Emergency Medicine Residency Curriculum

We’ve designed our residency curriculum with your needs in mind. All your educational experiences are carefully timed and planned so you have a well-rounded experience at Baystate. You'll have time for individual scholarly pursuits, while still maintaining a family life and community involvement.

  • Clinical assignments average less than 45 hours per week.
  • Shifts are not scheduled longer than nine hours.
  • Night shifts are scheduled in short blocks of four to five shifts in a row at most.
PG1 Curriculum

During the first month of PG1, you are oriented with departmental personnel and procedures. Then, you begin a yearlong rotation through the following specialties: emergency medicine, medical intensive care, trauma, pediatrics, orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology, anesthesiology, ophthalmology, EMS, and cardiac care unit.

PG1 residents In the Emergency Department do 20 shifts a block.

  • Emergency Medicine Orientation (4 weeks)
  • Emergency Medicine (12 weeks)
  • Medical Intensive Care Unit (4 weeks)
  • Cardiology Critical Care Unit (4 weeks)
  • Anesthesiology (4 weeks)
  • Pediatrics/Pediatric EM (8 weeks)
  • Obstetrics & Gynecology (2 weeks)
  • Orthopedics/Ultrasound (4 weeks)
  • Trauma (4 weeks)
  • Ophthalmology/EMS (2 weeks)
  • Vacation (4 weeks)
PG2 Curriculum

Your second year of residency includes specialty training in pediatric intensive care and surgical intensive care. You’ll have an elective to tailor your education to your needs.

You’ll gain progressive responsibilities in the Emergency Department as your skills develop and improve. Upper-level EM residents manage all airways, direct major resuscitations, and perform invasive procedures.

PG2 residents in the ED do 19 shifts per block.

  • Emergency Medicine/Pediatric Emergency Medicine (36 weeks)
  • Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (four weeks)
  • Surgical Intensive Care Unit (four weeks)
  • Elective (four weeks)
  • Vacation (four weeks)
PG3 Curriculum

You’ll spend the majority of year three in emergency medicine. The third year includes a one-month local community EM rotation and one month of elective, with available international experiences.

On an alternating basis, senior residents are designated as "trauma resident," with leadership participation in the initial management of all trauma patients. As a senior resident, you’ll be increasingly exposed to the administrative aspects of the department, allowing for the opportunity to develop leadership skills.

In the ED, PG3 residents do 18 shifts per block.

  • Emergency Medicine/Pediatric Emergency Medicine (40 weeks)
  • Community Emergency Medicine (four weeks)
  • Elective (four weeks)
  • Vacation (four weeks)
Block Curriculum

EM-1

Orientation 4 wks Adult Emergency Medicine 12 wks CCU 4 wks Medical ICU 4 wks ObGyn 2 wks
 Anesthesiology 4 wks Ortho / Ultrasound 4 wks Trauma 4 wks Optho / EMS 4 wks Pedi / Pedi EM 8 wks

Plus: 4-weeks vacation from Emergency Med, OB/Gyn, Ortho/Ultrasound or Anesthesiology months

EM-2

Adult / Pediatric Emergency Medicine 44 wks Pediatric ICU 4 wks
  Surgical ICU 4 wks

Plus: 4-weeks vacation from Emergency Medicine months

EM-3

Adult / Pediatric Emergency Medicine 44 wks Community EM 4 wks
Elective 4 wks

Plus: 4-weeks vacation from Emergency Medicine

Scholarly Projects

All residents are required a scholarly project during residency. The type of scholarly project will be decided by the resident in conjunction with the program director.

Here at Baystate Medical Center, we perform primarily clinical research in areas related to emergency medicine. While our emphasis is on departmental initiated projects, we also participate in several multicenter groups. Residents are taught methodology and statistics to efficiently evaluate current literature and the basis for our current standards of care. Participation in research projects during the residency is encouraged, although, not required.

Research programs are available for undergraduate and medical students as an elective or on a volunteer basis. Students also have the opportunity to spend time with our clinical faculty in the ED. Email inquiries to Kye Poronsky, Department of Emergency Medicine Research Coordinator.

close up of a simulation surgery with tools and artificial arteries

Hone your skills

Residents are involved in several simulation scenarios every year to practice and sharpen their skills using simulated models of human body tissues, bench-top task training devices and computer-assisted procedural task training tools.

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