Contents

• What are my chances of getting in?
• Practice of Medicine in Early Civilizations
• ER -- A Different Perspective
• Gene for Heart Growth

What are my chances of getting in?

To be made available soon.

Practice of Medicine in early Civilizations

To be made available soon.

ER -- A Different Perspective
By Selene Yuen

~ An interview with Dr. Cass, Director of Emergency Services at St. Michael’s Hospital

 Many of you have probably been fascinated by the medical show ER at one point or another.  But is working in the emergency room as enchanting in real life as it seems on TV?

 “People tend to look at emergency medicine and say it seems very glamorous and very funny.  Well, a lot of what we are doing isn’t glamorous and isn’t funny,” says Dr. Cass.  “Not every patient is a trauma patient and not every patient has a heart attack.  There are people who come in with ordinary cuts, bruises or cold, and we’ll be happy to look after them.”  Although things are not as fast-paced as on ER, Dr. Cass adds that of all the medical shows, ER is still probably the most accurate from a medical standpoint.

According to Dr. Cass, working in the emergency room involves a lot of shift work – evening, overnight and weekend shifts.  His recommendation is that if shift work doesn’t appeal to you, you should think twice before choosing emergency medicine as a career.  In addition to the 30 hours of clinical work every week, a full-time emergency physician devotes the rest of his/her time to research, as well as teaching undergraduates, postgraduates and residents in the emergency program.

 “The biggest challenge is dealing with the lifestyle and the shift work and trying to achieve some kind of balance between your professional life and your home life.”

Dr. Cass reveals that some patients who come in have problems that go far beyond strictly medical problems.  With insufficient social support and dreadful living conditions, these patients are the unfortunate group that needs the most attention and care.  “It’s quite rewarding when you see that people have come in injured and scared, and they leave feeling better, both physically and emotionally.  You feel that you’ve made a difference,” says Dr. Cass.

“If I go back and do it again, I’ll do exactly the same thing.  I thoroughly enjoy what I do and I think most of us here do.”

Patient Diversity
“It makes life a lot more interesting and gives you a lot of variety.”
St. Michael’s Hospital’s Emergency Department admits about 35,000 patients a year, averaging about 100 a day.  Because of its location right in the downtown core, patients come from a lot of different backgrounds, including those who work downtown, and those who are homeless or live in shelters.  Homeless individuals account for 15 per cent of the total volume of patients.

The Emergency Group
There are currently nine emergency physicians, along with part-time staff and other trainees of 
different levels.  However, no more than two physicians are on duty during any particular shift.

Visit the Emergency Medicine Website at:  http://www.utoronto.ca/emergmed/

Gene for Heart Growth

To be made available soon.

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