Rapidly becoming a favorite among the fourth year class, the Emergency Medicine clerkship is a completely intranet web-based rotation. Students act as the primary physician for their patients and coordinate all aspects of their care under the direct supervision of the emergency medicine faculty and senior residents.

Students are expected to work a total of 15 eight-hour shifts during a 28-day period.  They enjoy two weekends free of clinical duties. The shifts include time in the Adult Emergency Department, Pediatric Emergency Department, Fast Track Area, an EMS ride along, and ACLS training on a patient simulator.

Eighteen lectures, based on the national curriculum’s “approach to” series, are given by emergency medicine faculty to the senior medical students. The students are also encouraged to attend the emergency medicine residency conferences during the week on Tuesdays from 8a-12:00p. All of the lectures are available on-line in Power Point with an accompanying handout and most are based on a case series format. There are separate reading assignments that are constantly updated and reviewed.  A case presentation, based on a clinical scenario the student encountered on the rotation, is required at the end of the rotation.  As well, there is a final multiple question examination covering the reading material and lectures.

Visiting medical students are welcome. Space is at a premium because this is a required rotation for Wake Forest University School of Medicine Phase IV students. Potential visiting students are encouraged to contact us as early as possible with their request.

Kim Askew, MD
Director, EM Undergraduate Medical Education