IEM Fellowships
A two-year fellowship in International Emergency Medicine has been proposed by the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine as a means to foster this specialty abroad. Now formally established, the fellowship at LAC+USC offers the emergency physician who is interested in International Emergency Medicine ample opportunities to interact and cooperate with foreign governments, health centers, and medical schools.
A two-year fellowship for graduates of an accredited emergency medicine residency program in international emergency medicine is being developed. The concept of having a specialized training program in this field has been of tremendous interest at various national meetings of emergency medicine, especially at the SAEM and ACEP forums. SAEM guidelines for the development of international emergency medicine recently published in Academic Emergency Medicine proposed the initiation of fellowships in this field as integral to it's development. Graduates of the program will receive a certificate of completion. The International Emergency Medicine fellowship at LAC+USC will be funded by clinical hours worked in the Department of Emergency Medicine.
The fellowship will prepare the graduate to coordinate short-term international expeditions focusing on selected topics in emergency medicine. These topics include:
Team Selection
Supply Logistics
Travel Arrangements
Site Selection including needs assessment
Financial planning and fundraising including grant proposals
TeamVaccinations
Cooperation with foreign Ministry of Health
Interaction with US and Foreign Embassies
The fellow will participate in the planning, development, and implementation of various emergency medicine courses. Each course will be slightly different depending on the location and medical resources of the host country, but can include:
Development of an Emergency Medicine Residency Program
Essential Emergency Procedures
Trauma Resuscitation
Evaluation of Cardiac Disease
Pediatric Resuscitation
Emergency Ultrasound
Toxicology
Development of an Emergency Medicine Service (EMS)
Review of Current Emergency Medicine Literature
When possible, one to two admitted patients with interesting tropical diseases will be presented to emergency medicine residents by the International EM fellow. It will be an interactive session with a review of the clinical presentations, diagnosis, treatment, and disposition of each of these various infectious diseases. These diseases are often unique to USC+LAC given it's high volume of medical service to recently immigrated patients.
Research will be concentrated in tropical medicine, development of emergency medicine residencies and the specialty internationally. The impact of our courses and the amplitude of the international response will be followed closely. Also, there is ample opportunity to study the cultural and medical influences that certain substances, for example Betel Nut, Kava, Miraa, exert on the medical community. Publication of at least one abstract and paper to a peer-reviewed journal over the course of the year is required.
The fellow will give at least one grand round lecture on a topic pertaining to international emergency medicine.
Multiple infectious disease courses are given around the would, most notably Peru, England, Thailand, and the USA. If the fellow will participate in one of these courses so as to be eligible to sit for the national exam of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), time will be made available (up to 10 weeks) to complete these courses.
Funding for the fellowship will be through clinical shifts in the department of emergency medicine. Also, grant proposals will be submitted to various international agencies and corporations for projects in developing countries to promote emergency medicine
Residents are invited to participate in each expedition during vacation or unpaid elective time. Each participating resident will be required to provide one lecture per trip that pertains to the specific topic taught at that location. Stipends may be available for residents to subsidize the cost of each trip if funds can be secured from outside sources.