Skip to Main

Didactics

The Emergency Medicine Residency Program utilizes many different didactic education types throughout our curriculum blocks to supplement our hands-on experience. These activities include:

  • A core content lecture series
  • Practical lab sessions
  • Simulation labs
  • Clinical Quality Improvement and Review
  • Journal Clubs
  • Grand Rounds
  • Radiology reviews
  • Electrocardiogram reviews
  • Resident case conferences and more. 

Emergency Medicine Conference

We have conference every Thursday from 7:30-11:30 a.m. Residents are excused from clinical duties in all EDs during this time.

Multiple Modalities

Conference incorporates multiple modalities for learners including small group, case-based, and longitudinal high-yield lectures. We also work to deliver level-specific content (i.e., first-years receive more foundation lectures while third-years will focus more on billing, contracts, and fine-tuning their practice).

Independent Learning

Each week, we allow one hour of independent learning. Residents have a comprehensive list of options to learn at their own pace on their own time. As emergency physicians, we know that residents learn best by doing, not by sitting, in a classroom.

Monthly Board Review Sessions

We hold a 60-minute board review session monthly following Conference until the in-service examination is taken in February.

Foundations

We employ the Foundations of Emergency Medicine curriculum, which utilizes a “flipped classroom” approach with suggested reading, podcasts, and video series to independently review core content. This curriculum provides a novel, learner-centric approach that is intended to replace the “teach to the middle” norm. Oral board cases in small group settings reinforce this information.

Journal Club

Journal Club critically reviews articles pertinent to emergency medicine. These informal meetings are held at a local restaurant or a faculty member’s home.

Journal Club occurs the evening before our monthly Grand Rounds, and our Grand Rounds speaker is the guest faculty discussant at Journal Club. This gives residents and faculty a great opportunity to spend an evening in a more social setting with well-recognized figures in emergency medicine.

Podcast Club

Podcast Club is an informal, group discussion with faculty and residents regarding pertinent high-yield podcasts from the previous month. A faculty member usually hosts Podcast Club at their home over a meal.

Practical Lab Sessions and Simulation Labs

We offer multiple hands-on practical lab sessions to hone procedural expertise and to review rarely encountered procedures. Our annual labs include:

  • Cadaver lab
  • Airway lab
  • Hand lab

Additionally, UT Southwestern has a brand-new Simulation Center with state-of-the-art equipment where residents train by running practice resuscitations. Our simulation labs include:

  • Disaster Day
  • Ultrasound lab
  • Resuscitation lab
  • Simulation Wars