Educational Activities

	Weekly Didactic Conference Formal Didactic Conferences are held every Tuesday from 7:30 am - 12:30 pm in the Hospital Auditorium. This is protected time, and residents are expected to attend, regardless of what service they are currently on. Our format combines a mixture of lectures given by residents, staff attendings, guest lecturers from outside departments, interdepartmental interactive trauma lectures, M&M, oral boards exams, and study guide intended for boards prep. Emphacize is placed on making the educational activities more interactive. We also have Toxicology lectures given by one of the Board Certified Toxicologists on staff. Twice per month, a "oral boards exam" is held, in which an EM-2 or EM-3 resident undergoes a simulated oral boards presented by a faculty member. This exercise has contributed greatly to the continued success of Christ residents on the Oral Boards.
Simulation Lab We are exceedingly fortunate to have our own state-of-the art Simulation Lab for our training; and participate in frequent adult and pediatric Simulation cases. These are often conducted in concert with the nursing staff to build teamwork and communication. The Simulation Lab provides an opportunity to learn and practice caring for critical patients, and allows for practice of a wide variety of procedures.
Annual Oral Board Exam Once a year, all residents (EM-1 through EM-3) participate in an oral board exam presented by faculty members. The set up is designed to closely mimic the ABEM Oral Boards, with 3 sets of single and multiple patient encounters. Feedback is provided to improve performance. Along with the oral board exams that are held during conference, these additional practice boards contribute greatly to the success of our residents in the ABEM Oral Boards.
	Procedure Labs Annually, the department provides a variety of activities to augment the residents' experience. These include ACLS and PALS. An annual Airway Course is conducted by department faculty. Residents are instructed in the use of various advanced airway techniques including rigid and flexible fiberoptic intubation, laryngeal mask airways, lighted stylet intubation, retrograde intubation and cricothyroidotomy. A Suture Lab conducted during Orientation reviews the basic techniques of wound repair. Dental Lab reviews common dental emergencies and frequently used dental blocks. Eye Lab provides an opportunity to practice the use of the slit lamp, panoptic ophthalmoscope, tonopen, and to practice ocular foreign body removal. A Procedure Lab is conducted at the beginning of EM-2 year to give residents hands-on experience in chest tube placement, central line placement, burr hole, pacemaker placement, diagnostic peritoneal lavage, thoractomy and open heart massage via the use of a porcine model. A lab on Regional and Procedural Anesthesia is currently being developed.
Journal Club Journal clubs are held every two months at the home of an attending or at a local Chicago restaurant. Journal Club functions as a combined academic and social event, offering us the opportunity to discuss relevant and evidence based research in emergency medicine literature. Three to five articles are analyzed and presented by residents, and disucssion and analytic dissection of the articles is encouraged. There is an emphasis on evidence based improvement of daily clinical practice.
	Ultrasound Workshops Under the leadership of Dr. Michael Lambert, our Emergency Department ultrasound program has grown in reputation and is an integral part of our residents' education. There are three ultrasound machines within the department for trainees to access. Many of our ED attendings are RDMS (Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer) certified, and many other attendings use ultrasonagraphy regularly. Dr. Lambert and the current Ultrasound fellow also hold multiple ultrasound workshops yearly, reviewing the basics of Emergency Ultrasound with ample time and guidance for hands-on practice. Established in 1996, the Emergency Department at Advocate Christ Medical Center offers a fellowship program in Emergency Ultrasonography. Our goal is that the Fellowship Program not only trains fellows, but advances the learning of our residents in emergency ultrasound. The fellows are responsible for providing hands-on instruction and didactic lectures on ultrasonography. For more information on our Emergency Ultrasonography website, click here.
Other Educational Activities Spanish Club is held once monthly at a local Chicago Latin American restaurant, and provides a fun and relaxing atmosphere in which to eat, drink, and of course learn and practice Medical Spanish. Life After Residency lectures/discussions are held once monthly at a local restaurant, and important topics involved in the non-clinical practice of Emergency Medicine are covered. This provides an excellent resource in career planning, contract negotiation, billing and coding, applying for jobs, and many other important topics.