The University of Vermont Medical Center Emergency Medicine Program offers residents and medical students outstanding training in progressive prehospital care in a rural EMS system. EMS is a critical component of Emergency Medicine and our curriculum is designed to prepare future leaders in the field of EMS with an understanding of the unique principals of prehospital care and medical direction. It also provides the motivated emergency medicine resident with the background necessary for entry into an accredited EMS Fellowship program. The residency program works closely with both regional and state Vermont EMS to provide a wide range of opportunities including urban, rural, and wilderness practice environments.

Direct Patient Care

Our 2nd year residents will function as EMS physicians joining local Paramedic EMS agencies as part of the team providing direct patient care. This hands-on training provides opportunities for the resident to gain valuable experience in the challenges of providing patient care and medical direction in the prehospital setting. Medical students may arrange ride-alongs with local EMS agencies and highly interested residents may arrange additional opportunities with escalating responsibilities.

Medical Direction

Emergency Medicine residents will complete an EMS Medical Direction Training Program. During all EM rotations, PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents will provide online medical direction to EMS under the supervision of EM faculty. During the 2nd year EMS rotation, residents will review prehospital cases for quality assurance and performance improvement and present at the monthly EMS case review.  Residents will also have opportunities to work on larger scale State of Vermont EMS performance reviews, protocol development, and education, including teaching for the paramedic school and the annual Vermont EMS Conference.

Research

Residents and medical students may participate in ongoing EMS research or develop independent projects with faculty support.  Vermont is one of the most rural EMS systems in the nation and serves as an excellent laboratory for rural EMS research.  

Residents who wish to pursue skills within the subspecialty will have opportunities to participate in search and rescue (SAR) teams, work alongside ski patrol, and utilize expedition medicine skills. All our graduating residents will not only have competence in wilderness medicine core content, but will be equipped to actively participate in SAR, conduct wilderness and event medical care, take leadership roles in wilderness and rescue organizations, and successfully enter a wilderness medicine fellowship program.

Interested residents will be offered mentorship to develop teaching and leadership roles as they progress through the curriculum. Residents interested in pursuing a career in academic wilderness medicine will be supported in developing research and educational projects through our Wilderness Medicine track. 

Wilderness Medicine Elective

The UVM Wilderness Medicine Elective at the Larner offers students an opportunity to focus on both the content and the unique problem solving and cognitive approach to caring for patients in remote or austere environments. 

The course is a 2-week intensive curriculum that takes fourth year students out of the hospital and into the woods and lakes. The course includes both day outings and overnight adventures. 
 

Wilderness Student Interest Group

Our wilderness medicine student interest group (SIG) provides opportunities for medical students to foster their desire to learn more about the field of wilderness medicine before entering residency. The LCOM SIG is a very active and committed community that draws on experience that students acquired prior to medical school as well as the growing interest of those new to the field. We host acclaimed regional speakers, faculty lectures, and various events in the wilderness setting. 

The UVMMC Department of Emergency Medicine Division of Sports Medicine aims to provide comprehensive, clinically-relevant musculoskeletal medicine, sports medicine, and orthopedics education to medical students, residents, and faculty at the local, regional, and national level while clinically serving the local and regional population in the Emergency Department and on site at venues of athletics competitions and activities. The section helps provide care at the Three Peaks Medical Clinic at Sugarbush Ski Resort, provides medical direction and staffing for the Vermont City Marathon, provides medical coverage for Ironman Lake Placid, and helps cover athletic competitions for the NCAA Division I University of Vermont Catamounts.

In their free time, members of the Sports Medicine Section enjoy taking advantage of all the opportunities that Vermont provides to be physically active including biking, hiking, swimming, paddling, running, and playing hockey and soccer.