School of Medicine

 

Graduate Studies in Emergency Medicine

DM in Emergency Medicine

Aims

The aim of the D.M. in Emergency Medicine is to train doctors in the specialty of Emergency Medicine to a level that allows them to provide clinical support and administrative leadership to their Emergency Departments. Successful DM candidates will practice at the level of consultants and Emergency Medicine. The D.M. programme will accept candidates with minimal experience in Emergency Medicine and achieve the above goal within the four-year training period.

Admission Criteria

* Graduates of Medical Schools approved by the Medical Board of Trinidad and Tobago.

* Candidates must have successfully completed their internship and are fully registered with the Medical Board of Trinidad and Tobago.

Programme Structure

The DM in Emergency Medicine is a full time residency programme, based on a comprehensive curriculum. Candidates will spend approximately half their time in Emergency Medicine, and will be expected to rotate through the following specialties during the programme:

* Anaesthesia (3 months)
* Surgery (3 months)
* Adult Medicine (3 months)
* Orthopaedics (3 months)
* Paediatrics (3 months)
* Obs & Gynae / Psych (3 months)
* Family Medicine (3 months)

Teaching Methods

DM candidates will be expected to cover their curriculum through a variety of educational opportunities. These would include:

* Clinical supervision: the majority of clinical training in the DM programme will be facilitated through direct clinical supervision during normal work. Supervisors will include consultants in Emergency Medicine as well as those consultants in charge of candidates during their secondments to other specialties.

* Weekly tutorials: All DM candidates will be expected to meet weekly for tutorials in Emergency Medicine, which would aim at covering the core curriculum over the first three years.

* Monthly tutorials: DM candidates will be required to attend monthly teaching sessions with candidates from the M.Sc. programme. These tutorials will provide a systems based approach to topics in Emergency Medicine and utilize a variety of educational tools including problem based learning, formal tutorials and skills labs.

* Other educational activities: Candidates will be expected to attend other educational activities during their course, including departmental teaching (both in Emergency Medicine and during secondments).

* Short Courses: DM candidates will be offered the opportunity to attend relevant short courses in emergency care, including the Advanced Life Support Courses (Cardiac, Paediatric and Trauma).

Curriculum

While the majority of teaching in the DM will be related to direct clinical supervision, the programme follows a fixed curriculum, which is the same as for the DM programmes in Barbados and Jamaica.

The DM curriculum covers the following topics on a four-year rolling teaching cycle:

1. Principles of Emergency Care
2. Major and Soft Tissue Trauma
3. Otolaryngologic Disorders
4. Ophthalmologic Disorders
5. Cardiovascular Disorders
6. Thoracic/Respiratory Disorders
7. Abdominal & Gastrointestinal Disorders
8. Urogenital Disorders
9. Obstetrics and Gynaecological Disorders
10. Infectious Diseases
11. Paediatric Disorders
12. Musculoskeletal Disorders
13. Toxicologic Emergencies
14. Neurologic Disorders
15. Environmental Emergencies
16. Immune System Disorders
17. Metabolic and Hormonal Disorders
18. Haematological disorders
19. Dermatological Disorders
20. Psycho behavioural Disorders
21. Administration and Management
22. Emergency Medical Services
23. Physician Interpersonal Skills
24. Manipulative Skill