A Financial Plot to Reduce the Burden of Medical School Tuition Fees.

Tuition fees for medical school are continuously and riotously increasing. This upsurge is amassing debts on the backs of students. In the class of 2018, 75% finished medical school with an outstanding balance of $196,520, on average-a $5826 increase from 2017. Tuition fees differ in terms of the ownership of the medical school (public vs. private) and according to the medical student residence status (in-state or out-of-state). It is critical that students arrange a long-term budget that shows them where they stand: in surplus or in deficit. Students may classify expenditures into two groups: "fixed" and "variable," where they can manipulate the variable expenses to fit into their budget. To pay for their tuition, medical students have four possibilities: cash, scholarships and grants, service-obligation scholarships, and loans. Loans are the most common alternatives, and so there are Traditional Repayment Plans and Income-Driven Repayment Plans. This article serves to provide medical students with attainable alternatives for funding their education and for repaying their debts.

Perspectives on Priapism Education in Emergency Medicine.

INTRODUCTION: Priapism is a urologic emergency managed by both emergency medicine (EM) providers and urologists. Attitudes regarding its management and understanding of education of non-urology trainees in this area are poorly defined. AIM: The aim of this study was to describe attitudes toward priapism management among multiple stakeholders and define the current state of priapism education among EM residency programs. METHODS: Surveys were developed and distributed online to EM residency leadership, EM residents, and urology providers. Each solicited attitudes and preferences regarding independent priapism management by EM providers. EM residents were further queried about their educational and clinical experiences in priapism management, and EM residency leadership were surveyed about their educational curricula. Responses among all 3 groups were compared using Fisher's exact tests. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Quantitative and descriptive responses were solicited regarding EM providers' management of acute ischemic priapism and current priapism curricula for EM residents. RESULTS: 91 EM residency program directors and assistant program directors (31.6% of programs), 227 EM residents (14.7% of programs), and 94 urologists (6.3% of survey recipients) responded. All geographic regions and all years of EM training were represented. Over 90% of all surveyed groups felt that EM providers should independently manage priapism in practice. 17% of senior EM residents felt "not at all" confident in managing priapism; and 25.5% had never primarily managed this entity in training. 81% of programs had a formalized priapism curriculum, of which 19% included treatment simulation. However, 36% of residents felt that current curricula were insufficient. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Widespread approval from both EM providers and urologists support EM-based management for uncomplicated cases of acute ischemic priapism. Current educational curricula for EM trainees may not be sufficient to prepare them to manage this entity in practice. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: This is the first study to examine provider attitudes toward EM-based management of priapism and assess the current state of education in this area with input from all key stakeholders. This survey was limited in its scope and the response rate was lower than desired. CONCLUSION: Urologists support independent priapism management by EM providers, but an educational gap remains for EM trainees who do not feel adequately trained to manage this independently in practice. Dai JC, Franzen DS, Lendvay TS, et al. Perspectives on Priapism Education in Emergency Medicine. J Sex Med 2020;17:159-162.

Clinical Assessment of Medical Students in Emergency Medicine Clerkships: A Survey of Current Practice.

BACKGROUND: Assessment practices in emergency medicine (EM) clerkships have not been previously described. Clinical assessment frequently relies on global ratings of clinical performance, or "shift cards," although these tools have not been standardized or studied. OBJECTIVE: We sought to characterize assessment practices in EM clerkships, with particular attention to shift cards. METHODS: A survey regarding assessment practices was administered to a national sample of EM clerkship directors (CDs). Descriptive statistics were compiled and regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-two CDs were contacted, and 100 (58%) agreed to participate. The most heavily weighted assessment methods in final grades were shift cards (66%) and written examinations (21-26%), but there was considerable variability in grading algorithms. EM faculty (100%) and senior residents (69%) were most commonly responsible for assessment, and assessors were often preassigned (71%). Forty-four percent of CDs reported immediate completion of shift cards, 27% within 1 to 2 days, and 20% within a week. Only 40% reported return rates >75%. Thirty percent of CDs do not permit students to review individual evaluations, and 54% of the remainder deidentify evaluations before student review. Eighty-six percent had never performed psychometric analysis on their assessment tools. Sixty-five percent of CDs were satisfied with their shift cards, but 90% supported the development of a national tool. CONCLUSION: There is substantial variability in assessment practices between EM clerkships, raising concern regarding the comparability of grades between institutions. CDs rely on shift cards in grading despite the lack of evidence of validity and inconsistent process variables. Standardization of assessment practices may improve the assessment of EM students.

Sublingual tissue perfusion improves during emergency treatment of acute decompensated heart failure.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to measure sublingual perfused capillary density (PCD) to assess sublingual microvascular perfusion during emergency department (ED) treatment of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). METHODS: This prospective, observational study enrolled ED patients with ADHF, measuring pre- and post-ED treatment PCD. Sidestream dark-field imaging was analyzed by 3 investigators blinded to patient identifiers and time points. Patient demographics, ADHF etiology, serum brain natriuretic peptide, and hemoglobin were measured along with a visual analogue scale (VAS), which assessed patient baseline characteristics and response to ED treatment. A paired t test analyzed changes in PCD, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and patient assessment. Interrater variability was assessed with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), with a P value <.05 considered significant for all testing. RESULTS: Thirty-six patients were enrolled with a mean time between pretreatment and posttreatment PCD (±SD) of 138 ± 59 minutes and a hospital length of stay of 4.0 ± 4.1 days. During this time, PCD increased (difference, 1.3 mm/mm(2); 95% confidence interval, 0.4-2.1; P = .004), as did the MAP (P = .002), patient VAS score (P < .001), and observer VAS score (P < .001). There was no correlation between the change in PCD and time (R(2) = .016, P = .47), MAP (R(2) = .013, P = .54), or VAS scores. The ICC was 0.954. CONCLUSIONS: Sublingual tissue perfusion is diminished in ADHF but increases with treatment. It may represent a quantitative way to evaluate ADHF in the ED setting.

Working with Senior Residents: How to get past "You're doing great!"

Audience: This content is intended for emergency medicine faculty. Introduction: Faculty at our institution noted that it can be easy to identify and address the knowledge gaps of junior learners. However, they often find different skills are needed when precepting senior residents, a sentiment shared by faculty at other institutions.1 To foster the skills needed for lifelong learning and deliberate practice, it is crucial that educators find methods to effectively assess the skills of senior residents and provide them with continued feedback.2 The goal of this faculty development session is to outline methods educators can use with senior residents to support their autonomy and independence while exploring their clinical reasoning, pushing them outside of their comfort zone, and promoting reflective and deliberate practice.2-9. Educational Objectives: By the end of the lecture, all faculty will be able to 1) describe how to use the Aunt Minnie method of precepting for senior residents, 2) list examples of ways in which they can probe the clinical reasoning of senior residents, 3) explain how to use reflective feedback techniques with senior residents, and 4) report use of the techniques discussed during this session when precepting senior residents in the emergency department. Educational Methods: This content is presented as a PowerPoint lecture with subsequent discussion. Research Methods: A post-session survey was distributed to allow participants to evaluate the session. This survey was sent four months after the session to gauge how often participants were using the covered techniques on their clinical shifts in the interim. Results: The majority of survey respondents reported that they initially felt that precepting senior learners was "somewhat difficult" and that they found this session "valuable" in helping them address this challenge. Faculty reported using all of the techniques discussed in this session during their clinical shifts, but were more likely to use methods to promote clinical reasoning or reflective feedback than the Aunt Minnie method of precepting. Overall, respondents reported learning new skills during this exercise and appreciated the format which allowed them to share their own experiences of working with the senior residents and brainstorm techniques that might be useful beyond those discussed by the instructors. Discussion: This faculty development session successfully introduced emergency medicine faculty to techniques that can be used to improve feedback and assessment of senior residents. The lecture format allowed for efficient transmission of material, while several group discussions and a role-play activity allowed for integration of material and sharing of experiences. Overall this exercise was a success with faculty reporting use of several of the techniques discussed. In future iterations, it may be beneficial to integrate more role-play activities to allow participants to practice more of the skills learned in a simulated environment prior to implementing on shifts with learners. Topics: Feedback, deliberate practice, clinical reasoning, precepting.

Pneumopericardium after Laparoscopic Hernia Repair Presents with ST-segment Changes: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Although rare, iatrogenic cases of pneumopericardium have been documented following laparoscopic surgery and mechanical ventilation. Electrocardiogram (ECG) changes, including ST-segment depressions and T-wave inversions, have been documented in cases of pneumopericardium, and can mimic more concerning causes of chest pain including myocardial ischemia or pulmonary embolism. CASE REPORT: This unique case describes a patient who presented with chest pain and ST-segment changes on ECG hours after a laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair and who was found to have pneumopericardium. CONCLUSION: While iatrogenic pneumopericardium is often self-limiting and rarely requires intervention, it is critical to differentiate pneumopericardium from other etiologies of chest pain, including myocardial ischemia and pulmonary embolism, to prevent unnecessary intervention.

Calming Troubled Waters: A Narrative Review of Challenges and Potential Solutions in the Residency Interview Offer Process.

The rising numbers of residency applications along with fears of a constrained graduate medical education environment have created pressures on residency applicants. Anecdotal evidence suggests substantial challenges with the process of offering residency interviews. This narrative review is designed to identify and propose solutions for the current problems in the process of offering residency interviews. We used PubMed and web browser searches to identify relevant studies and reports. Materials were assessed for relevance to the current process of distributing residency interviews. There is limited relevant literature and the quality is poor overall. We were able to identify several key problem areas including uncertain timing of interview offers; disruption caused by the timing of interview offers; imbalance of interview offers and available positions; and a lack of clarity around waitlist and rejection status. In addition, the couples match and need for coordination of interviews creates a special case. Many of the problems related to residency interview offers are amenable to program-level interventions, which may serve as best practices for residency programs, focusing on clear communication of processes as well as attention to factors such as offer-timing and numbers. We provide potential strategies for programs as well as a call for additional research to better understand the problem and solutions.

More Is More: Drivers of the Increase in Emergency Medicine Residency Applications.

INTRODUCTION: The average number of applications per allopathic applicant to emergency medicine (EM) residency programs in the United States (US) has increased significantly since 2014. This increase in applications has caused a significant burden on both programs and applicants. Our goal in this study was to investigate the drivers of this application increase so as to inform strategies to mitigate the surge. METHODS: An expert panel designed an anonymous, web-based survey, which was distributed to US allopathic senior applicants in the 2017-2018 EM match cycle via the Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine and the Emergency Medicine Residents Association listservs for completion between the rank list certification deadline and release of match results. The survey collected descriptive statistics and factors affecting application decisions. RESULTS: A total of 532 of 1748 (30.4%) US allopathic seniors responded to the survey. Of these respondents, 47.3% felt they had applied to too many programs, 11.8% felt they had applied to too few, and 57.7% felt that their perception of their own competitiveness increased their number of applications. Application behavior of peers going into EM was identified as the largest external factor driving an increase in applications (61.1%), followed by US Medical Licensing Exam scores (46.9%) - the latter was most pronounced in applicants who self-perceived as "less competitive." The most significant limiter of application numbers was the cost of using the Electronic Residency Application Service (34.3%). CONCLUSION: A substantial group of EM applicants identified that they were over-applying to residencies. The largest driver of this process was individual applicant response to the behavior of their peers who were also going into EM. Understanding these motivations may help inform solutions to overapplication.

Addressing Challenges in Obtaining Emergency Medicine Away Rotations and Standardized Letters of Evaluation Due to COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine (CORD) Advising Students Committee in Emergency Medicine (ASC-EM) anticipates institutional and regional variability in both the spread and response to COVID-19. Travel restrictions and host institution rotation closures will impact the number of emergency medicine (EM) rotations EM-bound medical students can complete in an unprecedented manner. They may prevent students from completing any away rotations this academic cycle, challenging the students' ability to obtain EM Standardized Letters of Evaluation (SLOEs). EM's emphasis on residency group SLOEs over other letter types creates an undue burden on these vulnerable students and makes the application process intrinsically inequitable. This inequity warrants a reevaluation of the current application practice. This article outlines ASC-EM's proposed recommendations for all stakeholders, including EM program leadership, medical schools, and EM-bound medical students, to consider for the upcoming EM application cycle.

Integration of Entrustable Professional Activities with the Milestones for Emergency Medicine Residents.

INTRODUCTION: Medical education is moving toward a competency-based framework with a focus on assessment using the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Milestones. Assessment of individual competencies through milestones can be challenging. While competencies describe characteristics of the person, the entrustable professional activities (EPAs) concept refers to work-related activities. EPAs would not replace the milestones but would be linked to them, integrating these frameworks. Many core specialties have already defined EPAs for resident trainees, but EPAs have not yet been created for emergency medicine (EM). This paper describes the development of milestone-linked EPAs for EM. METHODS: Ten EM educators from across North America formed a consensus working group to draft EM EPAs, using a modified Glaser state-of-the-art approach. A reactor panel with EPA experts from the United States, Canada and the Netherlands was created, and an iterative process with multiple revisions was performed based on reactor panel input. Following this, the EPAs were sent to the Council of Residency Directors for EM (CORD-EM) listserv for additional feedback. RESULTS: The product was 11 core EPAs that every trainee from every EM program should be able to perform independently by the time of graduation. Each EPA has associated knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors (KSAB), which are either milestones themselves or KSABs linked to individual milestones. We recognize that individual programs may have additional focus areas or work-based activities they want their trainees to achieve by graduation; therefore, programs are also encouraged to create additional program-specific EPAs. CONCLUSION: This set of 11 core, EM-resident EPAs can be used as an assessment tool by EM residency programs, allowing supervising physicians to document the multiple entrustment decisions they are already making during clinical shifts with trainees. The KSAB list within each EPA could assist supervisors in giving specific, actionable feedback to trainees and allow trainees to use this list as an assessment-for-learning tool. Linking each KSAB to individual EM milestones allows EPAs to directly inform milestone assessment for clinical competency committees. These EPAs serve as another option for workplace-based assessment, and are linked to the milestones to create an integrated framework.

Scholarship by the Clinician-Educator in Emergency Medicine.

Emergency medicine (EM) continues to grow as an academic specialty. Like most specialties, a large number of academic emergency physicians are focused on education of our graduate student learners. For promotion, clinician-educators (CEs) are required to produce scholarly work and disseminate knowledge. Although promotion requirements may vary by institution, scholarly work is a consistent requirement. Due to the clinical constraints of working in the emergency department, the unique interactions emergency physicians have with their learners, and early adoption of alternative teaching methods, EM CEs' scholarly work may not be adequately described in a traditional curriculum vitae. Using a rubric of established domains around the academic work of CEs, this article describes some of the ways EM educators address these domains. The aim of the article is to provide a guide for academic department leadership, CEs, and promotion committees about the unique ways EM has addressed the work of the CE.

Simulation-based Education to Ensure Provider Competency Within the Health Care System.

The acquisition and maintenance of individual competency is a critical component of effective emergency care systems. This article summarizes consensus working group deliberations and recommendations focusing on the topic "Simulation-based education to ensure provider competency within the healthcare system." The authors presented this work for discussion and feedback at the 2017 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference on "Catalyzing System Change Through Healthcare Simulation: Systems, Competency, and Outcomes," held on May 16, 2017, in Orlando, Florida. Although simulation-based training is a quality and safety imperative in other high-reliability professions such as aviation, nuclear power, and the military, health care professions still lag behind in applying simulation more broadly. This is likely a result of a number of factors, including cost, assessment challenges, and resistance to change. This consensus subgroup focused on identifying current gaps in knowledge and process related to the use of simulation for developing, enhancing, and maintaining individual provider competency. The resulting product is a research agenda informed by expert consensus and literature review.

The National Clinical Assessment Tool for Medical Students in the Emergency Department (NCAT-EM).

INTRODUCTION: Clinical assessment of medical students in emergency medicine (EM) clerkships is a highly variable process that presents unique challenges and opportunities. Currently, clerkship directors use institution-specific tools with unproven validity and reliability that may or may not address competencies valued most highly in the EM setting. Standardization of assessment practices and development of a common, valid, specialty-specific tool would benefit EM educators and students. METHODS: A two-day national consensus conference was held in March 2016 in the Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine (CDEM) track at the Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine (CORD) Academic Assembly in Nashville, TN. The goal of this conference was to standardize assessment practices and to create a national clinical assessment tool for use in EM clerkships across the country. Conference leaders synthesized the literature, articulated major themes and questions pertinent to clinical assessment of students in EM, clarified the issues, and outlined the consensus-building process prior to consensus-building activities. RESULTS: The first day of the conference was dedicated to developing consensus on these key themes in clinical assessment. The second day of the conference was dedicated to discussing and voting on proposed domains to be included in the national clinical assessment tool. A modified Delphi process was initiated after the conference to reconcile questions and items that did not reach an a priori level of consensus. CONCLUSION: The final tool, the National Clinical Assessment Tool for Medical Students in Emergency Medicine (NCAT-EM) is presented here.

A review of the literature: direct and video laryngoscopy with simulation as educational intervention.

INTRODUCTION: A review of the literature was conducted to analyze the impact of simulation-based training for direct and video laryngoscopy (VL) skills for health care professionals and health care students. METHODS: This review focused on the published literature that used randomized controlled trials to examine the effectiveness of simulation-based training to develop airway management skills and identify pertinent literature by searching PubMed from inception of the database up to July 2013. This current review addresses the question of whether airway management simulation-based training improves the acquisition of resuscitation skills for health care profession learners. RESULTS: A total of eleven articles qualified for this systematic review based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. These studies were analyzed and the specific simulators, participants, assessments, and details related to: time of intubation; Cormack and Lehane classification; success and failure rate; and number of attempts. CONCLUSION: This review suggests that simulation-based training is one effective way to teach VL skills. VL allows for a higher success rate, faster response time, and a decrease in the number of attempts by health care students and health care professionals under the conditions based on the eleven studies reviewed.

Assessing practice-based learning and improvement.

Assessment of practice-based learning and improvement (PBLI) is a core concept identified in several competency frameworks. This paper summarizes the current state of PBLI assessment as presented at the 2012 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference on education research in emergency medicine. Based on these findings and consensus achieved at the conference, seven recommendations have been identified for future research.