Revise position on short courses.

Recently the ACEP board of directors approved a policy statement denouncing the use of short courses in emergency medicine as criteria for privileges or employment. The specific policy states:

“ACEP believes that board certification by ABEM or AOBEM demonstrates comprehensive training, knowledge, and skill in the practice of emergency medicine. Certificates of short course completion in various core content areas of emergency medicine may serve as evidence of focused review; however ABEM or AOBEM certification in emergency medicine supersedes evidence of completion of such courses.”¹

“Accordingly ACEP strongly discourages the use of certificates of completion of courses such as ACLS, ATLS, PALS and BTLS, or a specified number of medical education hours in a sub-area of emergency medicine, as requirements for privileges or employment for physicians certified by ABEM or AOBEM.”¹

“Certificates of completion of focused courses should only be used as requirements for privileges or employment for ABEM or AOBEM-certified physicians in conjunction with new procedures that evolve into the practice of emergency medicine and in which physicians have not received formal training.”¹

The best way to look at this is by setting up two scenarios. The first scenario is a recent graduate of an approved EM residency that follows the EM model, and encompasses the six new core competencies: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal skills, professionalism and systems based practice.²