Early postgraduate education in emergency medicine: The acute care program at the Royal Hobart Hospital

Introduction: The early postgraduate years following intern training and before entering specialist training can be a challenging time for junior doctors with often little interest paid by institutions and colleges towards their on-going education needs. This deficiency was recognized and has been addressed through the development of the Acute Care Program. Residents rotate through terms with relevance towards acute care, such as DEM, anaesthetics, ICU, O & G, paediatrics, and rural general practice. The participants meet fortnightly and present cases, perform scenarios with mannequins, and receive tutorials from emergency physicians. The tutorials are organized around adult learning theory and techniques, and are prospective and case-based in nature.

Study Objectives: To describe the program, and to determine the effectiveness of the program and its acceptance by residents.

Methods: Questionnaire sent to previous participants in the Acute Care Program at RHH.

Results: Most residents found that the program provided useful exposure to acute clinical medicine and increased their understanding of the practice of emergency medicine.

Conclusions: Participation in a structured program as a junior doctor can enhance learning at such a time, and also serves to increase the profile and enhance the reputation of the department of emergency medicine within the hospital.