Emergency medicine doctors are the unsung heroes of the medical profession. These physicians are responsible for treating patients who have suffered acute, life-threatening medical conditions.
Emergency medicine doctors often work long hours under rigorous conditions, and they never know what they’re going to face when they walk through the door of the emergency room. Whether it’s a gunshot wound or a heart attack, these medical professionals must be prepared to handle anything.
So, what exactly does this demanding medical specialty entail? Keep reading to find out.
Emergency Medicine Doctor: Education and Training
To become an emergency medicine doctor, one has to tread a long and challenging path. Typically, emergency medicine doctors receive training for 11-12 years – and more if they prefer to specialize.
Before moving into medical school, an emergency medicine doctor completes a 4-year bachelor’s degree, and then they take and pass Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) to get accepted to medical schools.
Next, they earn a medical degree by studying for four years in medical school. The ultimate step to earning Emergency Medicine Certification involves completing a 3- to 4-year residency.
They need to then take the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE). Some also participate in a fellowship program to get further training in emergency medicine and to hone their emergency medicine skills, such as acute care and trauma care.
What Do Emergency Medicine Doctors Do?
Emergency medicine doctors are trained to work in a fast-paced environment – adept at making split-second decisions and agile responses to carry out life-saving measures, such as controlling hemorrhage, resuscitation, among others.
In the ER, emergency medicine physicians oversee patients with, but are not limited to, the following conditions:
- Breathing issues
- Submersion injuries (drowning)
- Poisoning
- Heavy bleeding
- Neck or spine injury
- Gunshot and stab wounds
- Heart attack symptoms
- Traumatic brain injury
- Stroke symptoms
However, the scope of practice of emergency medicine physicians is not limited to providing care for patients in emergency rooms; they also attend to patients in urgent care facilities, who do not have life-threatening medical situations but are still in need of prompt treatment.
Common conditions treated by emergency medicine doctors in urgent care facilities include the following:
- Ear infections
- Sore throat
- Migraine headaches
- Rashes
- Severe cold and flu
- Minor burns and cuts
- Minor eye injuries
- Minor orthopedic injuries (e.g., strains and sprains, etc.)
Emergency Medicine Doctor in Fairless Hills, PA
At Patient Care Now Urgent Care, our emergency medicine doctors pride themselves on their skills, extensive experience, and passion to provide the highest quality of urgent care for the men, women, and children of Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania and all of its neighboring places.
Got an urgent care need? Walk in any time during our business hours. But if you prefer, you may also call us at (267) 202-6433 to let us know you’re arriving. We look forward to serving you!
