Global Emergency Medicine Student Leadership Program (GEMS LP)

BACKGROUND

In many countries around the world, the specialty of emergency medicine does not exist or is in early stages of development. The ACEP International Ambassador Program consists of emergency medicine physicians practicing in the United States who represent ACEP and help promote the development of emergency medical care and emergency medicine as a specialty in countries where they have significant professional interests and connections. Currently, the Ambassador Program has Ambassadors to more than 80 countries around the world. The International Ambassador Conference convenes the ACEP International Ambassadors yearly to give updates on the countries they represent and to work on initiatives that promote their common goals. One of these initiatives is the Global Emergency Medicine Student Leadership Program (formerly known as International Ambassador Mentorship Program). This mentorship program emerged from EMRA’s student members’ desire for mentorship in global emergency medicine. During the ACEP International Ambassador Conference in 2017, EMRA proposed a mentorship program matching International ACEP Ambassadors with medical students interested in global emergency medicine and the program has continued every year since then.

GOALS

• To connect EMRA medical student members interested in global emergency medicine with ACEP International Ambassador Mentors.
• To familiarize students with the current state of emergency medicine as a specialty in different countries around the world.
• To educate students about professionalism, leadership, and teamwork through participation in ACEP International Ambassador projects.
• To provide an overview of global emergency medicine work including research, education, development, humanitarian work, and ethical implications.
• To provide mentees with a network of contacts in global emergency medicine that they can utilize to further their professional interests.

EXPECTATIONS FOR MENTORS

Mandatory activities:

1. Networking phone calls done individually with each of their 4-5 mentees once during the program year (Fall, Winter or Spring). Each mentee will have a document where background information, program/career goals, and mentorship discussions can be noted following each phone call. The purpose of this documentation is to help provide longitudinal continuity to discussions over the course of the year.
2. One of the following:
   1. A 15 minute presentation about your career path during a GEMS LP Journal Club meeting
   2. Assistance with planning and implementing the annual GEMS LP online orientation
   3. Lead an academic project engaging 3-5 mentees. Project should not involve travel as not all mentees will have this opportunity
   4. Act as the Faculty Liaison for Journal Club for the program year, supervising residents in coordinating the sessions
3. Country Update Project
   1. Be interviewed or find someone for a mentee to interview for a short written report (2-3 paragraphs) about the state of emergency medicine or emergency medicine development in a country represented in the ACEP International Ambassador Program.

Additional optional activities:

1. Attend the GEMS LP online orientation
2. If possible, attend the ACEP International Ambassador Conference
3. Provide ongoing mentorship and/or work on additional projects stateside and abroad with one or more mentees.
4. Present article and/or lead a discussion in an area of interest during Journal Club

EXPECTATIONS FOR MENTEES:

1. All mentees are required to have an ACEP International Section Membership
2. All mentees must be enrolled in medical school (not graduated) at the start of the GEMS LP program year
3. Attend a mandatory GEMS LP online orientation in August (official date TBD)
4. Attend the ACEP International Ambassador Conference this October. EMRA and ACEP are not responsible for travel security, costs, and liability that may result from connections and relationships through the program. It is not necessary for mentees to register for the overall ACEP Conference to attend the Ambassador Meeting.
5. Participate in 3-4 mentorship meetings via phone or video conference with the GEMS LP mentors.
6. Have 2-3 phone calls with program leadership over the program year.
7. Participate in the majority of the GEMS LP journal clubs via video conference throughout the year.
8. Lead one of the journal clubs on a pre-assigned global emergency medicine topic.
9. Work 1-2 hours per week on a group global emergency medicine academic project with one of the GEMS LP mentors and other mentees*
10. Conduct an interview with a global EM leader working in a geographic region or subspecialty of interest (US, disaster, medical education).
11. Write a short summary for publication
12. Fill out initial and final self evaluations based on global health knowledge and skills
13. Fill out midpoint and final program evaluations.

*See “Academic Project and Capstone Presentation” below for further information

RECRUITMENT TIMELINE

Student application deadline is July 8th, 2024. Every attempt will be made to provide applicants with a timely decision on their applications, with the intention to provide responses by August 1st at the latest.

ORIENTATION

The GEMS LP online orientation will take place via video conference in late August (official date TBD). The Ambassador Mentors should make an effort to attend this session. The orientation is MANDATORY for all mentees.

AMBASSADOR CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE 2024

In-person or virtual attendance at the ACEP Ambassador Conference in October will be required for all GEMS LP participants. For participants who choose to attend in person, the ACEP Scientific Assembly will be held in Las Vegas, NV this year.* Should circumstances change, all participants will be notified and final updates on requirements will be provided during the GEMS LP online orientation.

*Please be advised that GEMS LP, EMRA, and ACEP are NOT responsible for any costs, security, or liability surrounding travel to program requirements or connections/opportunities resulting from program participation.

ACADEMIC PROJECT AND CAPSTONE PRESENTATION

The goals of the academic project program component are as follows: 1) to expose mentees to academic work in global emergency medicine, 2) to foster academic and research skills that will be applicable to future projects, 3) to create a lasting network of global emergency medicine mentors and colleagues. To this end, GEMS LP mentors will provide a number of academic projects which the mentees can rank based on their GEM subspecialty and regional interest. Each project will have 2-6 mentees in order to allow for peer collaboration. The mentee should spend 1-2 hours per week working on the project throughout the year on average.

The project should be academically rigorous and of quality equivalent to an abstract presentation at a scientific conference. However, acceptance of an abstract at a conference or a publication is not required. All mentees will present their projects at the final journal club of the program year and provide a written summary for the yearly GEMS LP newsletter.

JOURNAL CLUB

Each mentee will be placed into a group of three to lead one of the 6-8 journal clubs (JC) offered throughout the year. Each mentee is allowed to miss one journal club during the year and is expected to let the journal club leader know about any absences in advance. The journal club schedule will be published in November with dates, leaders, and topic assignments. Journal club instructions and a preparation timeline will be provided. Each group of mentees will be paired with a resident or attending to assist them in preparing their JC presentation. Each JC will review a preassigned book chapter, an article selected by the mentee group, and a GEM project proposal that addresses a need identified by the mentee group that relates to their JC topic or reading. Journal club will be conducted via Zoom for 1-2 hours and all participants need to have completed the assigned readings in advance. At the end of each journal club, one of the members of the program’s leadership will conduct an informal check-in with the group to receive feedback and address any issues with the program.

ASSESSMENT

Mentors and mentees will fill out assessments of the program at the beginning, middle, and end of the program. Mentors and mentees should contact the GEMS LP directors with any concerns that arise during the year. GEMS LP is a constantly evolving program and the Leadership Team will thoroughly review assessments and feedback from participants in order to improve future iterations of the program.

QUESTIONS

Questions or problems should be referred to GEMS LP leadership at info.GEMSLP@gmail.com.