Doctors with specialised training in emergency medicine are called upon to serve patients who need care right away. These medical professionals operate in emergency rooms and hospitals where they may assist patients and provide crucial, frequently life-saving care. If you are thinking about becoming an emergency physician, it might be a smart option to properly research the field and think about how it would compare to other medical professions.

The field of emergency medicine (EM) is fascinating and gratifying, drawing those who want diversity and a challenge. The complete range of physical and behavioral crises are managed by EM doctors. They are specialists at spotting the seriously wounded and unwell and offering quick, safe care.

Who is an Emergency Doctor?

What is an emergency doctor, you may question if you're intrigued in a profession in medicine. An extremely skilled physician who attends to people in need of immediate treatment is known as an emergency physician. As an emergency doctor, you will frequently operate in hospital emergency departments, although you may also work in clinics and operating rooms.

You will frequently use your in-depth medical expertise to diagnose patients quickly and choose the best course of therapy. Individuals who have suffered from significant trauma, heart attacks, seizures, or extreme blood loss may be treated by them. An emergency doctor's efforts may be able to prolong the life of a patient or enhance their wellness.

EM doctors are experts at performing CPR, diagnosing, and treating patients who have recently sustained an accident or sickness that requires immediate attention. EM doctors treat individuals of all age groups and manage acute treatments across the health system with a firm commitment to evidence-based treatment and a broad variety of operational and technical abilities.

Becoming an emergency doctor in Australia

1. Complete secondary school

As a candidate for emergency medicine, you may enrol in science-based courses, particularly in chemistry and biology. You could also pursue studies in physics, math, and IT. At this point in your studies, candidates often get strong Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) scores.

2. Acquire a degree

Before undergoing any emergency-specific training, emergency physicians often complete a full medical degree. Medical degrees typically last five to six years and involve a combination of classroom instruction and clinical rotations at medical facilities and offices. You might be able to locate suitable assignments that will aid in the development of your abilities needed to work as an emergency physician.

3. Gather work-experience

If you don't gain the necessary exposure while earning your education, you can think about doing some temporary work later. Applicants generally have six months of experience in an emergency department in Australia or New Zealand the year before submitting to be eligible for Australian Emergency Specialist Training. Additionally, as an applicant, you will be allowed to conduct three postings in different medical specialties that last at least eight weeks, one of which can be finished after the second postgraduate year. Most applicants wait a while to start working full-time after finishing their education in order to gain this exposure.

4. Acquire FACEM

"Fellow of the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine" is referred to as "FACEM." This is a well-liked entry point into emergency medicine. Most applicants for FACEM are in their third postgraduate year and have obtained the required experience. FACEM typically lasts at least five years and involves training in emergency rooms. FACEM can be studied either full- or part-time.

Consider submitting an application to the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine as well (ACEM). You may obtain an Emergency Medicine Certificate (EMC) here, which is a requirement for emergency physicians who occasionally work under the supervision of another physician. For EMC alums who want to take on additional responsibilities at work, there is the Emergency Medicine Diploma (EMD). Both of these routes frequently require fewer admission criteria and less time than FACEM.

You must submit an application for fellowship with the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine in order to specialise in emergency medicine (ACEM). A 5-year (full-time) training programme is called a fellowship.

Your entry requirements for this are as follows.

- Complete general medical licencing.

- Citizenship, indefinite residence, or required VISA.

- Finishing PGY2.

- Completion of two non-emergency disciplines in any prevocational year, as well as at least one emergency term in PGY2 or above.

This training is divided into 3 stages.

?       Basic education (minimum 2 years) - includes clinical experience in hospitals, including internship and medical officer periods.

?       Provisional training, lasting at least a year, entails a dedication to emergency medical training, which includes a primary test and an interviews.

?       advanced instruction (minimum 4 years) - closely supervised expert training with sub-specialty terminology, research elements, and an exit (fellowship) test.

Once you have completed the above, you can apply for roles. You can compete for the position of an emergency doctor if you have obtained your FACEM certification or another appropriate credential. You can qualify for supervising jobs or more basic employment based on your qualifications. You can think about advancing to more prominent positions as you get more skills.

Becoming an Emergency Medicine Doctor as an Overseas Undergraduate

By meeting the standards of the International Medical Specialist Initiatives, overseas experienced experts and overseas specialists in training in emergency medicine can have their expertise validated in Australia.

You can apply for evaluation by ACEM through one of the below paths if you want to be recognised as a specialist in emergency medicine or if you want a brief training position in emergency medicine in Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand.

?       Area of Need Assesment

In Australia, particularly in rural regions, there is a scarcity of emergency medicine experts. This shortfall is addressed via the Area of Need (AoN) assessment procedure. It is not necessary to compare you to an emergency medicine expert who had their training in Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand in order to qualify for specialist registration with the Medical Board of Australia in order to determine your fitness to fill an AoN post.

?       Short Term Training

The evaluation of your foreign credentials and experience is a requirement for employment in a Short Term Training (STT) post in an Australian emergency department. The last two years of an international specialised training programme or the completion of specialist training are requirements for applicants.

?       Specialist Assesment

Specialist Assessment is the evaluation of your emergency medicine training and practice in comparison to that of an ACEM Fellow (FACEM).

International medical graduates (SIMGs) who are specialists are eligible for the Specialist Assessment track if they:

?     are certified as emergency medicine professionals in their nation of study after completing a period of specialised training,

?     are attempting to get registered with the Medical Board of Australia (MBA) as a professional in emergency medicine or with the Medical Council of New Zealand as a vocational emergency physician (MCNZ)

Salary and work setting of an EMD in Australia

An emergency medicine physician makes, on average, $140,369 a year. The pay for emergency physicians in control of the department may be significantly greater as this is the median wage for junior and senior emergency physicians. Additionally, the income may change based on the state you reside in.

Typically, as an emergency physician, you may work in clinics or hospital systems' emergency rooms. You could have a separate workplace or team space, but you might do a majority of your duties in client surgeries. As numerous patients may require services in one go, your role is likely to be hectic and filled with many urgent situations.

Being an emergency physician often does not have set hours because emergencies can occur at any moment of the day. Work schedules for specialists may include weekends and evenings. If required, you might be brought in at a tight deadline or finish later. Senior doctors frequently work significantly more regimented hours, but they may also put in extra time, stay late into the night, or perform on the weekends, particularly during times of high demand.

Conclusion

You can find more about this from our blog on the preliminary steps of becoming an EMD in Australia. By following these steps carefully, you will be able to perform as an emergency medical doctor in Australia.

In order to continue meeting the workforce demands in the emergency medicine industry in Australia, Medfuture is constantly on the hunt for emergency medicine specialists. Utilize the Medfuture Job board to go through several locums and permanent ED openings in diverse job categories. For more information on these vacancies or any other inquiries, you can reach us on 1300 633 388.