Dell Medical School’s Emergency Medical Services Fellowship provides an unparalleled experience for individuals seeking an opportunity to learn in a medical practice model of EMS medicine.
The City of Austin-Travis County EMS System believes in the importance of building EMS clinicians and empowering EMS personnel through education, quality improvement and evidence-based practice. In addition to the opportunities available to work in the ground-based EMS system and county aeromedical program, there are a number of opportunities to gain education and experience in special operations, events, disaster, public policy and public health.
As a component of the medical practice model, the program strongly believes in the importance of EMS physicians’ direct involvement in the care and supervision of pre-hospital patients. There is a significant emphasis on EMS physician field response, initially through ride-alongs with EMS System staff, followed by the issuance of a take-home response vehicle and equipment, upon successful completion of the introductory phase.
Curriculum Components
General Schedule
The 52-week fellowship schedule includes:
- Orientation: 4 weeks
- Vacation: 4 weeks
- Regional/national conference: 2 weeks
- Core content: 42 weeks
Block Schedule
- Block 1: EMS orientation
- Block 2: ATCEMS System
- Block 3: Travis County STAR Flight (aeromedical)
- Block 4: Special events (Formula 1/Austin City Limits/longitudinal experience)
- Block 5: ATCEMS System
- Block 6: Tactical/special operations EMS
- Block 7: ATCEMS System
- Block 8: ATCEMS System
- Block 9: Disaster EMS
- Block 10: ATCEMS System
- Block 11: ATCEMS System
- Block 12: EMS research
Longitudinal Experience
Longitudinal experiences include:
- Direct supervision and care of pre-hospital patients via ride-along with system responders and through assigned emergency response vehicle following successful completion of introductory phase.
- Participation in call rotation for online medical direction and telehealth services.
- EMS education and training.
- EMS System performance improvement processes.
- EMS research.
- Health policy meetings with EMS System stakeholders and elected officials.
Additional longitudinal opportunities are available based on the fellow’s experience and interests:
- EMS for Children Innovation and Improvement Center.
- San Marcos/Hays County EMS System.
- FEMA training.
- Institute for Healthcare Improvement training.
- Community paramedicine.
- Wilderness EMS.
- Aeromedical.
Expectations
All fellows are expected to complete the following:
- Develop four lectures for EMS providers.
- Give one EMS lecture for the Emergency Medicine Residency.
- Review, revise or develop one clinical protocol and one clinical policy.
- Participate in at least two clinical case review or quality improvement processes.
- Complete a scholarly activity or research project based on the fellow’s interest.
- Assist with credentialing new providers.
- Active participation in all fellowship didactic sessions.
- Participation in hospital-EMS stroke/STEMI/trauma meetings.
Maintenance of Primary Specialty Skills
Fellows are expected to work a combination of five nine-hour clinical shifts per month as attending teaching faculty members at Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas at Austin and Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin. This experience allows fellows to be actively involved in clinical bedside teaching as well as participation in other clinical education activities such as daily emergency medicine rounds and didactic presentations.
A research didactic series is included as part of the academic curriculum and covers experimental design and statistical analysis of data related to EMS clinical outcomes as well as epidemiological research. Fellows also participate in EM and EMS journal clubs and have the opportunity to participate in monthly EM research meetings. Additionally, fellows are expected to participate in or initiate a research project aimed at evaluating and/or improving clinical care. The expectation is that this scholarly activity will culminate in publication and/or presentation.