The First Year

PGY-1 residents in Emergency Medicine gain a strong foundation in the broad field of medicine, predominantly through clinical inpatient experience. The first year focuses on aspects of general internal medicine, the medical intensive care unit, emergency medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, anesthesiology, plastic surgery, and hand surgery. Primary skills to be developed include taking medical histories, performing physical examinations, using ancillary laboratory and radiologic studies, and developing individual treatment plans.

20 weeks		Emergency Department
4 weeks		Pediatrics
4 weeks		Obstetrics and Gynecology
4 weeks		Anesthesia (& weekly Ophthomology Clinic)
2 weeks each		Plastic Surgery & Hand Surgery
4 weeks		Trauma floors
4 weeks		Internal Medicine
4 weeks		MICU
4 weeks		Selective
Three Weeks		Vacation

 

The Second Year

In PGY-2, residents are expected to refine their skills in individual patient evaluation and management with particular emphasis on life threatening disorders. In the Emergency Department, residents develop major manipulative /procedural skills necessary to aid patients with a variety of disorders. Much of the second year training involves critical care rotations, including the Coronary Care Unit, the Trauma Service, and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.) In addition, the Orthopedic Surgery service allows residents to develop a perspective on their role as the primary care physician as well as a consultant to other physicians caring for individual patients. Responsibilities as a PGY-2 include assistance with instruction of medical students and junior house staff as well as serving as medical command physicians for ground ambulance units.

20 weeks		Emergency Department
4 weeks		Pediatric ICU (Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh)
8 weeks		Cardiac Care Unit
4 weeks		Trauma ICU
4 weeks		Neurology/Stroke Team
4 weeks		Community ED
4 weeks		Orthopedics/Sports Medicine
4 weeks		Pediatric EM (Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh)
Three Weeks		Vacation

The Third Year

In PGY-3, Emergency Medicine residents fine-tune both patient care and administrative skills. As team leaders, they are responsible for managing patients with acute and life-threatening disorders. Rotations include one month as the Emergency Department trauma resuscitator. The bulk of the PGY-3 year is spent in the Emergency Department providing patient care, as well as leadership and teaching of other residents and students. PGY-3 residents gain valuable prehospital critical care experience on the Lifeflight rotation, and serve as medical command physicians for Lifeflight. Continued refinement of primary care as well as consultative skills are stressed. The many electives offered to PGY-3 residents help diversify the training experience with three months in the third year available for elective rotations.

32 weeks		Emergency Department
4 weeks		ED Trauma Resuscitation
4 weeks		LifeFlight®
4 weeks		Community ED
8 weeks		Electives**
Three Weeks		Vacation

* While on rotation in the Emergency Department, residents work an average of 50 hours each week in active patient care. The shifts generally include day, evening, and night hours. Shifts are 8-12 hours.

** Electives are available in the following areas:

1. Otorhinolaryngology
2. Ophthalmology
3. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
4. Anesthesia
5. Orthopedics
6. Plastic Surgery
7. Toxicology
8. Radiology
9. Pediatric Emergency Medicine
10. Ultrasound
11. International Emergency Medicine
12. Pulmonary (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy)
13. Cardiology/Electrophysiology
14. Dermatology
15. Community Emergency Medicine
16. Administration
17. EMS

Other electives may also be arranged according to resident interest.