Kevin Oliver

University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine
"Emergency Skills Night"
SAEMF Emergency Medicine Medical Student Interest Group Grant
$500 

Research Results

We will divide medical students up into groups based on their level of training (1st years with 1st years, 2nd with 2nd, etc.) and have the stations difficulty reflect their level of training. This ranged from demonstrating the basics of suturing to the 1st and 2nd years to clinical scenarios for the 3rd and 4th year medical students. An example: gave a 3rd year student a dirty wound and asked them how to take care of the wound from start to finish.

We plan to make the Emergency Medicine Skills Night an annual event at USD-SSOM. This was second year for the event. While some of the skill stations will vary year to year, all of them will revolve around procedures in the emergency room. Many of the supplies purchased through the grant provided by SAEM will be able to be recycled and reused for future events. In addition, any supplies not used, will be able to carried over to future EMIG projects as well.  

Abstract

The USD-SSOM Emergency Medicine Interest Group is a medical student run organization whose goal is to promote Emergency Medicine as a career to interested medical students and educate them on some of the basic skills in Emergency Medicine, residency requirements, and the different lifestyle opportunities Emergency Medicine has to offer. The EMIG Skills Night is designed to familiarize medical students with basic Emergency Medicine skills, including suturing, splinting, needle decompression, FAST exam, and intubation. The EMIG Skills night is the biggest event of the year for the EMIG and draws one of the largest crowds, 32 of 228 medical students from 4 different campuses 350 miles apart. This event is vital to boast interest in Emergency Medicine as a possible career for the students here at the University of South Dakota.

Over the past 6 years USD-SSOM has averaged sending 6.9% (23 of 330 graduates) into Emergency Medicine Residency Programs. Throughout its 107 year existence, the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, has never had an EMIG, nor does the state of South Dakota have an Emergency Medicine Residency. This leaves the many medical students here at the University of South Dakota at a disadvantage when it comes to Emergency Medicine Residencies and Emergency Medicine as a possible career. Starting the Emergency Medicine Interest Group here at the University of South Dakota is one small step towards closing the gap in disadvantages medical students here face and providing them with opportunities to succeed in Emergency Medicine.