Many students have asked me for an explanation of how the health care system works. When we are done with that, we'll review Consciousness and the Meaning of Life. That's a big question. So, let's take it in pieces. First let's look at Medicare. This is a government sponsored program that provides health care funding … Continue reading An introduction to Medicare and the Affordable Care Act
Enhancing pain scale effectiveness
I've never really understood the utility of the pain scale. I understand that certain certifying bodies mandate its use and therefore we're required to use it, but for me, when people consistently rate their pain at 11 or 13 - I never understood how I was to use this. Seems patients have difficulty with it … Continue reading Enhancing pain scale effectiveness
Splint Like a Pro
Paul Casey and I were making videos to teach splinting. The lighting was poor, the audio terrible and Paul's splint application technique was pathetic. So we instead decided to see if someone else has already done this. Luckily someone has. Rob Orman (from the ERcast podcast). It's called Splint-Like-A-Pro because Rob goes to the ortho … Continue reading Splint Like a Pro
Ubiquitous learning (uLearning) and iPads
The use of mobile devices (like smart phones and old school PDA's) allow for students to learn within the context of what they are studying. For example, a student learning about plants can be out in the forest with their device. A student learning about social sciences can be in a museum. The devices can … Continue reading Ubiquitous learning (uLearning) and iPads
How competitive am I for an EM match?
Emergency Medicine is one of 8 specialities that had 100% fill in the 2012 match. Of the 1,668 positions available, all of them filled. This means you couldn't scramble into a position if you didn't match. This doesn't mean it's impossible to get a position in an EM residency, but you got to play it … Continue reading How competitive am I for an EM match?
What do residency directors look for in their applicants?
Hello prospective Emergency Physicians. Dr. Casey and I have created this note to help maneuver through some of the documents that the NRMP (National Residency Matching Program) put out, specifically in regards to matching in Emergency Medicine. Our hope is that this can answer some of your questions before we meet, so we can spend … Continue reading What do residency directors look for in their applicants?
Radiolab: End of Life Care
There was an amazing piece on the Radiolab podcast this week (Jan 15, 2013) on perceptions of end-of-life care. This is an issue that we face in the Emergency Department as we see many patients who present in their last minutes. This may be an acute exacerbation of a chronically ill person or an acutely … Continue reading Radiolab: End of Life Care
What is your learning style?
In medicine, we are presented with information to learn in many different ways. Reams of journal articles and text book chapters Flowcharts and anatomical atlases (atli?) Managing a complicated patient on the first day of your rotation Paper cases allowing you time to reflect and digest information Regardless of how you learn best, you're going … Continue reading What is your learning style?
Index of Learning Styles
Felder and Silverman came up with a test to determine one's learning styles. Here are my results after taking the test. Apparently, I'm quite unbalanced. Results for: Rahul Patwari ACT 11 9 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 [7] 9 11 REF SEN 11 9 7 5 3 1 1 [3] 5 7 9 … Continue reading Index of Learning Styles
Ask students to make predictions
A student’s previous knowledge helps them establish new learning. By creating connections to this old material, they are able to build off it and solidify the new content in their minds. While teaching in the emergency department, this can be done by asking them to use their prior knowledge to make a prediction. They then … Continue reading Ask students to make predictions
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