American Board of Emergency Medicine 3000 Coolidge Road East Lansing, MI 48823-6319 Tel: (517) 332-4800 www.abem.org

A physician who specializes in Emergency Medicine focuses on the immediate decision making and action necessary to prevent death or any further disability both in the pre-hospital setting by directing emergency medical technicians and in the emergency department. The emergency physician provides immediate recognition, evaluation, care, stabilization and disposition of a generally diversified population of adult and pediatric patients in response to acute illness and injury.

Training Required: Three years

Subspecialties for Emergency Medicine

Certification in one of the following subspecialties requires additional training and examination.

• Hospice and Palliative Medicine
  These physicians have special knowledge and skills to prevent and relieve the suffering experienced by patients with life-limiting illnesses. This specialist works with an interdisciplinary hospice or palliative care team to maximize quality of life while addressing the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of both patient and family throughout the course of the disease, including through the dying process and subsequent family grieving. This care can occur within or outside of a formal hospice or palliative care team. This specialist has expertise in the assessment of patients with advanced disease and catastrophic injury; the relief of distressing symptoms; the coordination of interdisciplinary patient and family-centered care in diverse settings; the use of specialized care systems including hospice; the management of the imminently dying patient; and legal and ethical decision making in end-of-life care.
  
  
• Medical Toxicology
  Medical Toxicologists are physicians who specialize in the prevention, evaluation, treatment and monitoring of injury and illness from exposures to drugs and chemicals, as well as biological and radiological agents. These specialists care for people in clinical, academic, governmental and public health settings, and provide poison control center leadership. Important areas of Medical Toxicology include acute drug poisoning; adverse drug events; drug abuse, addiction and withdrawal; chemicals and hazardous materials; terrorism preparedness; venomous bites and stings; and environmental and workplace exposures.
  
  
• Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  An Emergency Medicine physician who specializes in Pediatric Emergency Medicine has special qualifications to manage emergencies in infants and children.
  
  
• Sports Medicine
  A physician specializing in Sports Medicine is responsible for continuous care related to the enhancement of health and fitness as well as the prevention and management of injury and illness. This specialist possesses knowledge and experience in the promotion of wellness and the prevention of injury from many areas of medicine such as: exercise physiology, biomechanics, nutrition, psychology, physical rehabilitation and epidemiology, physicial evaluation and injuries. It is the goal of a Sports Medicine specialist to improve the healthcare of the individual engaged in physical exercise.
  
  
• Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine
  An Emergency Medicine physician specializing in Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine has expertise in the treatment of decompression illness and diving accident cases. This specialist also uses hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment for conditions such as: carbon monoxide poisoning, gas gangrene, non-healing wounds, tissue damage from radiation and burns, and bone infections. The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine specialist also serves as consultant to other physicians in all aspects of hyperbaric chamber operations and assesses risks and applies appropriate standards to prevent disease and disability in divers and other persons working in altered atmospheric conditions.
  

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