Program Design

The U.S. Army – Baylor University Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant Residency Program includes an 18-month curriculum consisting of 16 didactic sections and 20 clinical rotations. This includes 3,460 clinical training hours and 740 hours of classroom instruction. The degree curriculum requirements are based on the ACGME 2007 Model of Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine. The EM model is divided into three focus components: 1) an assessment of patient acuity; 2) a description of the tasks that must be performed to provide appropriate emergency medical care; and 3) a listing of common conditions, symptoms, and disease presentations. The EM Model represents essential information and skills necessary for the clinical practice of Emergency Medicine.

The didactic portion provides the technical foundation for further learning and development through emergency medicine lectures, conferences, and presentations. It is divided into 16 blocks of emergency medicine topics with reading assignments and monthly exams; there are multiple choice exams for 16 didactic reading assignments. The didactic portion consists of the following:

An introductory research course at the beginning of the residency designed to familiarize the residents with the research process and, more importantly, to facilitate the development of the skills necessary to critically analyze published scientific articles.
A one-month introduction to emergency medicine consisting of lectures, ALS, PALS, and/ or NRP certification, plus bedside ultrasound and critical EM procedures structured to allow each EMPA resident to make a smooth transition into the program.
Grand rounds, morning reports, procedure lab, trauma/ radiology/ ECG/ M&M conferences, and participation in emergency medicine research.
Academic evaluation through monthly exams on required readings, midterm and final written/oral examinations, case presentations, and continuing evaluation of skills during each rotation.
Research project suitable for publication.
Lectures to attendants of Grand Rounds or the Physician Assistant Introduction to Emergency Medicine Course.

The clinical rotation practicum is designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice through one-on-one supervised hands-on training. To be effective, the clinical practicum must be conducted in a true patient care environment. The EMPA resident applies the principles and procedures he has learned during the didactic phase. It is imperative this hands-on experience be an integral part of the entire program rather than a separate, unrelated experience. Because the projected assignments for EMPA residents will be in the outpatient setting, emergency and ambulatory care is emphasized. The clinical curriculum consists of 8 emergency department rotations, 3 intensive care rotations, 1 trauma and acute care surgery rotation, 2 pediatric rotations, 1 toxicology rotation, 1 radiology and ultrasound rotation, 1 oral maxillofacial rotation, 2 elective rotations and dedicated research blocks.

Midterm and final written and oral boards are based on the standards set by the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM). Further, this curriculum was selected by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) as the example for developing emergency medicine training residencies for advanced practice providers. The emphasis on individual research and evidence-based practice, combined with the excellent clinical curriculum, make the residency unique and desirable.

The research concentration of the program consists of a didactic phase during the first month of training, dedicated research blocks and individual research days scheduled throughout the 18-month course. The research course is designed to familiarize the residents with the research process and more importantly, to facilitate the development of the skills necessary to critically analyze published scientific articles.

There are several different emergency medicine and off service rotations throughout the 18-month residency. The focus of these rotations is to build a foundation for professional emergency medicine practice. Residents are expected to be proactive in learning the art and science of emergency medicine and to attain a degree of proficiency in the profession to perform in an unsupervised setting upon graduation. All residents are held to the high standards of the program and will be closely evaluated by the faculty.