Emergency Medicine

"Emergency medicine is a field of practice based on the knowledge and skills required for the prevention, diagnosis and management of acute and urgent aspects of illness and injury affecting patients of all age groups with a full spectrum of episodic undifferentiated physical and behavioural disorders; it further encompasses an understanding of the development of pre-hospital and in-hospital emergency medical systems and the skills necessary for this development." (As defined by the International Federation for Emergency Medicine, 1991)

While much of the work is based in the emergency department, emergency medicine specialists may also be involved in observation medicine, hyperbaric medicine, toxicology, retrieval, pre-hospital care or academic emergency medicine.

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Interview

Interview - Dr David Peak

Dr David Peak is Co-Chair of the Vocational Training Committee for Emergency Medicine and an Emergency Medicine Consultant at Waitemata District Health Board. David talks to Auckland Doctors about an exciting career in Emergency Medicine! ⇡ Top

There are currently about 45 Registrar posts across three Auckland Hospitals.

Sub Specialties

Across our Auckland hospitals, you can gain experience in:

• Intensive Care
• Paediatric Intensive Care
• Cardio - Vascular Intensive Care
• Paediatric Emergency Medicine
• Anaesthesia

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How to train as an Emergency Medicine Specialist

Training to become an Emergency Medicine Specialist in Auckland is a comprehensive five year programme that encompasses all of the rotations required to fulfil the requirements for advanced training of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM). This involves rotations through the Emergency Departments of Auckland, Middlemore, North Shore and Starship Hospitals as well as a number of rotations to other departments.

As a necessary part of this there are active Regional Part I and Part II teaching programmes with specific exam orientation and general continuing medical education programmes within each department.

The format of advanced training is outlined in the College Handbook.

The provisional training year can comprise 6 months of Emergency Medicine and 6 months in an accredited non Emergency Medicine specialty, or alternatively 12 months in Emergency Medicine.

Advanced trainees are required to complete an additional 2 and a half years in accredited Emergency Departments and a total of 18 months in non Emergency Medicine specialties.

Advanced training also has a compulsory paediatric component which runs in parallel to, and not in addition to the above time periods.

A variety of special interest disciplines can be incorporated within the training programme usually for a period of 6 months. Trainees should discuss options with the Directors of Emergency Medicine Training.

For more information about training requirements of the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine, click here.

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Criteria

It is desirable for applicants to fit the following criteria:

• Current staff showing satisfactory progress
• Applicants familiar with medical practice the NZ Public Health Service
• Those holding general registration
• Trainees who are registered with the ACEM
• Those who have been in an accredited ACEM registrar position previously
• Applicants with positive references from a FACEM
• Those who have passed their Part 1 and/or Part 2 exams in Emergency Medicine- please note that passing your part 1 examination is not as high on the priority list as direct evidence that the applicant is suitable for emergency medicine.
• Dual Trainees are welcome

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Contacts

Who can I talk to and where to next?

The training programme in Auckland is organised by the Emergency Medicine Vocational Training Committee with representation from all hospitals across Auckland and the Department of Paediatrics, University of Auckland. This Committee is committed to further improve the quality of teaching in Emergency Medicine in Auckland.