EMS Experience

The Department of Emergency Medicine provides EMS medical direction for Pitt County, NC and Vidant Medical Transport, Vidant critical care transport service. Medical directors who are department faculty members are involved in all facets of planning, education, operations, quality management and medical oversight.

The EMS portion of emergency medicine residency curriculum is a three-year longitudinal experience, so that during the second and third years residents serve in roles as deputy medical directors for county EMS agencies. Each resident is assigned to a specific agency. During the first year, residents gain familiarity with the local EMS system by spending limited time in the field with EMS providers and at the county emergency operations center. At the end of the first year residents complete a module for on-line medical direction (Base Station course). Following completion of that module, emergency medicine residents in the Emergency Department provide on-line medical direction via radio and telephone for Pitt County, Greene County, and Vidant Medical Transport.

Educational modules during second and third years include quality management, off-line medical direction, injury prevention, as well as EMS initial training, continuing education, and skills testing. Two modules involve time spent with Vidant Medical Transport, consisting of three helicopters and several mobile intensive care unit ambulances. Residents become familiar with disaster management both during their EMS rotations and throughout their entire residency training.

Additional 4-week elective rotations are available for both EMS and Vidant Medical Transport, and there are numerous EMS research opportunities.