Objective
The purpose of the LAG+USC International Emergency Medicine (IEM) Residency Track is to both provide exposure and foster a deeper understanding of international emergency medicine as a subspecialty. The track will be particularly useful for residents intending on making sustainable and responsible international work a part of their future careers. This will be achieved through a core-topic curriculum, a journal club, a mentorship program, and a capstone scholarly project.
Curriculum
The IEM core-topic curriculum is developed to help residents gain a foundational understanding of the field. As part of the residency track, residents are expected to participate in an online and in-person curriculum, focusing on topics in the following fields:
- Humanitarian IEM
- IEM Systems
- Ethics in IEM
- Research in IEM
- Careers in IEM
During a three month period, the curriculum will focus on a specific topic, with brief reading assignments and online lecture associated with topic. An in-person discussion group will be held at the end of each period to synthesize the curriculum material. Participation in at least 2 in-person discussion groups per year is necessary for certification.
Journal Club
Journal club will be held to encourage deeper dives into core IEM topics. The journal clubs will be organized by an IEM track resident. The resident will identify and facilitate a group discussion on 1-2 relevant articles. Participation at at least 1 journal club per year is necessary for certification. Additionally, in order to be eligible for the IEM certificate (as described below) a resident must organize at least one journal club during residency.
Mentorship Program
For residents interested in the field of IEM, a preliminary meeting will be conducted towards the beginning of the year to assess for specific fields of interest. A mentor will be paired with each resident based on the resident’s interest and career goals. As a basic requirement, the resident and mentor should meet at least twice per year to discuss the resident’s progress and facilitate early planning of electives. The mentor will also help the resident in identification and execution of their scholarly project.
Scholarly Project
For certification in the IEM track, all residents will complete a scholarly project of their choosing. Residents will be expected to work under mentorship guidance on this project. All research projects must receive IRB approval. This scholarly output can also fulfill the requirement for residency graduation for the LAG+USC EM program.
Certificate
A certificate in IEM will be awarded to graduating 4th year residents who demonstrate particular interest and dedication to the field of IEM. The resident will be expected to:
- Attend at least one journal clubs and two in-person discussion groups per year
- Organize and lead at least 1 journal club
- Participate in the mentorship program
- Complete a scholarly project that focuses on a relevant IEM topic