It has always been the philosophy of this department, as well as that of the American College of Emergency Physicians, that Emergency Medicine is a specialty in its own right, and that it is best learned primarily within the Emergency Department under the guidance of senior Emergency Physicians.The purpose of the Department of Emergency Medicine is threefold: patient care, teaching, and research. The attending staff believes that patient care is the basis of our existence and that excellence of patient care will lead to and promote equal excellence in the other two areas. For this reason, the house staff must understand that we commit them to the same purpose and priorities.

As a faculty, we all reflect on our formal training in medicine and know that somehow we made the transition from being a student in a classroom to being a seasoned clinician caring for patients. We spent years acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to function as a physician, and part of that learning was accomplished by following examples and by trial and error. Most of us are still learning how to be better “professionals,” but we are building on a foundation that was developed in medical school and early postgraduate training. These educational and training environments have changed substantially in recent years, so it is pertinent to ask whether we are cultivating in current students and residents the professional behaviors we would seek should we need medical care.

When teaching students our core values, we must consider the real world in which they will work and live. This broad concept of teaching includes three basic actions: setting expectations, providing experiences, and evaluating outcomes.

In addition to the provision of emergency care and training resident physicians, the faculty of the Department of Emergency Medicine actively participate in organized medicine, academic emergency medicine, hold hospital leadership positions, and provide clinical service contracts to emergency medicine-related agencies.