Northwestern McGaw's four-year residency program in emergency medicine is noteworthy for its outstanding specialty rotations, diversity of hospital and patient experiences, and emphasis on critical care, which give residents a uniquely strong clinical foundation. The department offers 12 PGY I positions each year.

Residents gain experience in all aspects of emergency medicine, including anesthesiology, critical care, emergency medical services, toxicology, hand surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopaedic surgery, pediatrics, and trauma management. The program provides basic and advanced cardiac, neonatal, pediatric, and trauma life support training as well as the opportunity for instructor certification. Residents are eligible to sit for the certifying examination of the American Board of Emergency Medicine after completing the program. Many graduates are in teaching positions in emergency medicine, with one-third also having administrative responsibilities.

Four months of electives and multiple selectives are scheduled. Rotations may be selected from many offerings within and outside the McGaw Medical Center. Emergency medicine rotations abroad are possible.

The residency is divided among several affiliated institutions to provide a diverse and complete emergency medicine experience. Most rotations take place at Northwestern Memorial and Evanston Hospitals, with additional instruction at Children's Memorial, Stroger Cook County, and Glenbrook Hospitals.

Northwestern Memorial treats a largely adult urban population and sees approximately 74,000 patients each year in its emergency department. One of four resource hospitals for Chicago's mobile intensive care unit/paramedic system, it is responsible for serving the entire Chicago Loop–area population. Residents learn to operate the base station radio and gain field experience by riding with paramedics. Northwestern Memorial is a designated Level I trauma center that serves the central one-third of the city; in addition, it is the regional acute spinal cord injury center serving a multistate area. The hospital was recently named the only stroke center in Chicago.

The emergency department at Evanston treats approximately 42,000 adult and pediatric patients each year, drawing from a largely suburban population. The hospital, owned and operated by Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, serves as a local poison control center.

Children's Memorial is one of the state's primary pediatric trauma centers, and its emergency department handles more than 40,000 patient visits per year. Residents provide acute care in the emergency department and receive instruction in general pediatric care during a ward rotation.

At Stroger Hospital residents work in an inner city trauma unit, the first of its kind in the country. An integral part of the largest medical complex in the nation, the hospital is equipped with a heliport for transferring critical burn and trauma patients. The former Cook County Hospital moved into a new state-of-the-art facility in 2002 and was renamed John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County. Residents spend time on the trauma unit at Stroger Hospital during their second year. They return during their fourth year to act as resident in charge of trauma resuscitation.

The participating emergency departments are covered by attending physicians 24 hours a day. Residents progress through levels of responsibility, so that by the third and fourth years they manage the department under faculty supervision.

A core curriculum in emergency medicine is covered in weekly conferences and through blackboard curriculum. This is augmented by morbidity and mortality as well as topical conferences. Residents also participate in a reading club, journal club, and grand rounds. In addition, they receive training in simulation and ultrasound.

The simulation center is located at Evanston Hospital. It includes state-of-the-art instruction, combined with lectures, small groups, and procedure labs.

The faculty includes 25 full- and part-time members at Northwestern Memorial, 15 at Children's Memorial, and 20 at Evanston. All medical staff members have academic appointments in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Feinberg School.

Residents must initiate and complete an original research project or scholarly project during the program. An annual research symposium, monthly journal clubs, and periodic work-in-progress conferences help guide the residents' research. Residents also participate in one of three academic colleges: Research, Administration, and Education.

Each year of the emergency medicine residency program is divided into 13 four-week blocks. Specialty rotations for the residency program are located at Stroger Hospital (SH), Children's Memorial Hospital (CMH), Evanston Hospital (EH), Glenbrook Hospital (GH), and Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH).

The rotations are listed below with the number of blocks and location of each.

Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine 

James G. Adams, MD, FACEP

Residency Program Director

Jamie Collings, MD, FACEP

Associate Residency Program Director

Michael A. Gisondi, MD

Assistant Residency Program Directors 

Emily A. Goren, MD

Ernest Wang, MD

For more information, contact Residency Director Jamie Collings, MD, FACEP, Department of Emergency Medicine, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 259 East Erie Street, Suite 100, Chicago, Illinois 60611-2930, 312/694-9620; fax 312/926-6274 or visit the Department of Emergency Medicine Web site.

E-mail: emedres@northwestern.edu