A Future in Emergency Medicine

When one is just starting school they will often beDue to the change over the last 35 years, there
asked what they want to be when they grow up.are new standards in the realm of emergency
Oftentimes, you will hear a handful say they wantmedicine, a emergency medicine job requirement
to be a lawyer, or a veterinarian, model, actress,is now a lot more demanding, and respected than
all the obvious; and probably, the most popular ofit was back in the day. It is the staffs
them all is doctor. But do they really know at theresponsibility to resuscitate, and stabilize using
age of 5 that they can be any kind of doctorwhatever measures necessary to improve ones
that they want to be? How many of them knowquality of life. After one is brought to a safe,
about emergency medicine jobs? Do they knowstable status, but still enduring life-threatening
what that means? Does the average adult knowailments it is the emergency departments
what it means?physicians responsibility to see that the patient is
Before that time most hospitals considered it aadmitted and consultations are in order for that
charitable obligation of sorts, if someone is in needpatient.
of emergency care that it was the responsibilityIronically enough, the job market is hurting for
of the hospital to help them, regardless of theiremergency medical job applicants, most times this
financial situation. Before the days of Thursdayjob s highly sought after, but due to the rather
night ER shows, and good looking actors andlarge gap in salary for an emergency room
actresses role playing the lives of stress-riddenphysician compared to those who are in different
and overworked physicians, most emergencyareas of medicine, there is not the desires to help
rooms were not staffed by physicians, aas there once was. On average an emergency
emergency medicine jobs were night a highroom physician can make $229,00 annually, as
commodity, rather at the time they were staffedother physicians make in the upward amounts of
by charge nurses making telephone prescriptions$300,00 plus. Most teaching schools have a full
and only calling in a junior physician in extremestaff in the EM department due to residents
cases. There was certainly no demand nor needstaying where they are within a facility they are
for high-tech equipment and shiny new tools forfamiliar with, and the understanding that salary
the emergency room. Without out a doubtincrease comes with promotion to attending and
emergency medicine occupations have received aeventually chief of staff, this comes with time,
complete overhaul over the last decade. Beforededication and hard work. Often times they are
there was a need, most patients werenot willing to throwaway time put in during their
automatically transported to a different facilityresident stint.
without pre-op treatment, times have changed.