How to use this book

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK The amount of information that must be transferred from books, patients, journals, mentors, and so on into the brain of an aspiring emergency physician is overwhelming. Many physicians create study plans, purchase books, fall behind schedule, and readjust timelines in an endless process akin to yo-yo dieting. Whatever the means we use to study while not actively caring for patients, inevitably we learn as our forebears did – one patient at a time. Thus, this book was crafted as a case-based approach to the art and science of emergency medicine. Although the format stresses an approach useful in preparation for the emergency medicine oral boards, the cases serve as a review (or introduction) to the practice of emergency medicine. These pages contain heuristics on the general approach to patient management, pearls on the care of children, tips on performing common bedside procedures, and a litany of cases. ORAL BOARD PREPARATION Working with a Partner As described in Chapter 3, during the oral boards you will be taken through a series of cases by an American Board of Emergency Medicine examiner. To mimic this process as closely as possible, you should review the cases in this book with a partner. Pairing with another emergency physician is ideal, as they will be familiar with the format of the boards and the medical decision making in the cases, and they will have more fun throwing curveballs at you to make the cases more interesting (or difficult)! If you cannot find a colleague with a medical background to take you through the cases, a friend, family, or significant other will do.