Residency Clinical Curriculum PGY-2

Emergency Medicine (24 weeks)

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), located in the heart of Nashville. serves the people of Tennessee and throughout the region in neighboring states. 

VUMC is a leading research organization devoted to patient-centered research and receives research funding from many federal sources. The emergency department is a leader in emergency care research and enrolls thousands of patients every year in multiple high-quality, multicenter studies. 

It is a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, comprehensive stroke center, the only national Level I trauma center, Level I pediatric trauma center, and comprehensive burn center in Middle Tennessee. 

In addition to our residency program, VUMC is also home to more than 90 other training programs with over 1,000 residents and fellows, which means that residents will learn alongside other superior trainees from across the country.

Community Emergency Medicine (2 weeks)

To gain exposure to community emergency medicine, residents spend two weeks rotating at Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital in Lebanon, Tennessee, about 30 miles outside of Nashville. Residents have the opportunity to work one-on-one with attendings, some of whom are VUMC emergency medicine grads. Patients often present with “bread and butter” pathology and there is a wide range of illness acuity.

Emergency Medical Services (4 weeks)

On the EMS rotation, residents work closely with the Nashville Fire Department and the EMS Fellow. Residents participate in quality improvement by reviewing EMS response calls, and have the opportunity to revise EMS protocols with best standards of care.

This rotation is a wonderful opportunity to work side-by-side with our former chair Dr. Corey Slovis, who is still a very active member of EMS care in Nashville. This rotation gives residents a chance to participate in ride-alongs with EMS ground or LifeFlight helicopter crews. LifeFlight is Vanderbilt’s helicopter/ground EMS and guided by many department faculty. 

Overall, the EMS rotation gives a comprehensive introduction to pre-hospital medicine, and opens the door to moonlighting with LifeFlight as a senior resident.  

Pediatric ICU (4 weeks)

A typical day starts with signout, followed by an educational lecture given by one of the Pediatric Critical Care attendings or fellows on topics pertinent to the PICU (i.e. Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) review, status asthmaticus, bronchiolitis, ventilator settings, acute kidney injury, continuous renal replacement therapy, ECMO, and more). 

Following morning lecture, residents round with a team consisting of a PICU attending, fellow, nurse practitioners, pediatric residents and nurses. The role of EM residents is to present patients and develop individualized, comprehensive, systems-based plans for each. The afternoon consists of admitting patients, meeting with consultants, performing procedures, and reassessing patients. 

Highlights of the PICU rotation include caring for children with complex medical needs in acute settings and working closely with pediatric resident colleagues. This is also a great opportunity to spend extra time with parents; fostering relationships with families can really make a huge difference in their hospital experience.

Trauma (6 weeks)

PGY2 residents rotate on the trauma surgery service for a total of six weeks (a four-week block and a two-week block). Residents function as the “trauma junior,'' similar to intern year. With more experience, PGY2s have the opportunity to function as leaders to guide the surgery and emergency medicine interns through the rotation. Second-year residents will perform procedures and teach the PGY1s. 

Rotating as a second-year resident serves as another opportunity to form working relationships with the trauma attendings and fellows. These relationships are incredibly important during trauma resuscitations in the emergency department, where EM residents stand at the head of the bed in command of the airway. Developing this trust and communication is essential to patient safety and successful resuscitation.

Selective (4 weeks)

During the second year residents will create a selective in their area of interest within the field of emergency medicine. This includes, but is not limited to: 

  • Wilderness Medicine
  • Aerospace Medicine
  • Administrative Informatics
  • Quality Improvement
  • Medical Education

Away rotations in community sites such as the Park City Orthopedic rotation. Many residents travel to Guyana to work alongside our Guyanese resident colleagues, providing a unique perspective regarding practicing emergency medicine in resource-limited settings.

Vacation (3 weeks)

 

Each academic year, residents will have three weeks of vacation, in addition to an extra five to six days over either Christmas or New Year holidays. 

While residents may spend time traveling to see family or for a tropical beach vacation, there is plenty to do not far from Nashville. Road-trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for hiking and camping, head up to Bowling Green, Kentucky, for bourbon tasting and a visit to the National Corvette Museum, or drive to Memphis for some blues and barbecue. 

If you prefer a staycation in Nashville, hike one of the many trails at Percy Warner Park, rent a kayak to float down the Cumberland River, or try some local brews while listening to live country music. The possibilities are endless!