Emergency physician

The standard training route of emergency physicians in the United States is four years of college, four years of an approved medical school, and then a three- or four-year residency in emergency medicine. After completion of residency it is common for American emergency physicians to work in a hospital's emergency department and take the board certification necessary to become certified in emergency medicine. This includes a 300+ question written exam followed by an oral examination. == Role in healthcare ==

Emergency physicians in the United States typically work in emergency departments. Patients come in for a variety of reasons, including severe, life-threatening complaints such as strokes and heart attacks, potentially life-threatening complaints like severe abdominal pain, and less severe complaints such as mild injuries. The emergency physician is expected to oversee their care, rule out life-threatening diseases, stabilize the patient if necessary, and decide if the patient needs to be admitted to the hospital for further care or discharged home to follow up as an outpatient. Emergency physicians work with a large number of other professionals, including physician assistants/nurse practitioners, registered nurses, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, medical technicians, medical scribes, and more. For more information on what the practice of an emergency physician looks like, see Emergency medicine. ==Fellowship==

Some additional training paths after becoming an emergency physician include: • Toxicology • Wilderness medicine • Emergency ultrasound • Trauma and/or critical care • Sports medicine • Pediatric emergency medicine • Medical education • International emergency medicine • Hyperbaric and undersea medicine • Emergency medical services (EMS) and disaster medicine • Aerospace medicine These training paths are recognized by the American Academy of Emergency Medicine and are anywhere from 1–2 years in length. ==See also==