Emergency Medicine rotation was both exciting and very challenging for me. Transitioning from my previous Family Medicine rotation into Emergency Medicine was initially difficult because the goals and patient presentations are very different. In Family Medicine, there is often more time to gather detailed histories and perform full head-to-toe examinations. In the ED, however, the focus shifts toward identifying what is most clinically important in the moment while ensuring that critical diagnoses are not missed. Working in a busy emergency department of New York Presbyterian queens and learning from different teams while seeing a wide range of cases from acute medical emergencies and trauma activations to fast-track complaints, allowed me to experience many aspects of emergency care. One of the biggest things I learned was the importance of having a broad differential diagnosis while also keeping “must-not-miss” conditions in mind. Initially, I felt that I had a narrower approach and focused primarily on arriving at one diagnosis. Over time, I realized that in the fast-paced environment of the ED, it is often more important to keep multiple possibilities in mind and utilize available resources, including consultants and other team members, to help guide patient management. I also had the opportunity to see how different departments collaborate closely to care for a single patient. Watching various specialties and consultants work together toward a common goal was a great example of how important interprofessional teamwork is in emergency medicine.

During my rotation, I had the opportunity to work with different teams, and my favorite experience was working with the Red Team, which focuses on trauma cases. These were often some of the sickest patients arriving by ambulance. It was a unique experience because many of these patients are extremely vulnerable and sometimes altered, meaning they cannot clearly communicate what is happening to them. Despite this, the entire team from attendings, residents, PAs to nurses and technicians, works quickly and collaboratively to assess the situation and provide care. Watching everyone function together in such a coordinated way was a very impactful experience for me and reinforced the importance of teamwork and communication in critical situations. Throughout the rotation, I also had opportunities to discuss cases with providers who shared helpful clinical pearls, including mnemonics they use to remember key differentials and resources or websites that can help further expand my knowledge. I was also able to attend conferences with the residents where we reviewed cases, listened to lectures, and even participated in educational games. These sessions created a welcoming learning environment and allowed me to continue building my clinical knowledge. One of the most rewarding parts of the rotation was being able to interact directly with patients, listening to their concerns, helping guide them through their care, and sometimes simply providing reassurance or relief from pain. Seeing patients improve after receiving treatment was very meaningful.

I was also able to gain valuable hands-on experience during this rotation. I had opportunities to practice and assist with ultrasounds, venipuncture, IV placement, NG tube placement, suturing, and interpreting imaging and EKGs. These experiences helped me further develop my procedural skills and improved my confidence when communicating with patients and discussing cases with the team. While this rotation helped me grow significantly, I recognize that I still have areas I want to continue improving. I would like to further strengthen my ability to develop broad differentials and become more comfortable performing procedures independently. I look forward to continuing to work on these skills with more practice and clinical exposure. Overall, this rotation was an incredibly valuable experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from the entire emergency department team.