University of Alberta creates Department of Emergency Medicine

News

CJEM 2005;7(2):130

The University of Alberta has created a Department of Emergency Medicine. Board of Governors approval was granted November 5. Officials with the newly created Department say the move reflects the growing importance of the specialty's role and stature in conducting research, teaching, providing clinical services and serving external communities.

Granting department status reflects the maturation of the specialty across the country, says Acting Chair Brian Holroyd. The U of A is the fourth Canadian university to create an academic Department of Emergency Medicine. "Our Department plans to advance Emergency Medicine as a discipline and enhance our leadership role within the health care system.

"Mandatory rotations in Emergency Medicine at the Doctor of Medicine (MD) undergraduate and postgraduate levels have been established," explains Dr. Holroyd. "We now provide continuing medical education programs and our faculty provide clinical services in six emergency departments in the Capital Health region serving over 335 000 patients per year."

Two residency training programs in Emergency Medicine exist at the U of A: the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC-EM) 1-year certification program in Emergency Medicine and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) 5-year fellowship training program in Emergency Medicine. Additional subspecialty training is available in pediatric emergency medicine and critical care medicine fellowship programs. The newly established Department will continue to pursue excellence in its teaching activities and maintain a multi-disciplinary approach to integrating educational innovations.

A key component of the former division's growth has been an increasingly diverse and successful research program, one that reflects a rapidly growing body of knowledge and expertise in Emergency Medicine. The Department has a research director, responsible for coordinating a multitude of ongoing studies and other aspects of the research program. A strong research training program, in conjunction with the Department of Public Health Sciences and other departments, is facilitating training emergency medicine researchers of the future.

The creation of the Department from its previous divisional status within the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry was possible within existing Faculty budgets. The Department operates clinically within Capital Health, one of Canada's largest health authorities. The Faculty will be recruiting a full-time chair immediately to lead the University's newest Department.

For more information contact: Brian Holroyd, Acting Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine (780 407-7047, bholroyd@ualberta.ca ), or Michael Robb, Director of Public Affairs, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (780 492-0647, michael.robb@ualberta.ca ), both at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.