Towards a Tactical Medicine Selective

As tactical medicine has become more widely recognized within academic emergency medicine, there has been growing interest from our residents, and in some instance medical students in a tactical medicine experience. In our program a selective was the best avenue to allow residents to gain this experience.

The goal of this selective is to provide an introduction to the methods and literature in tactical medicine, a first hand experience in training or in the field working with a tactical team, and completion of a project relevant to tactical medicine.

Residents participated in the selective after approaching a tactical medicine faculty member and requesting the selective and being approved to participate by residency leadership. A pathway to permit external residents to participate has been identified. Participants and project outcomes are reported.

A total of 11 residents have participated over 5 year period, ranging from 1 to 4 per year. Projects ranged from educational proposals, to operational plans, to publications.

Starting with a senior resident with military background who wanted there to be a tactical medicine training opportunity for residents, our program has offered a tactical selective for 5 years. This selective, offered only on request and on approval of the program director, has been popular among residents. The selective's educational content includes reading assignments and discussion of the military's Tactical Combat Casualty Care, and the civilian Tactical Emergency Casualty Care and supporting data. Due to the use of firearms by law enforcement tactical teams, residents participating in the selective are required to complete an in-person firearms safety and familiarization session. Residents participate and/or observe in a variety of hands on activities including didactic and scenario-based training of police officers, police SWAT team training, and in some instances SWAT operations. In addition to completing these activities residents have completed a project including several journal watch-style articles in ACEP publications, the curriculum for the selective itself, teaching modules for law enforcement officers, and operational plans for use by a participating SWAT team. The history, educational objectives, approval process, educational activities, and project results will each be described in more detail in the presentation.