Rotation Prep

Welcome to your rotation at UIC! We are excited to have you with us for the next month. Below you will find resources to round out the Education portion of your rotation.

Education

In addition to your shifts in the emergency department, you will be attending our conferences and dedicated simulation education days.

The pre-readings for your simulation sessions and videos for various procedures are listed below.  You will have the opportunity to run simulations and perform procedures on training models.  We expect that you will review the readings and videos prior and arrive prepared so we can maximize the time we have for active education and learning.

Conference topics, pre-readings, and locations are located in the Google Calendar on BrownCoatNation.   You will also receive emails of the weekly conference announcements to the email you have provided us.  There is a dress code during conference and there are no flip flops, shorts, t-shirts, or workout wear allowed.  Please wear scrubs or business casual during conference.

Useful Educational Resources

ALIEM

EMBasic

EMResource

Life In The Fast Line

End of rotation exam

There will be an end of rotation exam for all rotating medical students, and the exam will vary depending if you are a core or career rotating student.  In order to prepare for this exam, you should use the CDEM M4 curriculum, which includes reading over different diagnosis.  If you prefer to do questions, you can purchase a monthly subscription to Rosh Review.

  1. Career Emergency Medicine Students will take our own in house 101 question EM exam
  2. Core Emergency Medicine Students will take the NBME exam given by the UIC College of Medicine.

Rotation orientation

Before your rotation begins, you will be contacted for orientation at your assigned site by the medical student directors.  It is important that you respond in order for you to be able to orient before your rotation begins.  If you have any questions, be sure to ask them during this time.

How Can I Succeed In My Rotation?

This should go without saying- being on time is one of the most important things you can do as a medical student!  You should plan on being 5 minutes early every day, so you have time to get settled into your station, set down your stuff, and get organized.

Attendings and residents appreciate medical students who are always watching the patient board and knows when there are patients to be seen.  Ask if you can see them and start reading their chart.  This also allows you to keep an eye if a sick patient is coming in-which you should be a part of their resuscitation!

Residents and attendings are carrying a large amount of patients, so keeping them updated of lab results and imaging can be very helpful.

You should be comfortable doing basic I&Ds as well as laceration repairs.  Ask to do them as these procedures are great practice for you and time consuming for residents.

When you are excited about being on shift, residents and attendings are more likely to invest their time in teaching.

You should have goals in your mind of what you want to accomplish on each shift as well as for your entire ED rotation.  This is your time too, and you want to make the most of it.

There may be days where the department is not as busy-use this time to do some studying, questions, and talk to the team you are working with.  You may be dismissed early (make use of it!), but don’t assume you will be let go early.