am i being naive?

[gogo82865]

i'm interested in entering emergency medicine. i was talking with some older medical students about it. one reason i stated was that i like the idea that if something goes bad with someone at anytime, i'd have the knowledge to respond. i was told that this is naive thinking because in reality there isn't much i could do without equipment that would either be at the hospital (where a e.m. doc would be) or in a paramedic van (where a paramedic would be). secondly the things i could do are basic and don't require 3 years of e.m. training.

your thoughts?

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[12R34Y]

i'm interested in entering emergency medicine. i was talking with some older medical students about it. one reason i stated was that i like the idea that if something goes bad with someone at anytime, i'd have the knowledge to respond. i was told that this is naive thinking because in reality there isn't much i could do without equipment that would either be at the hospital (where a e.m. doc would be) or in a paramedic van (where a paramedic would be). secondly the things i could do are basic and don't require 3 years of e.m. training.

your thoughts?

I'm a bit confused by your question? Are you a medical student? college student? EMT?

there is a similar discussion about this stuff a few threads down http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=213144

You are being naive to think that ANY medical specialty including EM will be doing much in the field without the equipment and personnel necessary to handle "anything that goes wrong."

For example, say somebody in your neighborhood has a CVA or AMI.......they come running over to your house the "ER doc" and you come over. What are you going to do? You'll call 911 and the paramedics will show up and take him to the hospital.

I guess i really don't know where you are coming from with this question?

I'd start by reading the above thread though.

later

 

[kbrown]

Here's my two cents for what they are worth. Mind you I am a 4th yr med student so my ED experience is limited compared to many. Anyhow, as far as the anything that is done in EM doesn't require 3 yrs of training...I would assume that they are speaking about the skills aspect. We intubate, suture, splint, cast, chest tubes, etc...there are more, but you get the jist. The long and short is ANY skill can be taught and does not require years of training. That part is true. So does that mean that the skills of the surgeons do not require 5 years of training. I mean that's all that they do is skill and technique. ABSO-FREAKIN-LUTELY-NOT!!! They better know what they are looking at, what the indications are for their procedures and expected complications. It's not about the the procedures and skills, it's about knowing when to use them, knowing which is better over another and what to expect if it goes wrong.

Personally, EM isn't about knowing everything, having the best equipment or whatever beefs these people are willing to bring up. It's about wanting to be that person that meets desperation at the door, that has some sick part about them that enjoys chaos, and has confidence in their quick decisions that don't always have the luxury of all the information. The ED is not for everyone.

I know many internists who bag on the ED everyday for the "crap admissions" but when they have to spend a month on their EM rotation, they freak out because they can't handle that many patients with acute problems and people pulling you every which way. Internists certainly have the knowledge to do emergency medicine, just not the personality or drive.

My gut feeling is that you were discussing this with a surgeon or a student who wants to be a surgeon. That seems to be where the most animosity (in my limited experience) is generated. I don't know where you are in your training, but you will quickly realize that every discipline of medicine is like a high school clique. Surgeons hate...well everyone because none of us know what we are doing. Internists hate FP because they never work up a patient appropriately or know how to do appropriate follow up. Ob/Gyn dislike FP because...well Ob dislikes everyone (they are not happy people). You catch my drift.

This undoubtedly is of no help, but I just felt like responding to you because I have had these same conversations trying to defend my career choice. Hang in there, they will envy you one day when you don't have to round, take call, round, or get pages in the middle of your off day, holiday or sleep.

 

[Seaglass]

one reason i stated was that i like the idea that if something goes bad with someone at anytime, i'd have the knowledge to respond.

Actually that is one of the reasons I picked EM too. While you may not be able to intubate someone in the field there really is plenty you can do in every day emergencies and daily stuff. For example, I was at a family reunion when a cousin tripped and split her chin open. Having seen lots of facial lacs in children I realized this would be an easy dermabond type of wound so we cleaned it out and used the OTC glue to patch it up. Done - no trtip to the ER, happy family. Now anyone could have glued it up, but how many people would have known which wounds could be glued and which couldn't? There's a million situations from the mundane (see above) to the truly emergent where you can make a difference as an EP. Don't let them get you down.