University of Nevada Emergency Medicine Elective
For Senior Medical Students

The Department of Emergency Medicine of the University of Nevada offers a four-week rotation in Emergency Medicine for Senior Medical Students pursuing a career in Emergency Medicine.  The goal of the rotation is to provide students with the clinical skills and knowledge to appropriately evaluate and treat all types of emergency patients with an emphasis on treating the acutely ill and injured patient. 

Rotation Objectives:

1. To improve student's history taking skills, concentrating on the chief complaint and recognizing the pertinent historical points.
   
   
2. To improve the students focused physical exam and recognizing the importance of each individual component.
   
   
3. To further develop student’s oral presentation skills and differential diagnosis utilizing an emergency medicine perspective.
   
   
4. To foster student's ability to recognize the acuity of a patient's illness and utilize the triage concept to concurrently manage and disposition multiple patients.
   
   
5. To gain insight into the pathogenesis and appropriate management of the common chief complaints of emergency department patients.
   
   
6. To improve the technical skills of common emergency department procedures including airway management, intubation, wound care, fracture management, splinting, intravenous access, ultrasound, electrocardiography, and lumbar puncture.
   
   
7. To further develop student’s awareness to the team approach of emergency care and the importance of developing strong working relationships with paramedics, nurses, technicians, physicians, consultants, and ancillary staff.
   
   
8. To foster a strong work ethic and the importance of responsibility and professionalism.
   

Clinical Experience and Responsibilities:

Students will work as sub-interns and are expected to be the primary caregivers, seeing patients independently and taking initial histories and physical exams, managing the patient’s emergency department course, and ultimately, their disposition. Students will work alongside emergency medicine residents and faculty for a total of 14 clinical shifts in the adult emergency department and trauma resuscitation unit. Extra shifts can be arranged in the pediatric emergency department for students that are interested in pediatric emergency care. Students will be responsible to keep a case log of patients seen and procedures performed.

Students will be evaluated after each shift by the attending physician and senior resident in the following areas:

• Medical Knowledge
• Problem Solving
• Clinical Skills
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills
• Professionalism
• Motivation/Enthusiasm

Academic Experience and Responsibilities:

Students will take part in an award winning emergency medicine curriculum developed by the student clerkship director. Students will receive a total of 14 hours of student level case-based didactics. The eight areas or chief complaints that are covered in the curriculum are trauma, headache, abdominal pain, chest pain, dyspnea, obstetrics and gynecology, altered mental status and toxicology. Students will also participate in six hours of hands-on workshops in airway management and simulation, wound care, splinting, electrocardiography, and ultrasound. Students will also be encouraged to take part in the residency lecture series, morning reports, and monthly journal club. Student's academic performance and evaluation will be based on their didactic participation, a written and oral test, and a written case review.

Click here for the medical student clerkship application.