Emergency Medicine

Emergency medicine is among the most challenging of medical specialties, treating a large variety of patients and conditions, ranging from the simple viral infection to acute trauma. Providers of emergency medical treatment, such as paramedics and emergency room medical staff, must have experience in diagnosing and treating a vast array of conditions, and be able to handle most any situation quickly and competently. These versatile professionals are among the most dedicated and talented in the medical profession.

Emerging to fulfill an increasing demand, emergency medicine is a fairly new specialty. Prior to the 1960’s, most hospital emergency departments were staffed by a rotating system of staff physicians, including general surgeons, dermatologists, internists, and psychiatrists. Interns, residents, and nursing staff also were in attendance. As demand for these services rose, this system became very demanding on the staff members that were on emergency room rotation. This situation led to the rise of a new class of specialists, as doctors would forgo private practice to concern themselves with emergency department medicine exclusively. The American Board of Medical Specialties officially designated Emergency Medicine as a recognized medical specialty in 1979.

Emergency medicine is a specialty that requires a broad base of knowledge, encompassing elements of general medicine as well as a large number of sub-specialties. The emergency physician or paramedic must have skills relevant to a number of specialties to manage the typical flow of emergency patients they are charged with, such as surgical skills, ob/gyn knowledge, advanced cardiac life support experience, trauma resuscitation, and airway management training, for just a small sampling of the situations encountered in this challenging field.

While very demanding, emergency medicine can also be very a very exciting and fulfilling medical career choice. Often, the first few moments with a critical patient are the most important, and the intervention of an emergency physician or paramedic can prevent death or disability. The satisfaction of improving the outcome for the patient in those first critical moments of treatment is one of emergency medicines greatest rewards for these dedicated professionals.

The Challenging and Exciting Field of Emergency Medicine