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Faculty of Health Sciences

Department of Medicine

Emergency Medicine – Electives

Students on the Emergency Medicine Elective will work 7 shifts in our General Emergency Departments in Hamilton. Shifts are scheduled directly with a Faculty member and focus on the care of patients who present to the Emergency Department with a wide spectrum of conditions. Students will be able to participate in patient care in the following ways:

  • Initial assessment of patients
  • Differential diagnosis generation
  • Initial management
  • Consultations with other services
  • Participation in Resuscitations

Shifts are generally balanced between day/evening and night shifts. Shifts are scheduled at three of our General ED Sites:

  • Hamilton General Site – The Hamilton General Hospital is the regional referral center for Trauma, Cardiac, Stroke, Vascular and Neurosciences programs. It is a busy, high-acuity department in downtown Hamilton and caters to a significant number of marginalized patients. Rotations at the HGH expose learners to issues of substance abuse, blunt and penetrating trauma, infectious diseases and other health problems that can affect marginalized populations.
  • Juravinski Site – The Juravinski Hospital is adjoining the regional cancer center. As such, many of the patients who present to the ED have complex conditions requiring significant workup and management at the ED level. This, coupled with a large number of patients from the surrounding area, makes Juravinski an excellent teaching site with a wide breadth of patient types.
  • St. Joseph’s site – The St. Joseph’s Hospital is a high-volume site, with good exposure to cases involving toxicology, psychiatry and nephrology.

Formal Teaching Opportunities: Visiting Elective clerks are welcome to attend teaching sessions as follows:

  • PGY1 Rounds – Tuesday mornings at 08:30 – Currently online over Zoom
  • FRCPC EM Rounds – Thursday mornings from 08:30 – 12:00 – Hamilton General Site – http://www.fhs.mcmaster.ca/emergmed/calendar.htm – all rounds are open except M&M Rounds. Given the nature of M&M Rounds, these rounds are restricted to EM Residents and Faculty
  • Journal Club – Variable time/location – please contact the EM Chief Residents as these can be capacity limited – emchief@mcmaster.ca

Meetings:

  • Both the FRCPC and CCFP-EM Program Director are willing to meet with students to discuss the EM Programs in Hamilton