Below you will find a list of commonly asked questions in regards to the Emergency Medicine Department at SUNY Downstate/Kings County Hospital.
What can I expect as a student rotating in the emergency medicine department? As a student rotating in the ER, you can expect to see several of the major chief complaints of ER patients as well as some procedures. Potential cases you may encounter include but are not limited to orthopedic injuries, vaginal bleeding, resuscitation, trauma, chest pain etc. MS1-Ms3 students will be restricted to specific tasks based on medical knowledge and experience. Your exposure will be based on the course, your clinical level and comfort with conducting procedures.
What is professionalism in EM? EM Professionalism
How long is the clerkship rotation? Our clerkship rotation runs for 4 week’s.
How many week’s are the elective rotations? Some rotations are 2 week’s and some have the option to be 4 week’s. It depends on the course, you can find more details in our course catalog posted in banner or in the student education section on this website.
I would like more exposure in EM but, the courses don’t match my interest. What should I do? We have courses at Staten Island Hospital and Maimonides Medicial Center. We also have the option of creating an elective based on a students interest. However, student’s must find the appropriate EM faculty to run their elective. After deparmental approval the course can be created.
Will I be assigned to an attending while on shift? When students arrive in the ER, they will be assigned to either an attending, resident, PA or fellow for their shift. In some cases you may be assigned to work with multiple people on a team. (EM speciality students will have some shifts assigned to specific attendings)
Can I rotate at a different site? Yes, clerkship students have the option of rotating at there home site here at SUNY Downstate (UHB/UHD) Kings County (KCH) or at one of our affiliate sites. We currently host rotations at Brookdale Hospital in Brownsville, Brooklyn or Maimonides Medical Center in Borough Park, Brooklyn. (Maimo is only available in the spring) We have home electives as well as away electives, for more details refer to the course catalog. We also host a emergency elective at Staten Island Hospital, however the 4 week core elective must be completed at SUNY/KCH, Brookdale or Maimonides.
I am registering for my EM clerkship and I am unable to see the affiliates in the catalog. The affiliate assignments happen within the SUNY/KCH rotation. They are not standalone courses. Students will have the opportunity to select their site preferences along with schedules. We do not guarantee slots in either category.
Where will I rotate in the department? Regardless of site assignment, EM clerkship students will have shifts in various areas in the ER. These areas include the critical care and trauma area, peds, adult care and fast track areas of the hospital. (EM speciality students will have the opportunity to rotate in the OBS unit as well if shifts are available)
I looked at my SUNY schedule, what do the acronyms stand for? CCT – Critical care and trauma (located only at KCH), FT – fast track, PEDS – pediatric emergency, Adult/Pod A – adult area of the ED.
How long are my shifts? All students rotating at SUNY Downstate/Kings County will be assigned to 8-hr shifts. Brookdale students will be assigned to 12-hr shifts and Maimo students will have a variation of shift hours from 6-12 hours.
What are the shift times for the rotation? SUNY/Downstate/Kings County rotators will have a combination of 3 shifts during the rotation. The shift times are 7am-3pm, 3pm-11pm and 11pm-7am. (EM speciality students have additional shift times based on Director/Advisor schedules) Brookdale rotators will work either 7am-7pm or 7pm-7am. Maimo rotators will have several shifts during the rotation.
How many shifts will I attend as a clerkship student? SUNY Downstate rotators will be assigned 15 clinical shifts. Brookdale students are assigned to 10 clinical shifts. Maimo students are assigned to 12 clinical shifts.
I need time off during the rotation, who should I contact? Student’s who anticipate more than 3 schedule changes or 3 straight days off in the rotation should contact the education coordinator. This rotation allows 3 accommodations for personal, religious, educational and interview request. Student’s who require more than 3 days off should reconsider taking the rotation in the registered month.
Can I make my own schedule? No, under any circumstances can a student create their schedule. Student’s who mistankenly or intentionally change their schedules without approval will be required to complete 2 additional shifts. Any shifts attended outside of the schedule do not count towards the 15 assigned shifts. Student’s will have the opportunity to select a schedule when schedule request are released. Students who do not complete the request before the deadline will be assigned a schedule and site based on availability. The EM department does not allow switches amongst students, you must follow your assigned schedule.
Will our rotation include teaching rounds? Unfortunately, we do not have teaching rounds in the ER. Due to the nature of the rotation and the unpredicatability of non-urgernt and urgent care situations we are unable to have full teaching rounds. However, you will have the ability to learn from your assigned shift supervisor while working together on patients.
Will there be an lecture series? Yes, on Thursdays during the rotation, students will attend a mandatory didactic session with a member of our department to discuss important topics in Emergency Medicine. These lectures will include cardiovascular, neurovascular, GI, obstetrics/gynecology, toxicology, orthopedics, neurology, sepsis, pediatrics and trauma. Students will be given hands-on training in managing cases in our simulation lab each week, under the guidance of the SIM Director Residents and Fellows. They will be challenged with real-time decision-making individually, as well as with their team, treating medically complex patients.On Wednesdays, students have the option to join the residents and faculty for Resident Conference, with additional lectures, discussion and labs. There are also a series of internal lectures posted in the EM library on the student website.
Does this course have any required assignments? Yes, student’s will have weekly assignments from the department and College of Medicine. Deadlines will be provided via the website.
Are there any mentorship opportunities while on shifts? EM speciality students will have the opportunity to work with their assigned advisor and an EM Director from the residency department.
Who can I speak to about my interest in EM? All students are encouraged to speak to the academic advisor when narrowing down their speciality. You can also speak to Dr. Linda Fan, Clerkship Director at SUNY Downstate regarding your interest and interest.
I have an interest in EM and it is my top speciality, when should I sign up for my clerkship? Students who have an interest in our speciality should consider taking the rotation in the months of May-August. We also accept EM speciality students in the month of September however, letters will not be available to upload when ERAS opens.
I am applying to EM, how do I request an eSLOE? All students requesting an eSLOE must complete the EM rotation at SUNY Downstate/Kings County Hospital. During the rotation, students will be provided details to request a SLOE from the department.
I am interested in EM, can I take a PEM course for an eSLOE? You will receive the option of requesting a sub-speciality SLOE. This is not a committee letter and you will only rotate through the Peds division within the ER.
Are masks still required in the ED? Although, mask policies have changed throughout the hospital, students are still encouraged to wear a mask while in the ER.
Will I be required to work with COVID-19 patients? All MS3/MS4 students can work with COVID patients. However, patients are not tested upon arriving to the ER. This means that there will be exposure to COVID-19 patients.