergency department management and practice management positions. They will attend department meetings, be on the quality improvement/performance improvement committees and meet regularly with several departmental and national (ACEP) administrators. Administration covers a variety of tasks including the development and monitoring of emergency department protocols and adherence to operating procedures, as well as improving interdepartmental and public relationships. Mentors in this area will include the residency director and associate director along with the department chair/vice chair. We are also fortunate to have current and deep experience in state and national committees including the past president of ACEP and Pennsylvania ACEP educational chair.

EMS/disaster medicine

Residents on this academic track will be trained to be highly competitive for EMS/disaster fellowship training and can network at local and national levels. You will gain experience in medical oversight, field/flight and administrative aspects of EMS. You will be a resident medical director for a local EMS agency and gain valuable teaching experience instructing paramedics, nurses and residents at our affiliate George E. Moerkirk Emergency Medicine Institute. This unique training facility provides education for more than 10,000 students a year. It is home to a paramedic training program and a human patient simulator lab. It also provides training in numerous courses from BLS to bioterrorism. Many of the faculty members are instructors at this regional training center that has proven itself as a leader in EMS education.

Medical education

This academic track is for residents interested in academic emergency medicine. This will train you to refine your knowledge and teaching skills. Interested residents will participate in direct medical student and resident education by giving lectures, running simulations, leading journal clubs and teaching through skill stations. Additional training in ACLS/PALS instruction is financially supported by the residency.

Research

This academic track allows the resident the time to explore a broad area of research interests and participate in joint collaborations both within our network and with other academic institutions. We have ongoing projects in clinical emergency medicine, computerized order entry, cardiology, trauma evaluation and management, injury prevention, pediatric emergency medicine, ultrasonography, emergency department overcrowding and surge management.

Simulation

This academic track is focused on training the resident in the use of the newest simulation technology in emergency medicine. The resident receives sophisticated training in simulator programming on several models of simulators including adult, adolescent and pediatric simulators. This resident will also create cases, test PGY1-3 EM residents and participate in weekly department simulations as well as student simulations. The new standard of teaching clinically is no longer, “see one, do one, teach one."  It is now, “Simulate many and do it right the first time." This track also will prepare residents who wish to go into EM academics. Lehigh Valley Health Network has a very modern robust simulation center that is constantly used. In addition, the resident also has access to simulators at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg as well as the Emergency Medicine Institute and can assist in the training of prehospital providers.

Toxicology

This academic track will prepare the resident to competitively enter a toxicology fellowship. The resident will work directly with Lehigh Valley Health Network’s toxicologists. Residents will prepare lectures, review and discuss toxicological cases, and teach medical students as well as residents fundamental concepts in emergency medical toxicology.

Ultrasonography

This academic track will give the resident extensive training in ultrasonography. The resident will assist in teaching the ultrasonography course, go to clinical out-of-network events and assist in training others in the emergent evaluation and diverse use of ultrasonography in the emergency department, which includes trauma, OBGYN emergencies, abdominal pathology, pulmonary pathology, cardiac imaging and vascular access.