Emergency Medicine Specialist

Emergency medicine specialists are doctors who treat patients in emergency rooms. Heart attack, gunshot wound, and car accident victims receive lifesaving medical treatments in emergency rooms. As a result, emergency rooms are typically fast paced and chaotic environments.

In addition to administering life-saving treatments, emergency room doctors are responsible for deciding which patients are treated first when emergency rooms are busy.

When a patient arrives in an emergency room, emergency room doctors review medical histories, evaluate patients, and then decide what tests to administer. They're also responsible for determining whether patients should be discharged or remain at a hospital.

Working Conditions

Emergency rooms operate around the clock. Emergency room doctors usually work shifts in 8, 10, or 12 hour increments. During shifts, they typically see multiple patients with various injuries and medical conditions.

Emergency room doctors must be calm, physically fit, and decisive. They must also be prepared to witness gore and handle panicking patients.

Emergency medical doctors are employed at hospitals, medical schools, and medical clinics offering emergency services.

Career Training and Education

Most medical students are required to spend time in emergency rooms. Even students not interested in emergency medicine train in emergency rooms to prepare for future situations when treatment plans must be developed quickly.

Many medical students apply for emergency medicine residencies. Therefore, medical school graduates with the best letters of recommendation and grades are typically accepted.

Following a residency in emergency medicine, you'll be required to pass an oral and written test and complete additional life support training to become board certified. To remain certified, this test must be passed every decade.