Medical Students

All Yale Medical Students participate in a three-week EM clerkship component. Students work closely with Yale EM faculty and residents while providing direct patient care. They are exposed to a wide range of chief complaints, pathologies and emergency medicine procedures. Shifts are scheduled at both the York Street and Saint Raphael's Campuses. All patient care is directly and closely supervised. Students rotate in groups through the Yale Center for Medical Simulation as part of a 12-week SAP simulation course. Small group case conferences are led by EM faculty and focus on applying clinical reasoning to common chief complaints in order to formulate comprehensive weighted differentials and evidence-based treatment plans.

The Yale Emergency Medicine Clerkship Component is a three-week component of the Surgical Approach to the Patient 12-week integrated clerkship focusing on the diagnosis and stabilization of emergency conditions.

Upon completion of the clerkship component, students will:

• Demonstrate basic knowledge needed to evaluate, treat and disposition common presentations in the emergency department. Some of these include chest pain, abdominal pain, and shortness of breath.
• Formulate weighted differential diagnoses and evidence-based management plans.
• Participate in common procedures in the emergency department such as venipuncture, wound management and, incision and drainage.
• Write a succinct note documenting important elements of the ED encounter - this must be done under the supervision of a resident or faculty team member.
• Accurately interpret common clinical tests such as EKGs, chest x-rays and serum electrolytes.
• Apply knowledge of pathophysiology to explain abnormal physical exam and/or laboratory findings.
• Understand patient concerns within the context of access to healthcare and community resources.
• Participate in a multidisciplinary patient care team.
• Demonstrate a professional demeanor and a positive attitude toward patient care.

Students will be expected to:

• Assess undifferentiated patients.
• Obtain a careful and concise history and perform a focused physical exam.
• Formulate differential diagnoses emphasizing both common and life-threatening concerns.
• Develop a plan and establish treatment priorities in consultation with attending and resident supervisors.
• Follow patient progress throughout the stay in the ED via serial exams and review of test results.
• Update nursing and other staff of plans and changes to plans.
• Communicate with consulting services.
• Arrange for timely patient follow-up.

Students will be given a grade of pass or fail based on their participation and engagement in the rotation. Students will be asked to assign faculty and resident evaluators who will provide a narrative commentary about student performance. Dr. Jessica Bod will compile all received feedback into the final course evaluation.

The following are required elements of the Third Year Clerkships:

• On time attendance at all assigned shifts in the emergency department. Lateness is not acceptable on the emergency medicine rotation.
  If you foresee a problem in attendance for your shift, please notify the course administrator, Rebecca Sullivan or course director, Dr. Jessica Bod as soon as the issue arises.
• Attendance and active participation at simulation sessions on Wednesday and Friday afternoons.
• Attendance and active participation at clinical reasoning conference on Monday afternoons.
• Attendance at residency lectures on Wednesday mornings.
• Completion of assigned learning modules.
• Submission of case and procedure log.

During this clerkship you will have allocated space at each site to store your belongings. The below list contains the site and location of each space for your use during the clerkship. There is no specific study space as you are expected to remain in the ED with your team while not taking a break for a meal.

Yale New Haven Hospital Main Campus

• Emergency Department, first floor.
  • Resident lounge room. It is a locked room. Residents can provide you with access when you arrive.

Yale New Haven Hospital St. Raphael Campus

• Emergency Department, first floor.
  • Staff break room. A secure room for students to leave their belongings. Your badge should give you access.

Advanced rotators may participate in a traditional EM or combined EM/Ultrasound sub-internship. This is a four-week rotation in which the student's role mirrors that of an EM PGY-1 resident. Students are assigned shifts in the York Street emergency department to allow them to experience the breadth and depth of EM. Students are supervised by senior EM residents and faculty. Bedside teaching is supplemented by simulation, ultrasound image review and weekly EM didactics. The combined EM/Ultrasound sub-internship is an advanced rotation for students who have already completed one EM sub-internship and incorporates scanning shifts for in depth study of bedside ultrasound.

The Yale University Department of Emergency Medicine (DEM) welcomes visiting students to participate in a four-week emergency medicine sub-internship. Yale uses the VSAS system for accepting applications from students interested in visiting rotations. In addition, please contact Dr. Jessica Bod if you require more information about the rotation or contact Lorraine Roseman for administrative concerns.

We offer an Emergency Medicine Bedside Ultrasound Elective for visiting students. It can be either two weeks or four weeks in length. Please contact Dr. Rachel Liu for more information.

The Yale Emergency Medicine Residency Program strives for excellence in all areas. In order to enhance healthcare workforce diversity, Emergency Medicine offers a scholarship of $1,500 to eligible students accepted for a Sub-Internship at the Yale Emergency Medicine Program.

If interested, here are the three steps to apply for the scholarship:

1. Submit your VSAS application
2. Review eligibility to confirm you are eligible and then submit Yale’s Visiting Student Scholarship Program Application
3. Email Lisa Courtney, EM Residency Program Coordinator (lisa.courtney@yale.edu) including:
   1. Confirmation that you have submitted your VSAS application to the Yale School of Medicine, Emergency Medicine Elective (please specify which electives applied to)
   2. A copy of your curriculum vitae
   3. Statement explaining your interests in leadership and academics at the time of your VSAS submission