PARKMEDIC/EMS CURRICULUM

Revised: 4/21/03 

I.         GOALS

A.     NPS/EMS Operations

1.     Manage the medical care system in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park (SEKI).

2.        Provide medical leadership on a national level for the National Park Service.

B.      Education

1.        Provide an educational experience in EMS such that upon completion of the program, residents will have the skills necessary to direct any EMS system in the country.

2.        Provide an educational experience such that upon completion of the program, residents will have a working knowledge of wilderness medicine.

3.        Provide an opportunity for residents to pursue personal interests in wilderness medicine/EMS (Disaster Medicine, Search and Rescue, Haz-Mat, Aeromedicine, etc.)

C.       Scholarly Activity

1.         Contribute to the “knowledge base” of EMS and Wilderness Medicine.

D.      All elements of this curriculum are under the direct supervision of Parkmedic faculty.

II.       LOGISTICS

A.     The aforementioned goals will be accomplished by participation in EMS activities at the County level (Fresno, Madera, Kings) and Federal NPS (National Park Service) level (SEKI/National).

B.     Resident Participation

1.        THREE YEAR OPTION

a.        Successful completion of this track will satisfy residency requirements for both the senior project and senior focus.  An individualized senior focus proposal will need to be authored by the incoming PGY4 by June 1 of their PGY3 year and approved by Parkmedic EMS faculty.

b.       Residents will select this option late in their PGY1 year.

2.        R-4/Senior Focus Option

a.        Successful completion of this track will satisfy requirements for the senior focus. 

b.       This track is open to senior residents not participating in the three-year plan who wish to do a senior focus in EMS.  This track will be selected by June 1 of the PGY3 year.

c.        Requirements for this track include:

i     The senior resident participates in all Parkmedic activities at an intensity that is usual  for 3^rd year Parkmedic/EMS residents.

ii     The senior resident will participate and meet 60% of the local EMS requirements of the 3 year program.

iii     The senior resident will meet with the faculty Parkmedic/EMS Director to define the remainder of this curriculum based on the residents interest.  This curriculum will be authored by the resident and approved by Parkmedic/EMS faculty.  This meeting will occur by June 1 of the PGY3 year. 

d.       This track does not satisfy senior project requirements unless the resident completes a Parkmedic/EMS scholarly activity.

3.       Research Option

a.        Non Parkmedic/EMS Residents may still want to do EMS research and thus satisfy their senior project requirement.  Residents should contact the faculty in charge of the Parkmedic/EMS Program to help in these plans.

4.        Alternative Participation Options

a.        Residents wishing to participate in the Parkmedic/EMS program outside of the above mentioned options will do the following:

i           Interview with Parkmedic/EMS faculty.

ii         Using this document as a template, establish goals and an individual curriculum.

iii        Obtain approval from Parkmedic/EMS faculty with input from current Parkmedic/EMS Residents.

iv       Credit towards senior project and/or focus will be outlined in advance and approved upon completion by Parkmedic/EMS faculty.

b.       Residents wishing to discontinue participation in the Parkmedic/EMS Program may do so at the end of any academic year.  The amount of credit towards Senior Project and/or Focus will be determined on a case by case basis by the Parkmedic/EMS faculty.

III.     NPS/EMS Operations

A.        Supervision/Administration

1.        The PGY4 Residents are responsible for overseeing the entire SEKI EMS operations.

a.        Run all resident Parkmedic/EMS meetings (set agenda, chair meeting, provide minutes).

b.       Provide a yearly summary report of all Parkmedic/EMS activities.

c.        Provide a yearly review and critique of the Parkmedic/EMS curriculum, resident concerns, and overall program direction.

d.       Oversee the ongoing development and review of the policy and procedure (protocol) manual.

i.         A portion of the policy and procedure manual will be reviewed on a continual basis, such that each policy is reviewed and updated at least every other year.  (All residents participate.)

ii.        New policies are developed as needed.  (All residents participate.)

e.        Serve as the lead person for day-to-day operational issues.

f.         Oversee resident activity log.

g.       Insure continuity of program as resident time is redirected to other residency obligations ( i.e. busy off-service rotations)

 

h.       Further activities as listed below.

B.         CQI

1.        A PGY4 is responsible for the management of the CQI system.

a.        Each  SEKI  run sheet  is reviewed (all residents participate)

b.       Completed CQI statistics are assembled for review.

c.        An action plan will be developed and carried out for all concerns identified in a and b.

d.       Other CQI projects will be assigned to PGY2 and PGY3 residents as deemed necessary by the PGY4.

e.        CQI topics are provided to residents for each monthly CE session.

C.         Training/CME

1.                    A PGY4 is responsible for the management of all training/CME.

Duties include:

a.        Training/CME portion of the yearly report with suggestions/critiques.

b.        Create yearly CME schedule for SEKI.

c.        Update and review databank questions with the aid of an assigned PGY3.

d.       Create yearly mini-lecture schedule for resident meetings.

e.        Oversee CME sessions as listed below.

2.        Monthly CME sessions (All residents participate.)

a.        After each session a written report is given to the  PGY4 including:

i           Attendance

ii         Test results

iii        Parkmedic/EMT feedback

b.       Each resident will also update the appropriate questions in the databank.

3.        The  PGY4 will assign other training responsibilities, which may include budget, curriculum, teaching operations, critique, and/or oversight for the following courses:

a.                    Yearly Spring Refresher – PGY4(advise), PGY3(lead) and PGY2(assist).

b.                   Yearly EMT orientation – PGY3(lead) and PGY2(assist).

c.                    Yearly MCI –  PGY4(lead) and  PGY3(assist).

d.                   Biannual EMT refresher –  PGY4.

4.        Parkmedic Certification Course

a.        A PGY4 will take the lead in running the course including planning, budget, curriculum, day to day operations, and critique.

b.       All residents are expected to participate in this course to a minimum level of one lecture and one workshop.

c.        A designated PGY2 will take an apprenticeship role to the PGY4 for this course.

 

D.         NPS/EMS Projects (See also Educational projects and Scholarly Activities)

1.        Database – continued development and implementation of the national database.

2.        During the course of Parkmedic activities it often becomes necessary or desirable to initiate a new project or review.  These projects may be requested by local EMS or National Park Service personnel, Emergency Medicine faculty, or generated by the residents themselves.  All proposed projects will be reviewed at the monthly meetings for perceived interest, importance, workload, and chance of successful completion before any such projects will be initiated.  It is assumed that there will almost always be one or two of these projects ongoing at any one time.  Whenever possible these projects will be so designed as to create a scholarly activity that can be presented or published nationally.  Of note, the National Park Service intermittently asks for guidance on policy/protocols issues (i.e. AED).  By responding to these requests, our program will provide national leadership.

IV.     Education

All Residents shall

A.     Successfully Complete the PGY3 EMS Rotation.

B.      Minimum Total Meeting Requirements (Can use PGY3 EMS rotation as credit towards these requirements)

1.                    Attend 3 Fresno County Medical Control Meetings.

2.                    Attend 3 EMS Staff meetings.

3.                    Attend 1 State or National EMS meeting (example: EMDAC).

4.                    Attend other meetings as requested by Parkmedic/EMS faculty.

C.     Training Division

1.        Administrative

a.        Residents will be notified of, and encouraged to, attend the various training meetings that the Fresno-Madera-Kings EMS training medical director is called upon to attend.

2.        Lectures

a.        Meet all lecture requirements as listed in the R-3 EMS curriculum.

b.       Meet all requirements as listed in III.C. of this document.

D.     CQI Division

1.        Attend 3 CQI meetings with County EMS CQI Medical Director.

E.      Disaster

1.        Meet all disaster requirements as listed in the R-3 EMS Curriculum.

F.      Projects (See V. Scholarly Activities/Projects.)

Many CQI, Medical Control and EMS Staff meetings generate questions that need to be answered.  Often these questions require reviewing literature, giving a brief, local presentation, or designing a protocol, policy or proposal.  It is expected that during the course of the three-year program a resident will participate in 2 –3 of these projects.

G.       Individual Readings (Reading list, see R-3 curriculum list plus attached Parkmedic/EMS reading list)

1.        Policy/Procedures/Laws

2.        Articles/Book review

H.      A fifteen minute mini-lecture will be given on a wilderness medicine or an EMS topic at the beginning of each monthly Parkmedic/EMS meeting.  This will be provided by residents and faculty on a rotating basis and is often incorporated in the review of the CE topics covered at the most recent SEKI CE session. 

I.         Residents may elect to use educational stipend to attend a National EMS meeting, such as WMS, NAEMSP, etc.

V.       SCHOLARLY ACTIVITIES

A.      The Program is expected to produce at least one scholarly activity per 2 graduating residents per year.

B.       Scholarly activities include (but are not limited to):

1.        National presentations.

2.        Publications in a peer review journal (case report, case series, literature review, original research, etc.)

3.        Meaningful proposals, analysis or projects that are used at the local or national level (i.e. Implementation of a local system of injury prevention, design of a National Parkmedic medical database, feasibility study of a fixed wing medical aircraft in Fresno, etc.)

C.       All Parkmedic/EMS scholarly activities will have a lead and supporting faculty as well as a lead and supporting resident (of different years).  Exceptions to this structure must be approved in advanced by the faculty in charge of the program.  With the aforementioned design, it is expected that all residents in the three-year tract will participate in at least two scholarly activities and be the lead resident in one.