Rahul Bhat

Rahul Bhat, MD, is an attending physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (MGUH) and MedStar Washington Hospital Center (MWHC). He also is an assistant professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine.

As an associate program director for the combined emergency medicine residency program at MGUH/MWHC, Dr. Bhat serves as a mentor for 4th-year medical students interested in emergency medicine. In this role, he also is a member of the residency program’s Recruitment and Promotion committee and the Curriculum committee.

Dr. Bhat was selected to participate in the MedStar Teaching Scholars Program. His other honors include being named Clinical Teacher of the Year, Faculty of the Year, and Mentor of the Year by MGUH’s Department of Emergency Medicine. He is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians, and he is a member of the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine and the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD). He is board certified in emergency medicine.

His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including The Western Journal of Emergency Medicine and Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. He serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Emergency Medicine and MedEd Portal. He also facilitates development of best practices as part of the CORD Clinical Competency Committee. He frequently presents his research findings at professional meetings. Topics he has been invited to speak on include atrial fibrillation and intubation preparation and care.

Dr. Bhat earned his medical degree at Boston University. He then completed an internship in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, and a residency in emergency medicine at George Washington University Hospital.

Research Interests

Dr. Bhat’s research interests include

Medical educationEmergency ultrasoundAccuracy of radiographic readings in the emergency departmentClinical decision making.

Selected Research

Impact of Student Learners on the Productivity of Emergency Medicine Physicians

In this research, Dr. Bhat and colleagues sought to evaluate whether the presence of a student or resident learner increases, decreases, or has no effect on the productivity of emergency medicine physicians. This research was published in The Western Journal of Emergency Medicine (2014;15:41-4).

Impact of Post-Intubation Interventions on Mortality in Patients in the Emergency Department

Endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation are often performed by emergency physicians. Dr. Bhat and colleagues conducted this observational, retrospective study of patients intubated in the emergency department at a large tertiary-care teaching hospital. The results of this research were published in The Western Journal of Emergency Medicine (2014;15:708-11).

View Dr. Bhat’s publications on PubMed.

Research Areas


  • Critical Care/Emergency Medicine
    Medical Education