At what point in your medical education do you learn to handle emergencies?

[deleted74029]

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Actually wanted to ask this question again so I'm editing this one.

 

[Dr Roboto]

I think CPR is mandatory for all MS1, at least for my school it is. So technically I can take care of the basic ABCs (airway, breathing, circulation) until BLS or ALS comes.

 

[MightyChip26]

i've also wondered this in the past.

 

[236116]

I'm a total civvie at the moment and I'm allowed to handle emergencies...

1. Realise that there's an emergency.
2. Initiate EMS.
3. Provide care as necessary until EMS arrives.

...

 

[Altruist]

I agree with Jurassicpark.

As a paramedic, I can tell you that many physicians never learn to handle emergencies. In the same way that I'm not much good without a lot of my toys, an ER doc would be fairly out of his element outside of the hospital.

The key thing outside of the hospital would be to focus on the BLS and keep the person alive until more help arrives. With experience, you might have a better idea of what is going on, but I doubt that would help you manage an out-of-hospital emergency very much.

 

[Dr. Geoff]

I'm a full-time EMT, and I also work in an Emergency Department, so I deal with emergencies everday... I also get to see other students rotate through the hospital and 3rd years that rotate through the ER really don't know how to do anything.... even simple things like maintain head stabilization or putting on a non-rebreather..., but by 4th year they have a little better grasp of things. Unless you go to a school that has an amazing program with tons of clinical hands on experience, you really won't be able to truly handle emergency situations till residency... I'm glad I did the EMT things for almost a year, i've gotten tons of experience and feel I'll be a little ahead of the game.

 

[nick_carraway]

I agree with Jurassicpark.

As a paramedic, I can tell you that many physicians never learn to handle emergencies. In the same way that I'm not much good without a lot of my toys, an ER doc would be fairly out of his element outside of the hospital.

The key thing outside of the hospital would be to focus on the BLS and keep the person alive until more help arrives. With experience, you might have a better idea of what is going on, but I doubt that would help you manage an out-of-hospital emergency very much.

True. We had one patient faint and another fall and hit his head when I was working at a private practice. With one older doctor and two young fellows, they got vitals and took a history and rolled in a crash cart, but otherwise waited for the EMS cavalry to arrive.

Luckily we were near a major hospital, so the fire department's paramedics got there pretty quickly.

 

[deleted74029]

Thanks for the info. Cause when I saw that today it made me think of a scenario where many people would expect a med student to know how to help if one were around (and people knew he or she was a med student).

 

[Bacchus]

There is only so much you can do short of carrying a paramedic box, crash cart, or AED. You're not going to have any IV drugs on you to help the person. If the person is having a seizure most people know to take away or move objects the person may strike. Put some elbow grease in and do CPR if necessary.

We aren't going to be miracle workers, at least on the street.

 

[tkim]

You are nothing without equipment.

 

[pinkphiloyd]

You are nothing without equipment.

Bingo. Paramedic of 11 years, and unless you have gear available, you're abilities are severely limited. Bleeding control, c-spine, CPR. That's about it.