You will be expected to complete 18 "shifts" during your month. A portion of this time will be spent rotating with various fire departments, EMS and first response support services around our community. This is an incredible opportunity to gain first hand experience and insight into what the entire echelon of prehospital care goes through before a patient presents to your Emergency Department. Further, you will spend time in the regional medical control office located in suite 308B in the administrative building at Hackley Hospital. Here you will gain some insight into how a Medical Control Authority (MCA) operates both in aspects of daily medical and logistical support, as well as in regards to regional disaster preparedness. As future emergency physicians and leaders, you may serve as an MCA director at some point in your career, especially if you plan to practice rural medicine.

It is important to note that 3 of these "shifts" will be spent as asynchronous learning modules for independent study as well as time to complete specialty projects with the Medical Control Authority (MCA).  You cannot expect to obtain sufficient EMS knowledge from a few required EMS ride-alongs. This EMS curriculum is designed to give you some insight into federal and state specific medical control, an overview of what it takes to be an EMS medical director as well as some aspects in emergency preparedness/disaster medicine.

The orientation module seres will need to be completed prior to your first ride along. Your first day on the rotation is set aside to complete them. These briefly discuss the approach to patient evaluation in the field as well as scene and equipment safety. In each module, answer the content knowledge questions and submit the module upon completion for credit. These modules are required to be completed prior to your first ride-along shift with an ambulance or fire agency. The orientation module can be accessed through the google classroom.

TIP # 2: KNOW HOW TO READ A PROTOCOL

It is unlikely that you will know the protocols in just a month, but you should at least where to find them and reference them frequently. Each EMS agency had a set of protocols that guide patient care and you should know them cold. Chances are, they aren’t much different that what you would do in the ED. A quick way to lose respect and trust from an EMS provider is to suggest patient care that drastically deviates from established protocols. If you don’t know the protocol, just ask and be open to some teaching!

Muskegon County EMS protocols can be found at www.wmrmcc.org --> Protocols --> Muskegon

TIP # 3: Appreciate those willing to teach you

1. Be humble, courteous, and leave your ego at home.

2. Ask to be treated like a new paramedic or FTO student, and dress the part.

3. Remember you are there primarily to learn.

4. Ask questions and look for opportunities to improve your skills, but never steal procedures.

5. Offer to help by carrying equipment, pushing the stretcher, taking vitas, starting an IV, or cleaning up after a run.

6. If you are spending the day in a firehouse station, pitch in money for lunch or dinner

7. Take time to get to know your colleagues.

8. Ask about the frustrations and rewards of the job and see how you can work to reduce those frustrations.

9. Ask what EMS providers like physicians to do when they bring a patient to the ED (it might surprise you).

You will have 3 days blocked off on your schedule for Asynchronous learning exercises. Each day will have a series of online/independent learning modules or readings to complete. You do not have to complete them on the scheduled day, although these days are specifically set aside to allow you ample time to accomplish these modules during your rotation. 

You will be expected to attend the EMS didactics that occur immediately following the regularly scheduled EM didactics on Wednesdays and will last roughly 1 hour.

There will be a total of 6 administrative shifts during your rotation where you will learn more about medical control and what being an EMS medical director is all about. 

FOUR of these administrative shifts will occur immediately after the scheduled EM conference on Wednesday. You will spend the afternoon with Dr. Evans or Dr. McManus in the MCA office located in suite 308B in the administrative building at Hackley Hospital. At each shift, you will get a lecture pertinent to medical control and oversight and have time for open ended discussion. You can expect to be done around 4-5 pm each day. 

TOPICS FOR FACULTY DIRECTED LECTURES:

WEEK 1: Role of an EMS Medical Director

WEEK 2: Agency Oversight and the PRSO Process

WEEK 3: Emergency Preparedness and Response

WEEK 4: Faculty small group discussion of virtual ride along experience

The remianing TWO shifts will be full day administrative shifts. You are expected to meet one of the faculty members at the MCA office at the time dictated on your schedule (this time may vary). If the EMS faculty member has any scheduled administrative meetings these days, you will attend those as well. If there are meetings that you are expected to attend, these will be listed on your course schedule that you will receive prior to the start of your rotation. When meetings are not occuring, your administrative time should be spent working on your specialty project for the month.