What are the specific roles of the different classes of residents in the emergency department?
Interns generally join with an upper-level resident on one of four teams staffing the department. However, a resident typically will work directly with attending faculty when providing patient care, thus capitalizing on the ability to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to practice emergency medicine at the resident level. The second-year focus is on emergency medicine and critical care, generally taking the majority of trauma and medically unstable patients. The resident leads a patient care team in the department, and as the year progresses, so will the resident’s responsibilities for patient care. During the third year, residents assume administrative responsibility for the ED, including patient flow and patient care. Management techniques and patient care skills are maximized during this year. The PGY-3 provides oversight to all medical students and interns, as well as having independent medical command over the EMS Biotel system.
