Global Emergency Medicine - Emergency Medicine

About

Emergency medical care is essential for reducing the morbidity and mortality consequential to a host of disease processes. This benefit has been primarily in high income countries where the majority of emergency clinicians reside, and where the majority of research is performed. The World Health Organization estimates that up to 50 percent of the excessive mortality burden borne by low- and middle-income countries might be eradicated by the development of effective emergency care. The Global Emergency Medicine fellowship leverages experience and research informing the practice of emergency medicine in order to educate clinicians, collaborate to improve existing systems, and ultimately improve the quality of emergency care delivered in resource-limited environments. We envision a world where emergency medical expertise is common, specific to the needs of local patients, and evidence-based.

Objectives

Gain knowledge and expertise in the diagnosis and management of diseases specific to tropical and resource limited emergency settings.
Gain a broader understanding of humanitarian response, collaboration with non-government organizations, and the delivery of emergency care within the framework of SPHERE principles.
Innovate in the education of clinicians at home and abroad in the delivery of resource limited emergency care.
Facility to navigate the ethical issues peculiar to resource-limited medicine.
Learn to travel wisely, including food and water safety, navigation of customs, collaboration with local medical systems.

Curriculum

The Global Emergency Medicine fellowship can take place over one or two years. Those who choose to complete the fellowship in one year will earn a Global Health Certificate through the UAB School of Public Health. Those who choose to complete a two year fellowship will earn a master's degree in public health or equivalent.

UAB Global Health Fellowship Curriculum

Curriculum Outlined

Education:

Internal lecture series (July – December)
Diploma of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (Gorgas or equivalent course)
Humanitarian Response Intensive Course (Harvard Course or equivalent)
Graduate Certificate in Global Health (15 graduate credit hours through UAB School of Public Health)
Joint Grand rounds with University of Kentucky

Professional Development:

Direct mentoring
National leadership opportunities through ACEP
Regional/national speaking opportunities
Hospital committee engagement (SIDT, employee health, etc)
Adjunct course instructor (MS4 course, ultrasound training for hospitalists, etc)
Attending a national EM conference
School of Medicine engagement
- Bedside supervision / teaching of medical students / residents / APPs
Mentored research project
- Formal UAB research training course

Field Work:

1 month clinical trip (Historically Tenwek Hospital, Kenya)
1 – 2 short field assignments
- Trip preparation, logistics planning, personnel recruitment, wise travel preparation, collaboration with local medical systems

Left: Field work being completed in Kenya. Right: Gorgas Diploma course in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H) small group.

Left: Harvard humanitarian course simulation. Right: Fellows and faculty members teaching at the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) meeting.

Combined fellowship opportunities

Fellows may choose to complete combined fellowships in Global Emergency Medicine and Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Resource-Limited Settings (PURLS) or Social Emergency Medicine/Population Health. Choosing to complete a combined fellowship will require a total of two years of study. Those who choose to combine the Global Emergency Medicine and Social Emergency Medicine/Population Health fellowships will complete an MPH degree as part of their studies.