I’m Charles Khoury and I am truly honored to lead UAB’s Emergency Medicine Residency Program. I don’t take it lightly; I recognize the gravity and the importance of what we do-- training emergency physicians to provide outstanding, evidence-based, compassionate care to some of the sickest patients in the country. Day after day, our residents are tasked with the duty of treating critically ill patients. To that end, it is imperative that we train them to provide this care in a compassionate, patient-centered manner. We feel like we’ve developed a pretty great system for turning you into the best emergency physician you can be. Here are some of the ways we do that on a daily basis.

There’s nothing better than learning emergency medicine experientially. To that end, your teachers are incredibly important, and we have an absolutely stacked faculty lineup. Here at UAB, you’ll work with experts in emergency medicine, resuscitation, critical care, and trauma. You’ll work side-by-side with outstanding educators and mentors. You’ll learn ultrasound, toxicology, and critical care from some of the best and brightest in the field.

Honestly, there are so many outstanding emergency medicine residencies throughout the country. These programs will train you to safely and competently practice emergency medicine independently. So what’s the UAB difference? How do we stand out as leaders in emergency medicine training? I’ll give you five ways we shine. Five things we’re passionate about. Five things we work on every single day:

Here at UABEM, we value excellence in clinical training and believe that expertise in emergency medicine requires an abundance of patient interactions in a safe, supervised setting. Recognizing our institution’s excellence in critical care and trauma, we value immersive experiences in both. To be blunt, we think we offer the best critical care and trauma experiences in the country. We offer an abundance of emergent procedures, and we provide a safe environment for you to learn these skills.

We value camaraderie and promote a supportive, collaborative environment. Emergency medicine residents spend more one-on-one time with their attendings than any other specialty throughout the hospital. We see this as an opportunity to foster mentorship, mutual trust and improved patient care. We believe that outstanding professional and personal mentorship is paramount to our success. To go further with this, our faculty is comprised of the friendliest, most down-to-earth, relatable people you’ll ever work with. Camaraderie is developed in the trenches and requires trust and relatability. We have that here.

We value diversity and believe in a culture of inclusion. Recognizing that we all come from different backgrounds, we strive to promote inclusion and to maximize each resident’s potential based on his or her individual strengths, interests, and goals. Diversity and inclusion improve working and learning environments and expand access to care. They boost cultural competence and improve patient experiences and outcomes. Our specialty is uniquely positioned to promote diversity and inclusion, and we’re proud to champion this at UABEM.

We value clinical autonomy and graded independence and pride ourselves on our residents’ sense of ownership of our emergency department. Our residents are trained to develop early autonomy. As an intern in our program, you will provide direct care for your patients. You’ll be their primary caretaker. You’ll always have an attending at your side to guide you, but you are your patients’ doctor. Their medical management and any emergent procedures they may require are your responsibility and your opportunity for growth.

We believe in and teach the importance of wellness and career sustainability. We strive to teach methods that strengthen resilience while fostering a safe environment for learning. We believe that career sustainability is strengthened through leadership development and involvement in niche learning in particular aspects of emergency medicine. We have a residency track program in which residents focus on and develop particular areas of emergency medicine interest. Is global health your passion? We have a track for that. Critical care more your lane? We have a track for that. Ultrasound? Toxicology? EMS? We have tracks for those. You’ll find your mentors and develop your interests here.

I’ll conclude with what I think makes a residency great. A great residency excels in providing patient-centered, high-quality patient care. The standard for its residents is clinical excellence. A great residency provides countless opportunities for mentorship and leadership. A great residency is clinically and academically challenging. It promotes diversity, personal integrity, and professional accountability. A great residency challenges its residents by developing clinical autonomy quickly yet safely. A great residency exudes a sense of community and fellowship. Its residents and attendings are energized by being around one another. A great residency maintains strong relationships with other departments and collaborates frequently with other programs. A great residency is respected throughout its hospital and its community and is known for residents who always do the right thing for their patients. A great residency is innovative and solution-oriented. Most importantly, a great residency takes care of its residents and emphasizes the development of wellness and resiliency in the quest for career and personal fulfilment.

We exemplify these qualities every single day. We’re honored to do what we do, and if you’re reading this, we’re honored that you’re here.

Charles Khoury MD MSHA FACEP
Associate Professor and Program Director