The GIM Emergency Consultation Service is responsible for providing general internal medicine consultations for patients referred by Emergency Physicians, including screening all potential admissions to the GIM Wards. The Division of GIM currently supports five GIM inpatient teams at the UAH and virtually all patients on the GIM Wards are admitted through the Emergency Department. The UAH Emergency Department is one of the busiest in the city as the UAH serves a large geographic territory and provides a variety of specialty services at this quaternary center. This, in turn, means the number of consultations seen in ED by the GIM service is among the highest in the city. The rotation, therefore, offers trainees an opportunity to participate in a wide variety of General Internal Medicine consultations, ranging from the assessment of acute medical emergencies to the screening and triage of medical admissions.
Within the University of Alberta Internal Medicine Residency Training Program, all internal medicine residents are required to complete a mandatory rotation assigned to the General Internal Medicine Emergency Consultation Service at the UAH. The primary goals of this rotation are:
To ensure that each resident has a thorough understanding of the consultation process, including both verbal and written consultation reports.
Acquire training and expertise in performing medical consultations in the Emergency Department.
As part of this process, acquire expertise as a gatekeeper, triaging potential admissions to the General Internal Medicine Wards.
Since September 2002, the GIM Consultation Service has offered 2‐4 week elective rotations for medical students who have completed their clinical clerkship in Internal Medicine. Approximately 10‐12 students participate per year.
DESCRIPTOR: The Junior Medicine rotation is an early opportunity for Foundations of Discipline residents to routinely begin to assess and manage new patients referred to the internal medicine service from the Emergency Department. This experience comes with graded responsibility, allowing for regular feedback as residents work to wards their Senior ER Consult Rotation. This rotation will typically occur at the University Hospital, but may occur elsewhere depending on service needs.
ON-CALL RESPONSIBILITIES: Residents on the Junior Medicine rotation are required to participate in the junior house staff on call rotation for the University Hospital Internal Medicine CTUs.
WEEKDAYS: Arrive in the ED at 0800 and expect to cover ED until 1700. If scheduled on call, you will be expected to cover ED between 0800-1700 and on call covering the indicated CTU from 1700-0800. Please refer to the block call schedule distributed by Carrie Hlady or ROCA.
WEEKENDS/STAT HOLIDAYS: When scheduled on call on a Saturday or Sunday, MED JR residents are expected to cover ED between 0900-1300pm while also touching base with the appropriate attending physician for the ward you on call for at morning report to get a concise time for handover (approximately 1300).