Emergency medicine specialists are the doctors most often seen in emergency rooms, urgent care centers and free public clinics. They receive patients who have been in accidents and incidents involving moving vehicles, slippery surfaces, hard impacts and various weapons. They also treat people who are not feeling well due to illness or environmental circumstances.
The National Board of Emergency Medicine can certify emergency medicine specialists throughout the country. The newly graduated doctor must sit for and pass an exam after they possess the knowledge in the specialty before they can begin practicing. Each doctor must be licensed and insured at a local facility before earning privileges to treat patients there. The role for these doctors is similar in any location, but may differ with each particular setting, depending on the surroundings in that area. For example, an emergency medicine specialist in Cleveland, OH may work at a hospital where there are many railroad employee or passenger incidents; whereas an emergency medicine specialist in the Napa Valley, CA may treat more vineyard workers and farmers, and never see a train accident victim.
The physicians in this specialty combine extensive experience with in-depth training and knowledge. The veteran physicians have seen all types of medical emergencies, from minor cuts to major diseases and impacts. These professionals understand the anatomy and physiology of the entire human body because an injury to any part of the body is possible in a dire situation. This type of work is the most hands-on of any area in medicine. They are often at the forefront of being in control of whether a patient literally lives or dies.
Some of the more common circumstances that patients have are extensive bleeding, head injuries, gunshot and stab wounds, unconsciousness, and severe pain for a variety of reasons in any part of the body. Some of these doctors focus their attention just on trauma to children, so they work on pediatric patients only. Others focus on the head and brain, internal body organs, bones and poisonings.
Emergency physicians should have good listening and communication skills, as they have to work as a team of doctors and healthcare professionals.
These professionals also serve as emergency surgeons, as operations are sometimes required when individuals come into the room with injuries or illnesses. They have to be very good with their hands since they work with many different types of instruments, wires, clamps, hoses, intravenous tubes, and other related equipment. They also put in long hours. Although the work can often be draining and grueling, it is also rewarding.