Emergency Medicine

During this rotation, residents should develop an approach to the following:

• Overdose

• Substance Use and Addiction

• Major/Minor Trauma

• Toxicology: Methanol-asa-acetaminophen-TCA, substance abuse

• Criteria for Consultation/Admission

• Ability to Recognize Situations Requiring Screening for Child/Spouse/Elder Abuse

• Ability to Identify Seriously Ill Patients

• Ability to Prioritize/Resuscitate/Stabilize Patients with Life-Threatening Condition

• Utilization of Consultants/Community Resources

• Resuscitation

• Airway Management

• Incision and Drainage

• Lumbar Puncture

• Epistaxis Management

• Wound Management - Simple/Complex/Bites

Updated August 2025

By the end of this rotation, residents will be graded as “progressing as expected” in each of the following and in the Global Rating.  The expected level of performance in the PGY1 year is Interpreter level,  PGY2 is Manager level, PGY3 is Educator level (See Program Information - Overall Goals and Objectives).

1. Medical Expert

• Data Collection and Clinical Reasoning: The resident appropriately collects and synthesizes clinical information to formulate a primary diagnosis and appropriate differential.

• Clinical Decision Making - Stable Patient: The resident is able to make appropriate and cost-effective investigation and management decisions for common, acutely unwell but stable patients based on the context of the case and best available evidence.

• Clinical Decision Making - Unstable Patient: The resident is able to assess and manage acutely unstable patients.

2. Communicator

• Patient and Family Communication: The resident communicates with and about patients and family in a patient-centered manner.

• Documentation and Verbal Presentation: The resident appropriately documents and presents cases for new consults, progress notes, and handover of care (succinctly organized, prioritized, summarized).

3. Collaborator

• Interdisciplinary Team: The resident works well in a team, shares work, and interacts with emergency physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers effectively.

4. Leader

• Efficiency: The resident prioritizes tasks and manages time effectively.

5. Scholar

• Personal and Team-based Learning:  The resident demonstrates an effective personal learning strategy (reading around cases, appropriate use of resources) and shares knowledge with other team members.

6. Professional

• Scope of Practice:  The resident is trustworthy and responsible, knows limitations (asks for help appropriately), and responds well to feedback.

Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs)

This rotation may be done during Transition to Discipline, Foundations or Core. If done during Transition to Discipline (July and August of R1) this is an ideal learning environment for the following EPAs:

• TD1: Performing histories and physical exams, documenting and presenting findings, across clinical settings for initial and subsequent care

• TD2: Identifying and assessing unstable patients, providing initial management, and obtaining help

• TD3: Performing the basic procedures of internal medicine

  • If done during Foundations (September and onward during R1) this is an ideal learning environment for the following EPAs:

• FD1: Assessing, diagnosing, and initiating management for patients with common acute medical presentations in acute care settings

• FD5: Assessing and providing targeted treatment for unstable patients and consulting as needed

• FD6: Discussing and establishing patients’ goals of care

• FD7: Identifying personal learning needs while caring for patients and addressing those needs 

*See also Core EPAs below as you can do these as an R1

If done during Core (R2 and R3) this is an ideal learning environment for the following EPAs:

• CD1: Assessing, diagnosing and managing patients with complex or atypical acute medical presentations

• CD4: Assessing, resuscitating, and managing unstable and critically ill patients

  •     Form 1: Direct or Indirect Observation of approach to condition

• CD5: Performing the procedures of Internal Medicine

  •   E.g. Central Lines, Joint arthrocentesis, Lumbar puncture, Paracentesis, Thoracentesis

• CD6: Assessing capacity for medical decision-making

• CD7: Discussing serious and/or complex aspects of care with patients, families, and caregivers

  •     Breaking Bad News, Futility of Care

• CD8: Caring for patients who have experienced a patient safety incident (adverse event)

Program Director

Dr. David Ha

ha@ualberta.ca

Medical Education Program Coordinator

jennim@ualberta.ca