Mastery of the content of the EM Model supersedes any short course, and makes any additional training or content superficial and redundant. ACEP has developed several policies relevant to this issue. (See boxed items).

Would we ask a college graduate to go back and take first grade math? Should the principal violinist in an orchestra take beginning violin lessons annually? Should a PhD psychologist take Psychology 101 every 2 years? Requiring a board certified emergency physician to take ATLS (or any other short course) is akin to this elementary level of remediation.

Emergency physicians should advocate for board certification by ABEM or AOBEM as the only meaningful evidence of qualification to practice Emergency Medicine.

Short courses may be useful to students or residents but are redundant and unnecessary for board-certified emergency physicians.

Dr. Marco is a professor of Emergency Medicine, Program Director of the Emergency Medicine Residency and Director of Medical Ethics Curriculum at the University of Toledo College of Medicine.

References

1. Hedges JR, Adams AL, Gunnels MD. ATLS practices and survival at rural level III trauma hospitals, 1995-1999. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2002 Jul-Sep;6(3):299-305.
2. van Olden GD, Meeuwis JD, Bolhuis HW, Boxma H, Goris RJ. Clinical impact of advanced trauma life support. Am J Emerg Med. 2004 Nov;22(7):522-5.
3. van Olden GD, Meeuwis JD, Bolhuis HW, Boxma H, Goris RJ. Advanced trauma life support study: quality of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. J Trauma. 004 Aug;57(2):381-4.
4. Camp BN, Parish DC, Andrews RH. Effect of advanced cardiac life support training on resuscitation efforts and survival in a rural hospital. Ann Emerg Med. 1997 (4):529-33.
5. Drimousis PG, Theodorou D, Toutouzas K, Stergiopoulos S, Delicha EM, Giannopoulos P, Larentzakis A, Katsaragakis S.Advanced Trauma Life Support certified physicians in a non trauma system setting: is it enough? Resuscitation. 2011 Feb;82(2):180-4. Epub 2010 Nov 30.
6. http://www.epmonthly.com/features/current-features/merit-badge-courses-who-benefits/, accessed 4/27/2012
7. https://www.abem.org/PUBLIC/_Rainbow/Documents/2009%20EM%20Model%20-%20Website%20Document%20-%20clean.pdf, accessed 4/27/2012
8. http://www.acep.org/Content.aspx?id=29064, accessed 4/25/2012
9. http://www.acep.org/Content.aspx?id=29084, accessed 4/25/2012
10. http://www.acep.org/Content.aspx?id=29216, accessed 4/25/2012
11. http://www.acep.org/Content.aspx?id=29844&terms=atls, accessed 4/25/2012.

Use of Short Courses in Emergency Medicine as Criteria for Privileging or Employment; Reaffirmed by the ACEP Board of Directors September 2005; This policy statement originally replaced

the statement “Certification in Emergency Medicine,” approved by the ACEP Board of Directors in June 1997 and was revised and approved June 1999.

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) believes that board certification by the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) or the American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine (AOBEM) demonstrates comprehensive training, knowledge, and skill in the practice of emergency medicine. Certificates of short course completion in various core content areas of emergency medicine may serve as evidence of focused review; however, ABEM or AOBEM certification in emergency medicine supersedes evidence of the completion of such courses.