IMPACT OF EMERGENCY-MEDICINE RESIDENCY PROGRAM ON ROTATORS EMERGENCY-MEDICINE EDUCATION

Study objective: To assess the perceived impact of emergency medicine residency programs on other program directors' perceptions of emergenc y medicine as a distinct service and educational entity. Design: Self- administered questionnaire. Type of participants: Residency directors in medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology at sit es containing emergency medicine residency programs. Results: Two hund red twenty-four of 372 questionnaires (60.1%) were returned completed, with equal distributions among all specialties. Respondents stated th at the presence of the emergency medicine training program has positiv ely influenced their attitude toward emergency medicine as a specialty (61% agree, 26% neutral), improved their residents' training in emerg ency medicine (47% agree, 31% neutral), and improved emergency care at their institution (65% agree, 26% neutral). Fifty-seven percent think emergency physicians should teach emergency medicine (27% were neutra l). There were statistically significant associations between age of t he emergency medicine program and perceived improvement in rotating re sidents' education and institutional delivery of emergency care. Concl usion: Residency directors in other specialties have a generally posit ive view of emergency medicine as a specialty and as an important comp onent of their residents' education. The presence of an emergency medi cine training program appears to have positively influenced their atti tudes, improved their residents' education, and improved emergency car e. Older programs have positively influenced attitudes to a greater de gree than have newer programs.