Clinical Curriculum

July Intern Orientation (1 block)

Location: Adult ED at University Hospital
Description:  Introductory month with a total of 6 ED shifts (3 Adult ED, 2 Pediatric ED, 1 Community ED)
Obtain certification in ACLS/PALS/ATLS training

During this month we do lectures, procedure sessions and simulation cases to prepare you for residency. You will also finish the month with an Intern Olympics simulation and question competition!

Adult ED (3 blocks)

Location: Adult ED at University Hospital
Description: Newly expanded in 2016, the Adult ED is the region's only level 1 trauma center, and with University Hospital functioning as the regions only certified comprehensive stroke center, burn center, emergency HBO center, and with the hospital's newly opened cancer center, these core Adult ED blocks provide a very wide and diverse population of patients, pathology, and clinical experiences.

Note: While on these Adult ED blocks throughout all 3 years of residency, residents will have a handful of Pediatric ED shifts scheduled during each block to provide an extensive and continuous Pediatric EM education and experience.

Pediatric ED (1 blocks)

Location: Pediatric ED at University Hospital
Description: The newly renovated and expanded Pediatric Emergency Department was opened in 2016 and provides residents with extensive experience and education in pediatric emergency medicine under the supervision of Pediatric EM fellows and renowned Pediatric EM attendings.

Our pediatric training is a robust curriculum with the focus of preparing residents to comfortably manage all types of pediatric patients and procedures. These PEM trained physicians play an active role in our conference didactics and longitudinally provide education to foster strong EM physicians caring for our pediatric population.
Note: While on Adult ED blocks throughout all 3 years of residency, residents will have a handful of Pediatric ED shifts scheduled during each block to provide an extensive and continuous Pediatric EM education and experience.

Anesthesia (0.5 block)

Description: Provides residents with opportunities to develop airway management skills including bag-valve mask ventilation and endotracheal intubation. Residents have the opportunity to work one-on-one with anesthesia attendings.
This is an unopposed rotation as there is no anesthesia residents present at community campus.

Upstate University Hospital Community Campus (1 block)

Description: Provides residents with the opportunity to work and train in a smaller ED in a community setting. Residents work one-on-one with an EM attending at the CC ED, providing an excellent opportunity for bedside teaching. The Community Campus ED features a separate wing for Geriatric Emergency Medicine (GEM Care Center), providing a unique experience in the ED evaluation and care of an ever-growing patient population.
This community rotation is a hidden gem of the program as it offers independence on decisions with a community feel but remains staffed by board certified EM physicians.

HBO/Wound Care  (0.5 block)

Description: Provides residents with opportunities to work with the Hyperbaric Oxygen treatment team and the Wound Care Clinic treatment team. Residents develop fundamental knowledge of the indications for, general management of, and physiology and physics behind hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Residents receive extensive education and training in wound management in the Wound Care Clinic. As the only emergency HBO center in the region, a diverse population of hyperbaric emergencies are seen during this rotation.
Our hyperbarics faculty also participate in extensive research and train Hyperbaric fellows from all areas of medicine which gives a unique opportunity to learn in this field.

Ultrasound (0.5 blocks)

Description: Provides residents with 2 weeks of dedicated education and hands-on training in the use of bedside ultrasound in the Emergency Department for diagnostic imaging and US-guided procedures. Residents work one-on-one with and receive direct feedback from Ultrasound Fellowship-trained attendings to enhance their bedside US skills and knowledge.
Residents participate in case reports on interesting cases and are offered the opportunity to present these at a national level.
Residents have a second US block in year 2 of residency as well.

Medical ICU (1.5 blocks)

Location: Crouse Hospital MICU (Syracuse, NY)
Description: Residents serve as interns on the ICU team at Crouse Hospital, which takes care of a large number of critically ill medical patients, as well as rounding on critically ill neurosurgery, neurology/stroke, and surgical patients. Skills developed include general care of the critically ill patient, ventilator management, vasoactive infusion management, and various skills and procedures such as central line placement.

Surgical  ICU (0.5 block)

Description: Residents serve as an intern on the SICU care team at Upstate University Hospital, which covers critically ill surgical patients, burn patients in the Clark Burn Center, and trauma patients. Being the only level 1 trauma center and burn center in central NY provides a large patient catchment area and a wide population of critical illnesses and injuries. Skills developed include general care of the critically ill surgical, trauma, and burn patient, ventilator management, vasoactive infusion management, and experience in various skills and procedures such as thoracostomy tube placement and management.

Obstetrics (1 block)

Location: St. Joseph's Hospital (Syracuse, NY)
Description: Provides residents with opportunities to develop assessment and management skills specific to the pregnant female. The resident functions as part of the Labor and Delivery team. Responsibilities include initial triage and management of the pregnant female, assisting the mother-to-be with vaginal delivery of her newborn and assisting the attending obstetrician with surgical cases.

Orthopedics (0.5 blocks)

Location: University Hospital
Description:  Residents will rotate on the orthopedic surgery consult service and see patients in the ED requiring fracture/dislocation reductions and learn indications for surgical intervention.

Teaching to Learn, Learning to Teach (TLLT) (1 block)

Location: EM-STAT Center (Syracuse, NY)
Description: Allows the 1st yr resident to work with senior residents in creating educational experiences, including giving lectures, teaching ACLS/PALS, formulating EM-STAT Simulator experiences and attending faculty meetings.
EMS experience is also contained within this block. The EMS rotation allows PGY-1 residents to experience how prehospital care is delivered in the Central New York region. There is sufficient flexibility in the EMS schedule to allow the rotation to be tailored to the resident's previous EMS experience as well as fostering any particular interests the resident may have within EMS.
This is a unique rotation developed to foster teaching skills during intern year and allows for involvement in medical student, paramedic, and residency education throughout the residents career.

VA ED (1 block)

Location: Syracuse VA Hospital ED (Syracuse, NY)
Description: Provides residents with the opportunity to work and train in a VA hospital. Residents work one-on-one with an EM attending at the VA ED, providing an excellent opportunity for bedside teaching.

Vacation: 2 non-consecutive weeks in an ED block throughout the intern year.