ABSTRACT Background Emergency cricothyrotomy (EC) is a critical procedure for Emergency Medicine (EM) physicians to master. Simulation‐based mastery learning (SBML), a form of competency‐based education with deliberate practice, has been shown to prepare residents to perform numerous procedures. The objectives of this study were to create a SBML curriculum to teach EM residents EC, to compare pre‐ and post‐training scores for EM residents performing EC, and to assess retention of mastery at 5 months. Methods EM residents completed baseline testing, training, post‐testing, and retention testing using a commercially available task trainer and completed a post‐curriculum satisfaction survey. An expert panel of EM physicians and trauma surgeons reviewed a previously developed 27‐item checklist and set a minimum passing standard (MPS) using a Mastery Angoff approach. “Mastery” was defined as a checklist score meeting or exceeding the MPS. Results The MPS was set at 26 correctly performed items (96.3%). A cohort of 56 EM residents completed the curriculum. No resident achieved mastery on baseline testing; 33 residents (59.0%) achieved mastery on initial post‐testing. Checklist scores significantly improved from baseline to post‐testing. All residents that did not initially achieve mastery successfully did after an additional 30‐Min of deliberate practice. At 5 months, 40 residents retained mastery (71.4%). Retention performance of various checklist items decayed more than others. Retention performance did not significantly vary based on PGY level or if additional practice was required to achieve mastery. Post‐curriculum survey data showed high resident satisfaction and significantly higher confidence in performing emergency cricothyrotomy. Conclusion A SBML curriculum improved EM residents' ability to perform EC in a simulated environment. Baseline testing highlighted the gap that traditional training approaches have in teaching this critical skill to a mastery standard. Retention results can inform a timeline for additional deliberate practice to ensure continual mastery.
ABSTRACT Introduction Goal setting is a foundational component of self‐regulated learning and a key expectation in competency‐based medical education. While widely promoted as a strategy to enhance learning and guide skill development, learners often struggle with or resist goal setting in the clinical learning environment. This study aims to elucidate resident trainee relationships to, and perceptions of, clinical goal setting. Methods We completed an inductive qualitative study at a single 4‐year format emergency medicine residency program in the United States. We conducted semi‐structured interviews with residents in all four post‐graduate years. Purposive sampling was used to ensure diversity in level of training and opinions on goal setting. Interviews explored experiences with shift‐based goal setting, perceived barriers, and desired improvements. We analyzed transcripts using constant comparative methods within a constructivist grounded theory framework. Results Twelve interviews yielded three major themes: (1) Meaningful goals are hard to operationalize —residents struggled to generate clinical learning goals amidst high cognitive load, limited intrinsic goal setting skill, unpredictable clinical content, and limited supervisor continuity; (2) Relationships with supervisors matter —prompted goal setting was perceived as effective only through genuine, bidirectional educational relationships; and (3) SMART goals may not always be the smartest choice —learners often found rigid, rubric‐based goal structures misaligned with the clinical realities of shift‐based training. Instead, participants adopted their own flexible, longitudinal, and learner‐centered goal strategies. Conclusion Despite theoretical and institutional endorsement of goal setting, trainees struggle to apply traditional goal setting practices to clinical education. This tension may be due to a thus far undescribed component of goal setting theory—namely, the “wickedness” or “kindness” of the specific clinical learning environment. We recommend encouraging adaptive goal setting practices that are relationally supported, longitudinally oriented, and tailored to the realities of the kindness or wickedness of the clinical learning environment.
ABSTRACT Background Sex‐specific medicine (SSM) is increasingly recognized as vital for patient care yet remains underrepresented in graduate medical education curricula. Traditional didactics and workshops have limited reach at national conferences. Gamification has emerged as a strategy to increase engagement, though its use in professional networking and conference settings is not well described. Methods The Resident and Medical Student (RAMS) Hunt is a novel, gamified, team‐based event incorporating topics in SSM, health equity, and professional development. The Hunt was implemented at three consecutive Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Annual Meetings (2023–2025). At each conference, teams visited four city landmarks, completing content‐based challenges at each site. Post‐event surveys assessed enjoyment, perceived educational effectiveness, and design preferences. Quantitative data were summarized descriptively, and qualitative responses underwent thematic analysis. Future iterations will include pre‐ and post‐event knowledge and attitude assessments to enhance rigor. Results Across three Hunts, more than 66 teams registered, and there were 88 completed surveys (Austin 2023 n = 23; Phoenix 2024 n = 48; Philadelphia 2025 n = 17). Mean enjoyment ratings were 4.52, 4.44, and 3.47 (out of 5), respectively. Perceived educational effectiveness ratings were 4.09, 4.11, and 3.47. Participants reported that ideal numbers of challenge sites and participants per team were 3–4. Qualitative themes highlighted enhanced awareness of how biological sex and sociocultural attributes influence health outcomes, the value of interactive learning, and networking opportunities. Logistical barriers included registration, inclement weather including a downpour in Philadelphia, and course navigation. Conclusions The RAMS Hunt demonstrated feasibility and strong learner engagement in disseminating SSM content through a novel conference‐based gamification model. This innovation offers a replicable framework for integrating experiential, team‐based learning into professional society meetings. Opportunities remain to hone game logistics to enhance sustainability and broader adoption. Future evaluations will include objective measures of learning and knowledge retention.
ABSTRACT Background Trauma is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, and a disproportionate burden falls on low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). Proper triage and prompt resuscitation are critical to providing life‐saving care for these patients. Emergency Medicine (EM) is a rapidly growing field, and Emergency Department (ED) physicians often manage the immediate care for trauma patients. However, given a lack of EM residencies and EM‐specialized physicians in many LMICs, EDs are often staffed by general practitioners who may have limited formal trauma training. This review assesses the scope of published literature on trauma‐specific training for ED physicians in LMICs. Methods A literature search was conducted in April 2025 using PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus databases for publications about trauma training efforts for ED physicians in LMICs. Titles and abstracts were screened by two independent reviewers with discrepancies resolved by a third reviewer. Full‐text articles in English were included. Secondary literature and articles addressing pre‐hospital settings were excluded. Full‐text review and data extraction were performed by two independent reviewers. Results 261 unique articles were identified in the search and 14 articles from 12 LMICs were included. Studies primarily assessed the impact of short trauma courses averaging 2.65 days. Ten articles studied their impact on provider knowledge and confidence, three assessed clinical impact, and one detailed the process of creating a trauma course. Overall, articles were limited by small sample sizes and heterogeneous participant cohorts. Conclusions ED physicians play a critical role in trauma care, yet in LMICs their trauma‐specific training is limited. This review identified various short trauma courses demonstrating promising, yet limited, results in LMICs. Longitudinal assessment of knowledge retention, evaluation of skill application in clinical practice, and measurement of training effectiveness through clinical outcomes are opportunities to ensure adequate trauma education for ED physicians and strengthen trauma systems globally.
ABSTRACT Background Introspection and guidance shape an individual's academic path. Mentorship plays an essential role in intrapersonal development as well as organizational growth. Methods We present a literature synthesis and case scenarios based on a didactic sponsored by the Academy for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine (ADIEM), the Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine (AACEM), and the SAEM Faculty Development Committee delivered at the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) 2025 Annual Meeting. Results Mentors' guidance, coaching, and sponsorship are essential at all career stages. Successful mentorship is grounded in the mentee's goals. Mentee self‐reflection and communication are key to defining career goals and strategies for success at all career stages, whether in education, research, administrative, or operations. Mentorship can help early‐career faculty translate areas of interest into scholarship and advancement and can help mid‐career faculty with transitions to leadership positions, as well as mitigate career burnout and enhance satisfaction. Among late‐career faculty, mentorship can facilitate a shift toward legacy building, opportunities for growth, and new skill development. Mentors are key allies to help faculty pivot at any stage to ensure goals align with personal satisfaction. Conclusions Impactful mentorship requires communication, self‐discovery, and adaptability. Mutual respect and active engagement with a trusted mentor build the bridge to achieve a career vision and advance the specialty.
ABSTRACT Background Emergency medicine (EM) is increasingly dangerous for physicians and healthcare workers. Workplace violence (WPV) against staff is frequent and underreported and contributes to burnout, moral injury, and workforce attrition. EM clinicians face disproportionate WPV due to the unpredictable, high‐pressure work environment, complex patients, and limited systemic protections. Objective This concept paper aims to explore major challenges and reposition WPV from operational nuisance to critical systems‐level priority. It builds on SAEM Wellness Committee efforts and highlights a SAEM 2025 presentation that featured real‐world stories, national data, educational initiatives, and interventions to prevent and mitigate WPV. Methods A multi‐institutional SAEM Wellness Committee workgroup reviewed literature and national data related to WPV, collected EM lived experiences, and analyzed ongoing anti‐WPV efforts to frame the current state of WPV in EM and key challenges and initiatives. These insights contributed to creating a conceptual framework designed to guide educational reform, policy development, and systems‐level strategies to address WPV in EM. Results Exploration of WPV‐related literature, lived EM experiences, and exemplar initiatives reveals numerous challenges related to WPV, including persistent underreporting, cultural normalization, inadequate education and training, and fragmented or insufficient institutional responses. Clinician narratives highlight WPV's long‐lasting psychological toll and perceptions of inadequate support, protection, and institutional betrayal. We propose a tiered “Pyramid of Intervention” framework emphasizing psychological safety, clear reporting, institutional accountability, and prevention, alongside educational strategies such as de‐escalation training, structured debriefings, and leadership development, intentionally embedded throughout EM residency and lifelong professional development. Conclusion Addressing WPW demands cultural, systemic, and educational transformation. By embedding WPV education during residency training and reinforcing it through institutional commitment, EM can empower clinicians to lead safety efforts, drive systems improvement, and change culture. Embedding WPV mitigation into training and leadership efforts is essential to transforming EDs from battlegrounds into safe, healing environments.
ABSTRACT Background The Standardized Letter of Evaluation (SLOE) in Emergency Medicine (EM) was developed by the Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine (CORD) to have a uniform approach to providing training programs with information about applicants in the match process. Recent revisions distinguish what setting letter writers originate (residency based [RB] training program vs. non‐residency based [nRB] site). Objectives The goal of this paper was to compare SLOE 2.0 scoring between letter writers from RB versus nRB settings. Methods This was a multi‐institutional cross‐sectional study. The study team from five residency programs collected data from SLOEs in their applicant pool from 2022 to 2023 match cycle. Each SLOE was reviewed for training location/SLOE type (RB vs. nRB) and numerical scores for sections A, B, and C (Anticipated Guidance [AG]). The data were not normally distributed, so were analyzed using descriptive and chi‐squared statistics. Data were examined using Spearman's Rho ( ⍴ ) to evaluate the relationship of Part A and B scores with faculty estimates of AG. Results The study analyzed 3687 eSLOEs from 1772 applicants. The majority ( N = 3526) were from RB faculty with only 161 from nRB faculty. The median scores were similar between groups, but the distribution of Part A and B scores was different between RB and nRB faculty. One exception was A4 (ability to perform common ED procedures) which had similar proportions of scores. There was a positive monotonic relationship between evaluation scores (Part A and B) and faculty estimates for AG, predicting up to 30% variability. Overall eSLOEs from nRB faculty had higher proportions of higher scores. Conclusions This study found a significant difference in proportions of scores assigned between RB faculty versus nRB faculty on most items including AG.