FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What attributes are you looking for in a resident?

In addition to leadership, other characteristics in a potential resident we are looking for include:

• Sense of purpose
• Commitment to excellence
• Willingness to contribute
• Intellectually curious
• Supportive attitude of each other, of wellness, of science
• Diverse background
• Professional
• Lifetime learner

How are the residents supervised?

The level of supervision is based on the level and ability of each resident. Emergency Medicine (EM) residents are granted gradual responsibility for patient care according to their program level and individual abilities. This determination is based on resident evaluations, resident self-assessments, peer assessments, faculty observations, Clinical Competency Committee and Program Evaluation Committee. 

Generally, EM PGY-1 residents are responsible for performing basic histories and physicals, developing initial diagnoses, initiating a treatment plan and determining appropriate follow up. All residents provide care under direct supervision of a qualified faculty member, subspecialty fellow or senior resident (when on non-ED rotations) and progress toward indirect supervision as skills and knowledge are attained.

EM PGY-2 residents progress from the above responsibilities and develop their role as an integral part of the health care team and manage increasingly complex patients, while continuing to fine tune their procedural skills.

EM PGY-3 residents continue to develop and progress the above responsibilities while mastering leadership and ever-increasing complex patients. Additional emphasis on the ED operations, function and flow will prepare the resident for independent practice.

Do the residents teach medical students?

The Emergency Department has medical students rotating throughout the year. Our residents are expected to participate in medical student education in their PGY-2 and PGY-3 years. This takes place in the Emergency Department, classroom and simulation center. This aligns with our curriculum to develop the resident as a teacher and leader.

What is the trauma experience like at Mercy Health – St. Rita’s?

Mercy Health – St. Rita’s Medical Center is a Level II trauma center and serves as the largest trauma services provider in a region of 10 surrounding counties as a 911-receiving hospital.

St. Rita’s is located in the middle of a largely blue-collar city and within close proximity of the main interstate highway. Our geography leads our ED to receive multiple types of traumatic injuries throughout the year.

What do the residents wear when they are working in the Emergency Department?

Residents in our program are supplied with three sets of black scrubs and one white coat. Though dependent on individual choice, our residents typically wear scrubs.

What is the physician well-being support level?

Mercy Health – St. Rita’s Emergency Medicine takes physician wellness very seriously. The Emergency Medicine Residency Program plans quarterly wellness activities. Wellness is incorporated in didactics, and when possible, didactics are taken outside of the hospital into the community. Also, our residents have the support of the hospital and the Graduate Medical Education Department. The hospital has a dedicated wellbeing program called “Be Well” and counseling and convenience services through “Life Matters.” The Graduate Medical Education Department plans both educational and recreational activities for all residency programs.  

Is attendance at didactics mandatory?

Residents are required to attend a minimum of 70 percent of all didactics to meet accreditation standards, but the Emergency Medicine program director and faculty put a strong emphasis on didactics and education. Any absence from didactics must be excused by the program director. 

Can you describe the learning environment?

Mercy Health – St. Rita’s Medical Center is a collegial environment, locally known as “Lima Nice.” No matter what rotation, our residents find knowledgeable preceptors with a love of teaching.  The hospital is committed to the education of our residents. In 2021, a new Graduate Medical Education Center opened, which includes a simulation lab, library, classrooms and auditorium.

What procedures do the residents perform?

Every procedure available in the Emergency Department is a procedure for the residents. In addition to the ED, our critical care and anesthesia rotations are procedure rich.

Are residents expected to do scholarly activity?

Yes. All residents are expected to produce teaching activity, quality/practice improvement and to participate in research, as well as other types of scholarly activity.

Do residents get experience with pediatric populations?

In the Emergency Department at Mercy Health – St. Rita’s Medical Center, 16.5 percent of the patients we treat are pediatric patients. To increase the exposure to the pediatric population, our Emergency Medicine residents have two rotations at one of the busiest pediatric Emergency Departments in the country – Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. While on this rotation, housing is provided by the residency program. 

Since Mercy Health – St. Rita’s is in a smaller city, do residents receive adequate exposure to all acuity levels?

Yes. At St. Rita’s ED, the patient’s acuity is high. You will have a wide exposure to the entire spectrum of emergency medicine, from routine presentations from our fast track to the highest acuity patients in our trauma rooms.

Are residents able to moonlight while in residency at Mercy Health – St. Rita’s?

During their third year, our Emergency Medicine residents can moonlight internally or externally with the approval of the program director. This ensures all educational goals are met as well as all residents follow ACGME’s duty hour guidelines. Our region has many community hospitals within driving distance, along with the possibility to moonlight with Mercy Health Life Flight.

What does resident involvement in the community look like? 

The Emergency Medicine Residency Program is involved in the Lima community and takes education outside of the walls of the hospital when possible. Within a few miles of the hospital, there are multiple large manufacturing and chemical industry facilities, including the Husky Energy Refinery and Potash Corporation. Our residency has planned education programs with the Shawnee Fire Department and the refinery, both of which are equipped to handle industrial disasters. Routine tabletop drills and disaster planning also comprises of an important component of the education commitment for our residents. 

The Emergency Medicine Residency Program supports the Lima community through service projects and education.