Emergency Medicine Residency – Northeast

Protected time: Education is a top priority. Residents are granted protected time for didactic sessions, so they are fully engaged in their education. To support this, residents are scheduled off the evening before and during the educational conference, allowing them to participate without clinical responsibilities. 

Focused learning environments: We encourage active participation and minimize distractions. 

Individual development: We provide scheduled time dedicated to working on individualized learning plans, career development and scholarly pursuits.

Journal club: You’ll have opportunities to gather outside of the hospital, typically at a faculty member’s home or local restaurant, to critically appraise recent literature and integrate evidence-based medicine into practice. 

Simulation days: Dedicated sessions focus on procedural skills, team dynamics and high-stakes scenarios. Simulation is also integrated throughout conferences to reinforce clinical application. 

Airway management day: You’ll receive hands-on training in basic and advanced airway techniques, including difficult airway scenarios and interdisciplinary approaches to airway management. 

Core content review: Comprehensive sessions cover the breadth of emergency medicine, mapped to board exam blueprints. 

Subspecialty focus: You’ll benefit from deep dives into specific topics, including: 

• Emergency cardiology 
• Toxicology 
• Pediatrics 
• Addiction medicine 
• Ultrasound 
• EMS
• Sports medicine 

Morbidity & mortality (M&M): We focus on quality improvement (QI) principles, systems-based practice and patient safety. 

Board review: We provide regular, interactive preparation sessions for certification exams. 

Junior residents: Focused on building a strong foundation in emergency medicine, with topics such as core EM content, procedural skills and fundamental clinical decision-making. 

Senior residents: Emphasis on the transition from resident to attending, including advanced emergency medicine topics, leadership skills and professional development such as: 

• Retirement planning 
• Contract negotiations 
• Job search strategies and interviewing 

Well-being retreat: Dedicated to personal and professional well-being, featuring team-building activities, stress management workshops and opportunities to recharge. 

Program development retreat: An inclusive forum for residents, faculty and leadership to collaborate on refining the program so it aligns with our mission and aims. 

Well-being is interwoven throughout the curriculum, with dedicated sessions focusing on: 

• Resilience training 
• Work-life integration strategies 
• Emotional intelligence development 

Individualized learning plans: Scheduled time to work on your learning plans, making sure your education aligns with your career goals and personal passions. 

Scholarly time: Dedicated time to pursue academic projects, quality improvement initiatives and research under the guidance of faculty mentors.

Career growth: Sessions on professional development, including fellowship exploration, academic career planning and preparing for leadership roles.

• Dedicated educational content 
• Hands-on procedural training 
• Shifts in the emergency department to build familiarity and confidence in clinical practice. 

Flipped classroom: Pre-assigned materials allow residents to engage in active learning during conference time. 

Case-based learning: Real-world cases drive discussions, promoting critical thinking and decision-making. 

Interdisciplinary collaboration: Sessions with specialists and other departments enrich learning and enhance teamwork skills. 

Technology integration: We leverage advanced tools to enhance the learning environment.

• Interdisciplinary team leadership 
• Advocacy and policy in emergency medicine

Trauma surgery: In addition to managing a high volume of trauma in the ED, residents spend dedicated time with the trauma team, managing acutely injured patients. 

Emergency Medical Services: Residents gain hands-on experience with Geisinger’s robust EMS system and local EMS agencies, including ground and air transport. Participation in aeromedical transport is available but is NOT required. This experience enhances understanding of prehospital care and transitions to hospital-based care. 

Intensive Care Unit: Advanced critical care training with exposure to complex medical and surgical cases. 

Orthopaedics: Hands-on experience with musculoskeletal injuries and procedures. 

Anesthesia: Focused on mastering airway management and regional anesthesia techniques. 

Obstetrics: Gain experience managing obstetrical emergencies and participating in labor and delivery. 

Ultrasound: Develop expertise in point-of-care ultrasound for diagnostics and procedural guidance. 

PICU rotation at CHOP: A unique opportunity to train at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, one of the nation’s leading pediatric centers. Residents gain exceptional experience managing critically ill children, with housing and travel fully covered by the program.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU): Gain experience in neonatal resuscitation, airway management, vascular access (including umbilical lines) and other procedures such as lumbar puncture. The rotation emphasizes initial stabilization of critically ill neonates, thermoregulation, respiratory distress, glucose management and principles of neonatal resuscitation. Residents also gain exposure to multidisciplinary communication and coordination of care, enhancing their preparedness for managing neonatal emergencies in the emergency department.

Pediatric Emergency Medicine: Residents receive broad exposure to pediatric emergency care across our 2 primary training sites: Geisinger Wyoming Valley and Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre, where pediatric patients comprise approximately 15% and 25% of annual emergency department visits, respectively. Residents manage undifferentiated and acutely ill children, including pediatric trauma cases. Training is enriched through learning alongside pediatric emergency medicine experts while gaining valuable experience in the realities of caring for children outside of specialized pediatric hospitals. This approach makes sure graduates are fully prepared to care for patients of any age, in any clinical setting.