Think just because you are a young, healthy physician that you are invinceable? Read this post and remember that we are vulnerable too...even more so because we often refuse to acknowledge when we are sick. This week's Advanced Practice topic comes to us courtesy of a Cooper EM alum. The story is told with full permission from the patient, his wife, though names are omitted to prevent any possible HIPPA entanglements!

Last Thursday was the yearly Cooper EM residency retreat at the shore in Avalon, NJ. In addition to some spectacular teaching tips on summer emergencies, we had some great small group discussion and role-playing regarding one of the toughest (and least discussed) aspects of our jobs: difficult discussions with consultants, admitting physicians, and patients. Read on for some great interpersonal communications tips (and some pics of the Cooper EM residents hard at work).

Are you a graduating senior resident?  Looking for some great advice as you transition to independent practice?  This week, four of our recent graduates, Drs. Smolar, Wilsey, Beck and Jablow, returned to provide words of wisdom about their first year out. 

Staying alert and functioning at a high level during an overnight shift in the Emergency Department is often a matter of life or death for your patients. Many of us employ the use of caffeine at all hours to combat the slow (sometimes rapid) creep of fatigue which hampers our skillset. Most providers can relate to those moments when a cup of coffee is just not what you are looking for. This post intends to introduce an alternative vehicle for caffeine designed for members of the military: Military Energy Gum. 

In the era of Press Ganey, patient-oriented outcomes, hospital reimbursement, and physician compensation are all tied to patient satisfaction. Improving patient satisfaction is now a multi-billion dollar industry and encroaches on every aspect of healthcare, including residency training. How do doctors at the beginning of their careers affect patient satisfaction and impact Press Ganey Scores? This post reviews two studies shedding light on this issue.

A high-yield review of the past week on EMDaily

Practicing in an Emergency Department gives any Emergency Physician a different perspective on many facets of life. We operate on the borders of life and death 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. However this constant commitment to our patients does not come without a price. For many of us, our careers in Emergency Medicine have some negative effect on our personal wellness and a common area that suffers is our sleep.