Diploma Program in Emergency Medicine Curriculum Overview

A. Curriculum

The entire course is divided into 12 monthly modules covering the curriculum. Each module will begin with a pre-test to gauge the candidates’ knowledge on clinical topics and end with a post-test to measure the candidates’ level of comprehension and mastery of the materials of the module. Required readings will be assigned for each month.  The mandatory 2 day contact session every month will consist of hands-on clinical and skills training. In addition, the candidates will receive a monthly set of educational assignments and responsibilities. A member of the faculty will be available to assist the candidates with any questions or concerns and to provide guidance.

The primary textbook will be Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide 6th edition edited by Judith E. Tintinalli. In addition, Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice will serve as a supporting textbook, and Clinical Procedures in Emergency Medicine by James R. Roberts and Jerris Hedges will be used to teach necessary procedures in the emergency department. The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) and the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD) have developed a “Model Curriculum for Emergency Medicine” (Appendix A), and this model curriculum will serve as a basis for the Diploma program’s modular topics.

The following table describes the curriculum details for the 12-month Diploma program:

Table 1. Curriculum for Post-Graduate Diploma Program in Emergency Medicine

B. Educational Program

Fundamental components of the education program include:

• Clearly defined goals and objectives for the topic months
• Lectures on the modular topic of the month
• Evidence-based medicine
• Journal article discussions
• Grand rounds and guest speakers
• Procedures and skills seminars
• Presentations by the Diploma candidates

The content of the seminars will also focus on the modular topic for the particular month. Diploma candidates will also have the opportunity to prepare presentations for their colleagues which will improve the Diploma candidates speaking and presentations skills. The Emergency Medicine faculty will also invite experts from other fields such as cardiology, surgery, and pediatrics to give guest lectures on important topics that are related to emergency medicine. Diploma candidates will be expected to read assigned chapters in their textbooks and to read relevant journal articles. MFA-RRIEM or IMA-CGP will provide a faculty member onsite for 2 days each month during the program for intensive academic instruction and for project oversight. Program participants will be expected to travel to a designated location for these clinical sessions.

C. Distance Educational Component

The required readings and hands-on training sessions will be supplemented by a significant distance education component to the program. The RRIEM and the Medical Faculty Associates at the George Washington University have developed an interactive password protected website for the Diploma programs in India.  The site includes the links to the various institutional web sites, listing, e-mail addresses and pictures of faculty and Diploma candidates at the various sites, and modular educational programs for the preceding and current months for the Diploma program, similar to the resources for the residency program at GWU.  The educational material includes:

• Powerpoint presentations of the lectures from GW faculty for the month
• Reading assignments
• Supplemental powerpoint lectures
• Key articles of interest
• Journal club articles for the month

The site also contains links to many emergency medicine sites containing instructional videos, etc.

D. Contact Program:                                                             

Participants are required to attend mandatory monthly contact sessions each of 2 days duration. These sessions will be conducted at selected centers at established hospitals with appropriate training facilities and trained staff as recognized by the stakeholders. Attendance and satisfactory completion of these sessions are essential for the completion of the diploma program and subsequent certification. A minimum of 10/12 sessions must be attended by each candidate in order to qualify to for the examination and certificate.

E. Evaluation and Assessment

The Diploma candidates will take monthly pre-tests and post-tests for each module topic to assess their continuous learning and incorporation of the emergency medicine knowledge and skills. The Diploma candidates will also be given an opportunity to provide feedback and assessments of the Diploma program and the instructors on periodic basis. A rigorous end of the year written and oral exam will be required for program completion. The senior members of the Society for Emergency Medicine in India (SEMI) will be invited to participate as oral examiners.