CLERKSHIPS IN EMERGENCY MEDICINE

The department offers students two clinical experiences in the specialty of emergency medicine: an optional selective rotation during the core clerkship year and a required a clerkship during the advanced clerkship year. During these four-week experiences, students develop clinical skills to evaluate, manage, and rapidly disposition patients with undifferentiated complaints who request emergency services. Patients of all ages and demographics present with medical and surgical conditions. These rotations are similar to those offered by civilian medical schools, and military medical students are often working with civilian medical students regardless of whether the healthcare facility is part of the Military Health System or not.

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), emergency medicine was a required rotation in only 56% of US medical schools in 2017.  The USU School of Medicine strongly believes that skills acquired through standardized basic and advanced life-support courses and at least one four-week exposure to the practice of emergency medicine in hospital-based emergency departments are necessary for every physician, military or civilian, regardless of chosen specialty and career path.

EMERGENCY MEDICINE SELECTIVE

The selective in emergency medicine is designed for students seeking to explore the specialty of emergency medicine as a potential career. The rotation consists of clinical shifts in busy civilian and military emergency departments (EDs) around the country.  Didactic and clinical experiences are combined with written reflective assignments. It affords students the chance to learn about the assessment and management of emergency patients while gaining insight into a potential emergency medicine career.

LOCATION OPTIONS FOR SELECTIVE EXPERIENCES

  • Eglin Air Force Base, Fort Walton Beach FL
  • INOVA Fairfax Hospital, Fairfax VA
  • Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, San Diego CA
  • Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi MS
  • Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore MD
  • Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg NC

EMERGENCY MEDICINE CLERKSHIP

The required clerkship in emergency medicine is a four-week rotation designed to train senior medical students in the basic tenets of diagnosis and management of emergency medical and surgical conditions. Students work at facilities across the country to hone the skills they will need to effectively manage the challenges of needing to intervene before all desired information can be obtained, efficiently evaluating patients based only on complaints when the diagnosis is unknown, and approaching management and disposition using a different optic. Students will further gain an understanding of the role of emergency medicine in the healthcare system.

emergency medicine clerkship sites

Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Cavazos, Texas

 

The Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center is a state of the art 947,000-square-foot hospital. The facility opened in 2016, and includes a full primary care and emergency medical facility, including a Level III trauma center, and specialized care in obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, and behavioral health. The hospital provides treatment to nearly 3,000 patients daily. The medical center is one of the largest in the Military Health System and hosts an Emergency Medicine Residency Program

Madigan Army Medical Center at Fort Lewis, Tacoma, Washington

Madigan Army Medical Center is a 205-bed hospital offering general medical and surgical care, adult and pediatric primary care clinics, 24-hour Emergency department, specialty clinics, clinical services, wellness and prevention services, veterinary care, and environmental health services. The hospital is a Level II trauma center. The emergency department treats approximately 60,000 patients per year and hosts an Emergency Medicine Residency Program. 

Brooke Army Medical Center, Joint Base San Antonia, Fort Sam Houston, Texas

Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) is the United States Army's premier medical institution. The 425-bed Academic Medical Center, is the Department of Defense's largest facility and only Level I Trauma Center. The emergency department sees more than 86,0000 patients a year and admits nearly one-fifth off all patients in the entire military health system. The site also hosts the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium (SAUSHC) Emergency Medicine Residency Program.

David Grant Medical Center (DGMC), Travis Air Force Base, Sacramento, California

David Grant Medical Center (DGMC) is the largest inpatient military treatment facility in Air Mobility Command and the second largest in the United States Air Force, providing a full spectrum of care. The emergency department sees about 20,000 patients a year. Students interviewing in EM can also rotate at UC Davis Medical Center, where there is an Air Force affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency. UC Davis is a Level I trauma center. 

Mike O'Callaghan Military Medical Center (MOMMC), Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, Nevada

 

MOMMC on Nellis Air Force Base is a 22 bed Emergency Department run by members of the 99th Medical Group. The ED sees about 40K patients per year, and it is a Level 3 Trauma Center. All students rotate at MOMMC. There is an Air Force affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency based out of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) University Medical Center, a busy, Level I trauma center. Clerkship students can apply to work at UNLV through VSAS.

Wright Patterson Medical Center, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio

Wright Patterson Medical Center is located on Wright Patterson Air Force Base. All students rotate at the primary location. Air Force students also rotate at Miami Valley Hospital, a Level 1 trauma center. Miami Valley Hospital's emergency and trauma center is the busiest emergency department in Ohio, and hosts an Air Force affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency through Wright State University.

Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

 

Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune is a 107 Bed academic community medical center located in Coastal Northeastern North Carolina. It is a Level III trauma center. NMCCL is home to the II Marine Expeditionary Force, and provides primary and secondary care to >55,000 Service Members and more than 141,000 beneficiaries annually.

Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Virginia

 

Naval Medical Center Portsmouth is the oldest continuing running hospital in the Navy medical system. It is the home to one of the busiest emergency departments in the Navy with 70,000 annual visits. About 25% of visits are pediatric patients. It is a Level II trauma center and hosts a Navy Emergency Medicine Residency Program

Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California

Naval Medical Center San Diego has 20 ED beds and 15 fast track beds, and is the major Naval Medical Center for the Southwestern United States and the Pacific theater. The emergency department sees 75,000 patients a year. NMCSD hosts a Navy Emergency Medicine Residency Program.  

Augusta Military Medical Center, Fort Belvoir, Virginia

 

The new Fort Belvoir Community Hospital began serving patients in 2011. The hospital is more than1.2 million square feet, and includes 120 state-of-the-art inpatient rooms. The emergency department is a Level III trauma center with 21,000 annual visits. In 2023 the hospital was renamed the Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center (ATAMMC) to honor Lt. Col. (Dr.) Alexander Thomas Augusta, the highest-ranking black officer in the Union Army.

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) is the world's premier military medical cnter for health, readiness, education and reasearch. It was formed in 2011 when the original Walter Reed Army Medical Center merged with the National Naval Medical Center. The emergency department sees 28,000 patients annually.

Howard County General Hospital, Columbia, Maryland

 

Howard County General Hospital is a comprehensive, acute-care medical center with 266 licensed beds specializing in women`s and children`s services, surgery, cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, gerontology, psychiatry, emergency services and community health education.

 

INOVA Fairfax Hospital, Fairfax, Virginia

 

Inova Fairfax Hospital (IFH) is a 923-bed tertiary care hospital campus providing most medical and surgical specialties and houses Northern Virginia's only Level I trauma center and the nation's fifth-busiest obstetrics program. The emergency department had 160,000 visits in 2022. Dedicated adult and pediatric departments.

Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland

MedStar Union Memorial Hospital has provided safe, high-quality, compassionate care to its community for more than 160 years. Located in northeast Baltimore City, MedStar Union Memorial is a regional specialty and teaching hospital. The emergency department sees 44,000 patients a year, and it is a regional hand trauma center.