History of Emergency Medicine Research

A career with a focus on research in emergency medicine (EM) is a rigorous but thrilling path. This guide seeks to give a broad overview of what exactly being a "researcher" in the emergency department (ED) means, and some basics on how you can become your own independent investigator. Importantly, while it isn't necessary to know very early on in your career if a research path is for you, there are many ways during your education process to get yourself oriented to research opportunities and paths to development. Career opportunities for academic-researchers include clinician-investigator positions in EDs, in addition to administrative and operational roles, helping to create and provide the department infrastructure crucial to successful research in an academic ED.

Why an Academic Research Path in Emergency Medicine?

The benefits of a career in academic research medicine are numerous. Aside from the intangible pleasure of being able to create new knowledge and focus on topics you personally find interesting, a career as a researcher affords multiple opportunities in the realm of academic development - from helping to mentor and work with junior investigators or medical trainees, to interacting with individuals from all levels of the healthcare space who may be impacted by your work. Research can be done on so many levels of acute care medicine, focusing on topics including but not limited to cellular pathophysiology of pulmonary diseases, broad psychosocial factors leading to homelessness, and protocols for treatments of everyday diseases seen in the ED.

What are the Challenges?

While a career in research can be an exciting and immensely rewarding path as an emergency physician, challenges do exist. One major step is training. While we are trained in medical school on some basic research methods, often one must undertake additional training both formally and informally to flesh out the skills necessary for becoming a scientist, including subjects like research methods, study design, and statistics. Additionally, much research is supported by a number of grants and funding mechanisms outside of your immediate home ED. The pursuit and obtaining of external funds is crucial for many researchers and at times requires patients, diligence, and a bit of a thick skin. Learning the lingo of funding institutions and mechanisms may seem intimidating and daunting at times, but there are many resources and avenues of support to help you orient yourself to this career path.

Mentorship

Good mentorship is key in research. Mentors will help you develop and also avoid pitfalls that may increase frustration and stumbles. They can be found at your institution, in your state, or across the country in the SAEM / American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) networks and beyond. A good first step is to find your area of interest and look to see if there are any faculty who are doing work in that area. You can also help network beyond your local institution through organizations like SAEM to meet other curious budding scientists and mentors. Make sure to find mentors and network at each and every level of your training, from medical school to attending.