Loyola Medicine to Offer Residency Program in Emergency Medicine

MAYWOOD, IL – Loyola University Medical Center, which treats some of the Chicago area's most critically ill and injured patients, is establishing a residency program to train new doctors in emergency medicine.

A residency in emergency medicine lasts three years. Loyola will start six physicians for each year of residency, for a total of 18 residents once the program is fully implemented.

Loyola's emergency residency program, newly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, will begin July 2019. Faculty from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine’s department of emergency medicine will supervise residents. The faculty is a diverse group with expertise in emergency medicine, as well as subspecialized areas such as emergency medical services, pediatrics, toxicology, sports medicine and ultrasound.

"Our mission is to train emergency medicine physicians for excellence in leadership, care and service," said Mark E. Cichon, DO, FACEP/FACOEP, chair of Loyola's department of emergency medicine.

David Snow, MD, MSc, FACEP, will be program director of the residency program.

The program will benefit greatly from Loyola University Medical Center's status as a level 1 trauma center and emergency medical services resource hospital, as well as Loyola's burn intensive care unit, pediatric hospital and specialized patient care areas. The program also offers an academic affiliation with Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, with a simulation education center featuring computerized manikins that simulate real-life medical emergencies.

The three-year curriculum, based on the latest educational theory and methods, is designed to provide residents with the optimal educational and clinical experience.

"We have the infrastructure and critical mass to offer residents a great program," Dr. Cichon said.

Loyola offers a full range of emergency medicine services. Loyola serves as a primary emergency department (ED) to the local community, a secondary ED that receives patients from Loyola's ambulatory clinics, a tertiary referral center for trauma, stroke, burns and pediatric ICU and a quaternary ED for complex cases such as organ transplants and advanced cancer treatments.

Loyola is the only level 1 trauma center in Illinois to be verified by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. Verification helps ensure optimal quality care and excellent patient outcomes.