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EM Student Electives

For those interested in learning the fundamentals of recognition and treatment of urgent conditions, our 4-week clerkship provides an exciting training experience with clinical experiences complemented by a didactic workshop curriculum including ultrasound and simulation. 

EM-404: EM Clinical Clerkship (Sub-I)

During the 4-week Sub-I, the student will experience a variety of urgent patient care cases in two locations: the University campus which is a Level 1 Trauma Center, the Memorial ED located in the urban center of Worcester. 

There are 15 clinical shifts during the 4-week rotation which incorporates shifts at the Memorial Campus, shifts with an assigned preceptor, and overnight shifts. The student will interact directly with the ED Attendings and Senior Residents.

  • Optional EMS and/or Med Flight Experience

Students are given full access to patients and are expected to elicit histories, perform physical exams and procedures in addition to discuss cases in order to form and implement patient care plans.

Didactics include a student lecture series, resident conferences, and workshops in wound care, ultrasound and simulation scenarios. Reading resources are provided through an online learning management system to which all students receive access.

We only accept visiting students through VSLO. Applications open in the Spring. We accept applications on a rolling basis, and preference is given to students applying into to Emergency Medicine.

  • Accept Visiting Students for the following blocks: E2, M1, M2, M3

2024-2025 Academic Year

Block Fall 2024

Block

Spring 2025
E1 April 29, 2024 - May 24, 2024 M7 January 2, 2025 - January 24, 2025
E2 June 3, 2024 - June28, 2024 M8 January 27, 2025 - February 21, 2025
M1 July 1, 2024 - July 26, 2024 M9 February 24, 2025 - March 20, 2025
M2 July 29, 2024 - August 23, 2024 Match Day: Friday, March 21, 2025  (No Classes)
M3 August 26, 2024 - September 20, 2024 M10 March 24, 2025 - April 18, 2025
M4 September 23, 2024 - October 18, 2024 M11 April 21, 2025 - May 16, 2025
M5 October 21, 2024 - November 15, 2024 Transitions to Internship: May 19, 2025 - May 24, 2025
M6 November 18, 2024 - December 13, 2024 Capstone Day: Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Vacation: 12/14/24 - 1/1/25 (19 days)
Certification: May 27, 2025 - May 30, 2025
Awards Ceremony / Rehearsal: Friday, May 30, 2025
Commencement: Sunday, June 1, 2025
M12 June 2, 2025 - June 27, 2025

Scholarship: 

UMass Chan Medical School offers a scholarship to students who are underrepresented in medicine. More information can be found here.

Contact Information: 

Clerkship Director: Jennifer Carey, MD
Clerkship Coordinator: Francesca McKay

EM-4448: Introduction to Toxicology

Students will work alongside the toxicology resident/fellow on call. When there is a consultation from the Emergency Department, the resident/fellow will notify the student, who will have the responsibility of writing the consult. Student will then discuss the case with the fellow, and make treatment recommendations. 

OBJECTIVES

  1. To identify and treat the major toxidromes
  2. The assessment and management of metabolic acidosis
  3. To identify non-clinical patterns of toxicologic illness (e.g., ECG findings consistent with ingested intoxicants)
  4. To learn the management of acetaminophen poisoning
  5. To learn the management of aspirin toxicity
  6. To learn the management of tricyclic antidepressant poisoning

Location: UMMHC - University Campus

For more information, please contact Jeffery Lai, MD

EM-4131: EMS/PreHospital Care

This is a 2-week elective offered during the spring.

REQUIREMENTS

  1. Attend UMMMC hospital, ground ambulance orientation and safety seminars and briefings.
  2. Attend weekly EM Resident Conference.
  3. Attend all aspects of the EMS clinical rotation to include command shifts, ambulance shifts, Emergency Medical Dispatch shifts and medical director clinical shifts.
  4. Complete an evaluation of the Medical Student Clinical Elective in Emergency Medical Services.

OBJECTIVES

  1. Understand EMS in the Central Massachusetts area.
  2. Obtain focused history and physical exams in the pre-hospital setting with undifferentiated illness or injury.
  3. Recognize seriously ill patients and how to treat immediate life threats.
  4. Interact with all levels and members of the pre-hospital health team.
  5. Understand the process of medical oversight and quality assurance in pre-hospital medicine.

METHODS

  1. Didactic sessions in Emergency Medicine, Disaster Medicine and Emergency Medical Services.
  2. Supervised practice by attending paramedics of pre-hospital patient assessments and basic life support skills to include but not limited to CPR, bandaging, splinting and spinal immobilization.
  3. Direct observation of paramedics providing advanced life support skills in the pre-hospital setting to include but not limited to IV / IO insertion, defibrillation  / cardioversion, ECG Interpretation, drug therapy and advanced airways.
  4. Active participation in EMS and LifeFlight concurrent quality assurance practices and meetings.
  5. Direct observation of EMS medical directors in field environment and attending to patients in the emergency room and their interactions with pre-hospital providers.
  6. Active participation with UMass Chan Medical School 4th year students in the EM Simulation Laboratory.
  7. Participation in the planning and EMS response to at a crowd medicine event.

Location: UMMHC - University Campus

For more information, please contact Timothy Boardman, MD

EM-4115: Emergency Ultrasound

The Division of Emergency Ultrasound offers an amazing opportunity for medical students and residents to rotate with us in our emergency department at the UMass Memorial Medical Center.  We offer 4-week rotations that let you be a part of our busy emergency medicine ultrasound team!  We welcome medical students and residents from UMass and other institutions.  We have an amazing division that is at the forefront of Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) education and research and well known regionally and nationally.
 
The 4-week rotation gives you a chance to rotate in our busy tertiary care Emergency Department and get hands on experience with POCUS.  You will rotate alongside emergency medicine residents, ultrasound fellows and the divisional faculty. 
 
Along with hands on scanning, you will get didactics weekly from the fellows and divisional faculty. You will also get one on one hands on teaching from the Ultrasound fellows.  You will participate in image review with different divisional faculty weekly.  This rotation is an excellent way to enhance your POCUS skills and improve your clinical skills.
 

 

Basic Schedule

Mondays

Image review, one on one teaching with divisional faculty, scanning, Journal Club (once during 4 week rotation)

Tuesdays

Lecture from US fellow, hands on scanning in department with residents and fellows

Wednesday

EM conference, didactics from divisional faculty, Hands on teaching from divisional faculty and fellows, image review, scanning

Thursdays

Image review and scanning

Fridays

Scanning

This rotation is not offered in July or August and must be taken as a 4 week elective. We have a limited number of positions per 4-week block.
 

For more information, please contact Monica Kapoor, MD.

ME-4155/EM-4155: Wilderness Medicine

The wilderness medicine elective is a combination of lectures, hands-on skills training, and simulation scenarios to help students gain an appreciation for low-resource medicine and treatment of common injuries and illnesses encountered in the wilderness setting.  Students will learn splinting, emergency patient transport, and life-saving wilderness procedures.

Class will involve self-study assignments, didactic sessions, and hands-on with outdoor sessions. Didactic sessions may be in-person or virtual. Active and hands-on outdoors sessions will include planning and executing patient assessments and treatments, patient evacuations, and survival skills with optional weather-dependent outdoor activity options including hiking, biking, climbing, and camping with interspersed simulations. Not all classrooms have four walls.

TOPICS

  • Altitude ilness
  • Avalanche
  • Lightning
  • Envenomations
  • Toxic plants
  • Frostbite
  • Dive Emergencies
  • Wilderness survival skills

DATE: This elective is usually held for 2 weeks in early April.

For more information, please contact Hillary Irons, MD