Emergency Medicine (Austin Hospital)

Unit Code

01699

Department/Institution Offering Unit

Department of Emergency Medicine
Austin Hospital
Studley Rd
Heidelberg
Victoria 3084 Australia

Unit Points

Research Points: 75

Coursework Points: 25

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Contacts

Unit Coordinator/s:

A/Prof David Taylor
Department of Emergency Medicine
Austin Hospital
Studley Rd
Heidelberg
Victoria 3084 Australia

tel: + 61 3 9496 4883
fax: + 61 3 9496 3380
email: david.taylor@austin.org.au

Alternative Contact:

Dr Fergus Kerr
Director of Emergency Medicine, Austin Health
Department of Emergency Medicine
Austin Hospital
Studley Road
Heidelberg
Victoria 3084 Australia

tel: +61 3 9496 4889
fax: +61 3 9496 3380
email: Fergus.Kerr@austin.org.au

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Overall Objectives

The overall objective of this unit is to expose the student to a wide range of research principles that relate particularly to emergency medicine. The student will be expected to work within the Emergency Department and experience the full breadth of emergency medicine including trauma, resuscitation and a host of medical, surgical and social problems. The specific aims of the unit are:

• To understand the basic principles of clinical research, in particular in relation to prehospital and emergency medicine research
• To be able to design, carry out and communicate the results of original research in prehospital and emergency medicine
• To understand the barriers to high quality clinical research in prehospital and emergency medicine
• To understand the special ethical issues relating to research in prehospital and emergency medicine
• To be able to critically evaluate biomedical literature

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Content

Coursework: The two components (each 12.5 points) are:

1. Intermediate Epidemiology and Biostatistics

2. Research in Prehospital and Emergency Medicine:
This subject examines barriers to high quality emergency medicine research and the special ethical issues relating to this area. It will take the form of two short assignments where the student will be expected to evaluate and address specific clinical research scenarios.

Research: This is the major component of the AMS year. Projects may be undertaken in a range of areas including prehospital and retrieval medicine, paediatric emergency medicine, trauma, medicine, surgery, cardiology, neurology, orthopoedics, injury epidemiology and prevention, social issues and workplace topics. Most importantly, considerable time will be spent with the student developing a project with a topic that particularly interests them.

As the large majority of projects take place within the emergency department, the student will be exposed to a wide range of clinical emergency medicine practice. Students always find this to be a valuable experience.

Sample Research Topics:

Cardiology, orthopoedics, drug and alcohol abuse, local anaesthetics, information technology, akathisia, personal protection equipment in medical disasters, drug interactions and adverse events during patient transport.

All AMS students will be encouraged to publish their research in a peer reviewed medical journal. Considerable assistance will be given in this regard. To date, all students under the supervision of the Unit Coordinator have been author on between 1 and 5 research articles. The following are samples of publications by his AMS students

• Wong LF, Taylor DMcD, Bailey M. Vagal response varies with valsalva manoeuver technique: a repeated measures clinical trial in healthy subjects. Ann Emerg Med 2004; 43(4): 477-482
• Taylor DMcD, Garewal D, Carter M, Bailey M, Aggarwal A. Factors that impact upon the time to hospital presentation following the onset of chest pain. Emerg Med Australas 2005; 17: 204-211
• Tjipto AC, Taylor DMcD, Liew H. Alcohol use among young adults presenting to the Emergency Department. Emerg Med Australas 2006; 18: 125-130

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Assessment Breakdown

Research Component: 75 points
Research Report (up to 8,000 words): 80%
Oral presentation of the research (20 minutes): 20%

Coursework Component: 25 points
Intermediate Epidemiology and Biostatistics, assessed as per subject description: 12.5 points
Research in Prehospital and Emergency Medicine: 12.5 points.

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Student Numbers

Number of places available:
3