Emergency medicine is one of the most competitive and interesting medical specialties that provide medical students with clinical skills and medical knowledge required to provide acute and lifesaving care. Emergency medicine physicians are trained to treat patients with life-threatening conditions. Their primary job is to stabilize patients by preventing, diagnosing, and managing illnesses and injuries.
Emergency medicine specialty provides medical students with an in-depth understanding of pre-hospital and in-hospital emergency medical systems. As an emergency physician, you are supposed to provide specialized emergency care for the acutely ill and treat all kinds of injuries to provide urgent care. Emergency medicine doctors are also trained to work in private clinics, public hospitals, and community health centers.
They are responsible for treating a myriad of medical conditions and life-threatening conditions, such as asthma attacks, heart attacks, fractures, bone injuries, appendicitis, pregnancy related emergencies and much more. As an emergency physician, you should provide urgent and appropriate treatment to sustain the patient, make an effective diagnosis and provide successful treatment.
If truth be told, emergency medicine requires outstanding medical knowledge and clinical skills. If you have an interest in this competitive medical specialty and want to become an emergency medicine physician. Here are some important personal traits you need to develop during your medical school journey to become an emergency physician.
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Calm and Composed
ER doctors have to deal with a number of cases throughout the day, they need to stay focused and calm to provide unique treatment to every patient. Many emergency physicians have to face different situations, you need to counsel a family and discuss the condition of the patient. You also need to deal with patients with very serious conditions and at the same time you have to provide medications that really are not urgent.
Dealing with such diverse and drastic conditions requires you to control your mindset and stay calm. Emergency medicine physicians always need to stay calm to deal with emergency situations and deal with patients based on the severity of the illness or injury.
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Teamwork Skills
Whether you want to pursue a career as an emergency physician, endocrinologist, surgeon, orthopedic physician, or internal medicine physician, you need to work well with others. Team collaboration is something you need to work in the emergency department. In order to provide urgent patient care, you need to work with paramedical staff and other physicians to provide the best treatment. Your ability to work well with others and your teamwork skills will help you communicate and delegate tasks effectively.
By working as a good team player, you can better listen to what other doctors, nurses, medical residents and other staff want to convey. The teamwork skills will help emergency physicians to perform at their best.
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Good at Multitasking
It’s no secret that being an emergency physician, you get the opportunity to see a variety of medical cases with varying needs and treatment requirements. Emergency physicians should be capable enough to manage all the cases at the same time. You need to prioritize tasks and see critically ill patients first, then discharge patients and then see new patients. This way you will maintain a smooth flow in the emergency department and provide appropriate attention and care to patients.
If you are going to perform a lengthy medical procedure, it is advised to order tests or ask residents to take the patient’s history and perform a physical examination to ensure everything keeps moving smoothly. Multitasking is an art and you have to master this art to succeed in this lucrative career.
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Powerful Decision-Making Skills
When you work in the fast-paced environment of ED, you will figure out that every second matters most. Emergency medicine doctors have the skills to evaluate the situation and make quick and right decisions to save patients’ lives. You should have knowledge and skills to find out what resources, treatment, diagnostic tests or preventive techniques you are going to use for treating the patient. Building powerful decision-making skills will help you provide urgent treatment to patients and make sure every patient gets timely and appropriate treatment.
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Problem Solving Skills
Emergency medicine specialty is all about using your clinical skills and useful medical resources to find out what patients are going through and how you can provide them with the best possible treatment. You should be capable enough to diagnose an illness by examining a patient and his symptoms. For instance, if a person is complaining of abdominal pain, it could be a symptom of appendicitis, stomach flu, celiac disease, ulcer or vitamin D deficiency. You need to thoroughly examine a new patient, take an initial assessment and history to come up with the best possible treatment options.
A Brief Recap
Emergency medicine is a fascinating and interesting medical specialty that provides physicians with a variety of medical cases. Developing the above-mentioned traits will definitely prepare you to become a good emergency medicine physician. If you think that you have these skills, it is the right time to get into medical school and prepare for this competitive medical residency.
