Site Evaluation Presentation Summary

During this rotation, I presented multiple ED cases that helped me improve my clinical reasoning, organization, and ability to think through acute management. I presented cases including ectopic pregnancy, cellulitis, and an intratonsillar abscess, and I tried to focus on more emergent presentations so I could get better at building a strong differential diagnosis in higher acuity situations. This pushed me to think more broadly and always keep more serious conditions in mind.

One thing I noticed during this rotation is that ED presentations are very different from other rotations, especially in how the HPI and physical exam are structured. Instead of including everything, I learned to focus more on pertinent positives and negatives that actually guide management. I think I got better at filtering information and keeping my presentations more concise and high-yield. My journal article was on ectopic pregnancy and its management, which helped me better understand when to use medical versus surgical treatment. In my patient’s case, even though she had bleeding, she was stable, so she didn’t require methotrexate or emergent intervention. That helped me connect what I read to real clinical decision-making and understand how stability really drives management in the ED.

A strength I found during this rotation was my ability to adjust my presentations to the ED setting while still keeping them organized and clinically relevant. I also got better at forming differentials that included more emergent conditions and tying them to appropriate workups, including labs, imaging, and starting treatments like antibiotics when needed. Moving forward, I want to keep improving on quickly recognizing high-risk features and being more confident in my initial management plans earlier in my presentations. Overall, this rotation helped me understand that ED medicine is about being focused, efficient, and always thinking about what could be life-threatening first.