Residency ProgramsEmergency Medicine/Family Medicine

Emergency Medicine/Family Medicine

Research

The Emergency Medicine Research Department would like to welcome you to Christiana Care. We have a long tradition of supporting resident research projects and would like to answer a few common questions regarding our program:

Do I have to do a scholarly project?

Yes. This is a requirement of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Residency Review Committee (RRC) for all EM residents. At Christiana Care each EM resident is expected to design, implement and carry out a scholarly research project with the goal of answering a specific research question. Residents then present their project during their senior year at one of our weekly educational conferences. Although not required, residents are also encouraged to present this research and other scholarly activity at local, regional or national conferences.

How much support will I have to get my scholarly activity done?

In a word, lots. From day one you are assigned a faculty research mentor. This experienced faculty member meets with you at least twice yearly to go over your goals, ideas and progress. You also have access to five full-time EM research nurses who are able to assist you with planning your project, submitting to the IRB and collecting data. Additionally, Christiana Care librarians are available to assist with literature searches and we have access to tools to assist with writing your abstracts and manuscripts.

What are the major areas of research interest at Christiana Care?

Our faculty have a number of interests. They include, but are not limited to: emergency ultrasound, international emergency medicine, emergency medical services (EMS), infectious diseases, psychiatry, neurology/stroke, ED overcrowding, ED administration and resident education.

How successful are residents at getting their projects accepted at national meetings?

Very. The EM program at Christiana Care routinely presents a number of abstracts at multiple national conferences. For example, in 2010, Christiana Care EM residents, fellows and faculty presented: 4 abstracts at the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) annual meeting in Phoenix, Ariz.; 11 abstracts at the annual meeting of the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) also in Phoenix, Ariz.; and 13 abstracts at the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Research Forum in Las Vegas, Nev. Christiana Care residents have also presented abstracts at the World Congress on Ultrasound in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine.

What if I want more information about research at Christiana Care?

Contact Melissa Bollinger, RN, manager of EM Research, at 302-733-4189, mbollinger@christianacare.org. We would be happy to answer any further questions you may have.