The Georgetown University Hospital/Washington Hospital Center Emergency Medicine Residency Program
Our mission is to train exceptional, academically talented emergency clinicians, with a drive and passion to contribute meaningfully to the communities they serve through a multitude of pathways tailored to the individual trainee, which may include teaching, leadership, service, research, or scholarship. Additionally, we embrace diversity in both our residency program and our community. We understand that an inclusive academic program will enrich our learning environment and improve care for the patients we have the honor and privilege of serving.
Driven from the ground up by talented, motivated, and experienced physician faculty, the MedStar Health Georgetown University Emergency Medicine Residency Program is a top tier training program. With outstanding clinical sites, enthusiastic institutional support, and a partnership with Georgetown University and its School of Medicine, we are dedicated to practicing state-of-the-art, patient-first emergency care.
About the residency program
For the majority of ED clinical shifts, our residents work directly, one-on-one with the ED attending physician. This allows our trainees to learn from the most experienced providers and educators, beginning the first day of internship and continuing throughout training. Our junior residents benefit from one-on-one mentorship, and our upper level residents benefit from full autonomy with guidance when needed for fine-tuning of advanced skills. Rotating medical students are frequently paired with the attending-resident team, which provides abundant opportunities for direct involvement in clinical teaching.
Rotations
The cultural, economic, and geographic diversity of the DC region provides our program with a vast patient population and a variety of clinical settings. It is truly an exciting, challenging, and well-rounded training experience.
More than half of the resident’s training occurs at our primary clinical site, MedStar Washington Hospital Center (MWHC). Of all DC area hospitals, MWHC has the busiest ED, most active level one trauma center, and the largest cardiac service. In addition, it is the designated regional burn center and a NIH comprehensive regional stroke center. In the information contained below and in the links in the margin, you will find details on each year’s curriculum, schedules, specific rotations, and our hospitals.
PGY1
The goal of the first year is to build the basic knowledge and procedural skills needed to practice Emergency Medicine. Seven months are dedicated to emergency medicine rotations at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, and Shady Grove Adventist Hospital. Months in medical intensive care (MICU) and trauma complement the ED time. Additionally, PGY1 residents complete a one-week rotation in ophthalmology, and spend time in the sports medicine clinics and with the palliative care team.
PGY2
During the second year, PGY2 residents refine their skills in general emergency medicine and spend a total of five months in the ED with additional time spent in a pediatric setting. As a PGY2, more emphasis is placed on critical care, with rotations in surgical, medical and pediatric intensive care units. During this year, a month is reserved for elective time where residents can explore international health, ultrasound, EMS, wilderness medicine, sports medicine, health policy, research, or design their own experience.
PGY3
The third year resident has supervisory and teaching roles in the ED while continuing their education in critical care and trauma. PGY3 residents have the opportunity to direct junior residents in the ED. The third year of residency also focuses on management and teaching with a rotation devoted exclusively toward administration and education. During this year, there is an additional elective month that, like that in the PGY2 year, can be devoted to any area of interest.
Focus areas
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Emergency Departments
Our primary ED training sites allow exposure to the full spectrum of healthcare, including broad cultural and socioeconomic diversity, as well as tremendous diversity in pathology:
- MedStar Washington Hospital Center (primary site)
- MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
- MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital
- MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital (optional rotation)
MedStar Washington Hospital Center (MWHC) is primarily an adult ED. Children’s National Medical Center sits immediately adjacent to MWHC on a shared medical campus (see Pediatric EM below). MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (MGUH) treats both adult and pediatric patients in a single department. The ED experiences at MWHC and MGUH are complementary to one another in many ways.
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Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Our affiliate ED training sites for focused pediatric ED exposure include:
- Children’s National Medical Center Pediatric ED
- Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Pediatric ED
- INOVA Fairfax Hospital Pediatric ED
Residents work a proportion of shifts in the peds ED at CNMC during all MWHC ED months during the PGY-1 and PGY-2 training years, allowing for seasonal variation and continuity of pediatric exposure throughout training.
Additional focused pediatric ED rotations occur at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital and INOVA Fairfax Hospital. Shady Grove is a busy community ED in suburban Maryland, and INOVA Fairfax is a high volume community-tertiary referral center just across the Potomac River in northern Virginia. Both sites provide broad-based pediatric exposure by fellowship trained and pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) subspecialty boarded faculty.
The Georgetown Hospital ED treats both pediatric and adult patients in a single department, allowing for exposure to pediatric care in the fabric of each and every shift. Level 1 pediatric trauma experience occurs at both CNMC and INOVA Fairfax. The PGY-2 pediatric ICU (PICU) rotation at Children’s National rounds out the pediatric experience by providing experience in managing the sickest kids, whether resulting from medical illness or traumatic injury.
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Critical Care
Comprehensive experience in critical care medicine is both a primary focus and strength of our curriculum. We have numerous EM-critical care faculty members, and MWHC hosts an IM-based critical care fellowship open to EM graduates.
The focus of the intern year is in core critical care procedures, such as central venous access and thoracotomy tube (chest tube) placement, among others. Interns gain exposure to critical care through the following rotations:
- Medical Intensive Care (MICU) at MGUH
- MedSTAR Trauma Service at MWHC
During the second year, residents assume an expanded role in critical care decision-making. This includes working as the primary provider in managing critically ill patients in the units, serving as the code team in the hospital, and evaluating critical care consultations from the ED or the floors. Critical care rotations in the PGY-2 year include:
- Medical Intensive Care (MICU) at MGUH
- Surgical Intensive Care (SICU) and Cardiovascular Intensive Care (CVICU) at MWHC
- Pediatric Intensive Care (PICU) at CNMC
- Trauma Service at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore
In addition, the proportion of critically ill patients presenting to the ED provides an outstanding ED-based exposure to critical illness. This is particularly true at MWHC, where every day a significant portion of ED patients require critical interventions, including advanced airway management, invasive procedures, and major resuscitations.
We also offer a popular “Resuscitation” elective, where EM residents assist the primary ED teams with resuscitation. This includes assisting with invasive procedures, ventilation management, antibiotic selection, vasoactive selection and titration, and transfer of critically ill patients from the ED to the ICU. Residents begin each day by rounding along with the ICU teams to follow-up on patients who presented through the ED the day prior.
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Trauma
Experience in managing significant traumatic injuries occurs throughout the curriculum. New interns are certified in Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) during the intern orientation program (July of intern year). Progressive responsibilities in directing major resuscitations and invasive procedures occurs throughout the course of training:
- MedSTAR Trauma Service – PGY-1
- Trauma at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore – PGY-2
- Senior Resuscitation Leader at MedSTAR – PGY-3
Junior residents work as an integral member of the trauma teams at MedSTAR and Shock Trauma during the PGY-1 and PGY-2 years, respectively. Senior residents work solely in the resuscitation bays during the highest volume periods of the week in the roles of resuscitation leader or procedure leader, alternating with the senior surgical resident with each successive trauma activation. The trauma curriculum allows for a well-diversified and broad-based trauma experience, including exposure to blunt and penetrating injury patterns resulting from a wide variety of mechanisms. In addition, pediatric ED rotations at CNMC and INOVA Fairfax, both Level 1 pediatric trauma centers, rounds-out the trauma experience.
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Ultrasound
The MedStar Emergency Physicians (MEP) Division of Emergency Ultrasound is a core strength and area of focus for the department, and an essential element of the overall training experience throughout all 3 years of the EM residency program curriculum.
EM residents receive top-tier ultrasound education from dedicated EM faculty with extensive point-of-care ultrasound subspecialty expertise at the bedside, complemented by ultrasound education in the simulation and didactic arenas. Residents also regularly contribute to content creation for our monthly POCUS Podcast, Soundcheck.
SonoSite LX machines are utilized at all the clinical sites where EM residents work and scan. At the primary clinical sites, SonoSite SII machines are available for peripheral IVs and other procedures. Ultrasound images and clips are uploaded to the patient’s electronic health record and are available for real time review by both the ultrasound team and the broader patient care team.
Conferences
A strong didactic curriculum is provided at conferences scheduled at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and Georgetown University Hospital. This is protected time during all ED months and during most off-service months.
This didactic program ranges from traditional lectures to simulation activities and unique off-campus opportunities. Several lectures are available for later review online. Four hours each month are devoted to asynchronous learning so that residents can focus on their individual needs, be it listening to EM podcasts, completing board review questions, or spending additional time in simulation or other activities.
Curriculum
The provision of emergency medical care is a sacred trust. Our patients are acutely ill, injured and vulnerable. Patients who seek emergency care place their total well-being and trust in the hands of people they do not know. Those people are us.
Clinical training
The cultural, economic, and geographic diversity of the DC region provides our program with a vast patient population and a variety of clinical settings. It is truly an exciting, challenging, and well-rounded training experience.
Close to half of the resident’s training occurs at MedStar Washington Hospital Center (MWHC). Of all DC area hospitals, MWHC has the busiest emergency department, most active trauma center, and the largest cardiac service. In addition, it is the designated regional burn center and a NIH regional stroke center. In the information contained below and in the links in the margin, you will find details on each year’s curriculum, schedules, specific rotations, and our hospitals.
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Grand Rounds
Grand Rounds emphasize clinical emergency medicine and present important new developments in emergency medicine research. National leaders in academic emergency medicine present quarterly at our Emergency Medicine Grand Rounds.
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Mock Certifying Exam
Mock certifying exam practice sessions occur throughout the year as part of the didactic program. This culminates in a half-day mock certifying exam simulation mid-academic year. During this, each resident completes a day of high fidelity testing at Georgetown’s Integrated Learning Center, participating in multiple individual cases and procedure testing stations based on the new ABEM certification requirements. Cases are designed by faculty and new each year.
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Resident Lectures
Residents have the opportunity to give lectures throughout training. Each resident is provided with individual coaching and speaking support from our nationally recognized and award-winning faculty presenters. Second year residents present a “Best Practice” lecture while third year residents present a “Big Picture” lecture and lead the monthly Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) conference.
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Journal Club
Residents and faculty meet off campus once a month for journal club conference. During these sessions, our residents review historic landmark studies and current practice changing research to encourage a greater understanding of research methodologies and statistical analysis, and keep residents updated on advances in the practice of emergency medicine.
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Off-Campus Didactics
A variety of off-campus and unique didactic sessions occur throughout the year. Examples from the past year include:
- Hand Lab – A practical session utilizing cadavers dedicated to hand emergencies and led by our hand surgeon colleagues at Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD.
- Advanced Airway & Cadaver Lab – A practical session utilizing cadavers dedicated to advanced airway skills for the emergency physician at Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD.
- Wilderness Day – Residents and faculty take part in an annual Medwars outdoor wilderness medicine simulation. (*For Medical Students)
Research
The Road to Discovery
With a broad program of research initiatives, the investigative mindset of our ED builds as clinicians work together to improve the lives of patients through innovation and discovery.
Residents participate in research and scholarship during the course of their training. Opportunities to engage in research and scholarship are available through the ED, Georgetown University School of Medicine, and the MedStar Research Institute. The Office of Graduate Medical Education offers funding to support the presentation of research at conferences or meetings.
Areas of research focus include critical care, sepsis, emergency ultrasound, sports medicine, patient safety, simulation, EM operations, education, among others.
Residents also have the unique opportunity to participate in research conducted by MedStar Health’s Institute for Medical Informatics, a center for research and development in emergency medicine informatics. The institute is the recipient of a $6.5 million research grant from the National Library of Medicine (Project Sentinel) to develop advanced biosurveillance data techniques and data visualization that unites clinical and non-clinical data from the District of Columbia and its environs. Explore our Annual Scholarly Report to see the breadth and impact of our department's scholarly achievements.
Quality Improvement Project
Each intern class is matched with a mentor and develops a QI project that is of service to the emergency department. During the second year, each group must complete their project which involves evaluating and improving one systems-based aspect of patient care. This project culminates with a final presentation before graduation. This experience provides each resident with an appreciation of the importance and the tools to perform systems-based improvement.
Scholarly Project
An individual scholarly project is required for graduation from the program. The purpose of this project is to provide experience in critical thinking, evidence-based learning, literature review, research methodologies and in some instances experience with statistics. Residents have the flexibility to choose a project related to their personal interests. By providing practical experience in these areas, it is designed to supplement ideas discussed in program didactics and Journal Club.
Electives
A World of Opportunity
Residents pursue a variety of electives and special interests, from sports medicine, critical care, ultrasound, rural emergency medicine, and more. Many residents explore independent projects or and design their own elective experiences.
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Ultrasound
Our ultrasound program prepares residents to perform diagnostic and procedural ultrasounds. Graduates complete residency with more than 300 ultrasounds that are quality-reviewed by our ultrasound faculty. We routinely use point-of-care ultrasound to guide medical and trauma resuscitations. Our interns start residency with an ultrasound bootcamp, and residents have dedicated ultrasound time throughout training. Some residents pursue ultrasound electives to further bolster their skills. We also collaborate with other EM subspecialties. For example, our Ultrasound, Sports Medicine, and Simulation teams collaborated to teach ultrasound guided regional anesthesia.
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Sports Medicine
Our Sports Medicine program provides residents with a robust experience in musculoskeletal and sports-related care. Residents learn from fellowship-trained Sports Medicine faculty with expertise in the evaluation and management of acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions, with dedicated time in our Sports Medicine clinics throughout residency. Residents gain hands-on experience with diagnostic and procedural skills, including ultrasound-guided injections and regional anesthesia, and have opportunities to further develop these skills through electives and collaboration with our Ultrasound and Simulation teams. Our program also emphasizes sideline and event medicine, preparing residents to evaluate and manage athletes in the field, including acute injuries and return-to-play considerations.
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Mass Gathering Medicine
Physicians at MedStar provide medical services for events at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, including the Baltimore Ravens and to all Georgetown athletic teams. In addition, opportunities to work with medical services on the National Mall on 4th of July and other major l events in the Nation’s Capitol abound. These experiences include supporting runners during the annual Marine Corps Marathon, Cherry Blossom 10-mile run, and the Army Ten-Miler, among other athletic events.
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Emergency Medical Services
The EMS rotation/experience spans all three years of the program. Our focus is on 911-based ground EMS including shifts with the DC Fire/EMS. All ride alongs are with an EMS supervisor. EMS can be pursued as an elective for the residents in addition to the regularly scheduled EMS shifts throughout the curriculum. Third year residents are involved in EMS education, oversight, protocols, and call review. There are also opportunities for our residents to gain experience in medical direction and base station on-line medical command. Residents with interests in EMS can explore additional opportunities with FEMA urban search and rescue, tactical medicine, mass gathering medicine, disaster preparedness, and aeromedical experiences.
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Simulation
Simulation is integrated into resident education throughout training and often focuses on high-stakes, low-frequency scenarios and procedures. We host multiple dedicated simulation days per year. In addition, residents can choose to complete a simulation elective, in which they develop cases and procedural models with our exceptional simulation faculty and fellows. In the past, residents have developed simulation content on difficult delivery, neonatal resuscitation, resuscitative hysterotomy, Colles’ fracture reduction, priapism aspiration and injection, care of the transgender patient, and death notification.
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Medical Education
A passion for medical education runs throughout our entire program, with a strong belief in the mantra of “Resident as Educator.” Residents often choose electives in Medical Education, with opportunities to teach medical students, residents, undergraduate students, EMTs, and even EM faculty. Residents have been invited to give high-level presentations at regional and national conferences. We provide our residents with formal teaching on providing feedback, bedside teaching, and creating a great talk.
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Telehealth/Informatics
Our department is on the forefront of EM Telehealth, and we ensure our residents have access to telehealth education opportunities. Senior residents work a telehealth triage shift where they are responsible for rapidly (and remotely) evaluating newly-triaged ED patients, starting workups and initiating treatment. Residents may choose to complete a telehealth elective. Several of our residents have even co-authored peer-reviewed telehealth publications.
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Health Policy
Leveraging our two-year health policy fellowship, our superb health-policy faculty, and our location in the heart of Washington, DC, our EM residents have a variety of opportunities to broaden their health policy education. We have two longitudinal health policy tracks, including one focusing on Social EM. Residents may also choose to pursue an elective in health policy, which frequently results in some form of publication.
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ED Administration
Our residents have helped lead multiple initiatives across our emergency departments, including integrating high sensitivity troponins into clinical practice, initiating an ED Observation program and evaluating changes in care after a malpractice case. With strong emergency physician leadership throughout our health system, residents have opportunities to impact care delivery on a departmental level and even system-wide.
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Critical Care
Residents often use elective time to hone their EM/critical care skillsets. Residents who complete our resuscitation elective spend time in the ED caring for the sickest-of-the-sick patients and have opportunities to hone their skills and teach central lines, chest tubes, arterial lines, echocardiograms, etc. We also have dedicated electives in ventilator management, advanced echocardiography, and in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) caring for post-operative cardiac patients and patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVAD).
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Away Electives
Residents have a wide array of elective opportunities outside of DC. Residents interested in rural EM can explore electives at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital (near the Chesapeake Bay in Southern Maryland) and at Tahoe Forest Hospital (on the California side of Lake Tahoe). Residents interested in sports medicine, especially ski and snowboard injuries, have completed an elective at the ski clinic in Park City Utah. Residents also regularly pursue electives with the Indian Health Service in Tuba City, AZ and Gallup, NM.
Diversity and Inclusion
A top priority
At Georgetown we embrace diversity in our residency, our faculty, and our community. We understand that an inclusive academic program will enrich our learning environment and improve care of the patients we serve. Our program is dedicated to recruiting and retaining a diverse group of residents and faculty. Our team welcomes members of all ages, ethnicities, genders, races, religions, sexual orientations and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Georgetown's commitment to diversity and inclusion
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Resident Diversity and Inclusion Committee
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Involvement with national organizations
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Student National Medical Association
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Latino Medical Students Association
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Women in Medicine
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DC ACEP
Program leadership
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Joelle Borhart, MD
Program Director
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David J Carlberg, MD
Academic Vice Chair
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Diana Ladkany, MD
Associate Program Director
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Marysia Lawrynowicz, MD
Assistant
Program Director -
Tiana Prout
Program Administrator
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Tiffany Brown
Sr. Department Education Coordinator
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Munish Goyal, MD
Academic Chair
Our people
Wellbeing
Resident wellness
We care deeply about resident wellness both as an individual program and through MedStar Health. We have many ways to connect our residents with resources to help support them during their 3 years of residency.
Mental health resources are available for our residents through the Medstar health plan. Medstar additionally has an employee assistance program that can help connect you with the resources you need 24/7.
Care for caregiver offers confidential peer support 24/7. The team comprises of nurses, physicians, Risk associates, Quality & Safety specialists, chaplains, and social workers who are here for YOU when you need it most.
The Provider Concierge program connects providers directly with a personalized assistant who can help you navigate various resources. This is a program to help you with day-to-day tasks such as making appointments, career coaching and understanding your 403b.
MyHR offers deals on pretty much anything including travel expenses, memberships and commercial products.
Contact us
For more information, contact:
Tiana Prout
Residency Coordinator
Department of Emergency Medicine
Washington Hospital Center
110 Irving Street, NW
NA-1177
Washington, DC 20010
Tiffany Brown
Fellowship Coordinator
Department of Emergency Medicine
Washington Hospital Center
110 Irving Street, NW
EB-6109
Washington, DC 20010