Medical School for Everyone – Emergency Medicine: Comprehensive Emergency Medical Training Course

What Is Medical School For Everyone – Emergency Medicine?

Medical School for Everyone – Emergency Medicine is a comprehensive educational program offered by The Great Courses that provides an immersive learning experience in emergency medicine fundamentals. This expertly designed course transforms complex medical concepts into accessible learning modules, making emergency medical education available to learners regardless of their medical background.

Led by Dr. Roy Benaroch, a board-certified physician and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, this course delivers authentic insights from years of clinical experience in emergency healthcare settings. Dr. Benaroch’s dual expertise in pediatrics and emergency medicine provides learners with a unique perspective on critical care decision-making.

Core Learning Framework

The Medical School for Everyone – Emergency Medicine curriculum utilizes a case-based learning approach that mirrors real emergency department scenarios. Students engage with:

• Realistic medical emergencies requiring immediate assessment and intervention
• Critical thinking exercises that develop rapid diagnostic skills
• Evidence-based treatment protocols used in actual emergency departments
• Patient communication strategies for high-stress medical situations

Comprehensive Emergency Medicine Curriculum

Foundation of Emergency Medicine

Understanding the core principles that govern emergency medical practice, including triage protocols, patient assessment methodologies, and the structured approach to emergency care that defines modern emergency departments.

Diagnostic Excellence in Emergency Settings

Master emergency diagnostic techniques through systematic patient evaluation, symptom analysis, and effective utilization of medical technology. Learn to differentiate between life-threatening conditions and less urgent medical presentations.

Critical Decision-Making Under Pressure

Develop the clinical reasoning skills essential for emergency medicine, including rapid assessment protocols, treatment prioritization, and the decision-making frameworks that guide emergency physicians in high-stakes situations.

Advanced Patient Care Communication

Learn emergency medicine communication strategies for interacting with patients and families during medical crises, including delivering difficult news, obtaining informed consent under time constraints, and managing emotional responses in emergency situations.

Emergency Procedures and Interventions

Gain comprehensive understanding of emergency medical procedures, from basic life support techniques to advanced interventions commonly performed in emergency departments.

What You’ll Master in Medical School for Everyone – Emergency Medicine

Technical Emergency Medicine Skills

• Acute condition assessment for allergic reactions, cardiac events, respiratory emergencies, and trauma cases
• Emergency treatment protocols for common and complex medical presentations
• Medical equipment utilization in emergency care settings
• Vital sign interpretation and clinical significance in emergency contexts

Advanced Diagnostic Capabilities

• Symptom pattern recognition for rapid diagnosis formation
• Differential diagnosis methodology in emergency medicine
• Medical imaging interpretation relevant to emergency care
• Laboratory value analysis for emergency decision-making

Professional Emergency Medicine Competencies

• Time-critical decision-making under pressure
• Multi-patient triage and priority management
• Interdisciplinary team communication in emergency settings
• Quality assurance and patient safety protocols

Detailed Course Structure

01:Triage in Emergency Medicine

Start the course learning about the first critical step of emergency care: triage. When faced with a waiting room full of patients, how does a capable emergency department doctor decide whom to treat first? What happens when a patient’s condition changes? Or when more patients show up?…

02:Emergency Medicine Means Thinking Fast

Dr. Benaroch takes you along with an ambulance crew to give you a three-dimensional understanding of emergency care as experienced by first responders. Topics covered in this lecture include the ABCs of a rapid scan, appropriate bystander response, and the “rule of 9” for estimating burn size….

03:Emergency Medicine Means Thinking Again

Welcome to the night shift at an emergency department, where anything can happen. Through the patient cases in this lecture, you’ll get a deeper understanding of how emergency doctors think twice about a young man having a heart attack, a college student who is vomiting, and an elderly man who is having trouble walking….

04:The Story Is the Diagnosis

Discover how emergency doctors use OLD CAAAR: a simple mnemonic to accurately- and quickly-pinpoint the location and characteristics of a patient’s pains. Also, learn what happens when a doctor has to think fast and doesn’t have the time to ask each of the OLD CAAAR questions….

05:Hidden Clues in the Emergency Department

Take a closer look at three emergency department cases-a urinary tract infection, a broken leg, and a bellyache-with a twist. How were these diagnoses determined? Not through expensive tests or advanced imaging, but through paying attention to the story, even when it isn’t truthful….

06:Treat the Patient, Treat the Family

According to Dr. Benaroch, to best treat a patient, you sometimes have to treat the patient’s family. See this principle in action through a 16-year-old complaining of chronic bronchitis and a 60-year-old found unresponsive with low blood sugar-both of whom have families to help support a doctor’s efforts to diagnose and heal….

07:Chest Pain

This lecture focuses on patients with chest pain, which might be either a sign of a mild illness or an actual heart attack. Why is it so difficult to identify every serious cause of chest pain? What questions should doctors-and patients¬-ask? What’s the difference between myocarditis, pneumothorax, and other medically serious cases?…

08:Treat the Cause, Not the Symptom

Definitive emergency care requires, first and foremost, a diagnosis. Visit a community emergency department that shares space with an urgent care center, and learn how patients like a 2-year-old with a persistent cough and a 49-year-old with a stuffy nose illustrate the importance of treating the cause-not the symptoms….

09:Who Needs the Emergency Department?

Not all emergency department patients need to be there. In this lecture, meet several pairs of patients-each with the same symptoms, but only one of whom would be best served in the emergency department. Then, get some general tips for you to consider the next time you’re contemplating going to the emergency department….

10:Altered Mental Status

How do you handle patients in altered mental states, suffering from unusual thoughts and behaviors? How do you figure out their story and make an accurate diagnosis? Discover how, in cases like these, doctors rely more than ever on signs and clues from a patient’s family and friends….

11:Simple Symptoms, Serious Illness

Discover why sometimes a quick patient history isn’t enough to help diagnose a problem. In addition to walking you through patient cases, Dr. Benaroch offers insights into fascinating tools that help doctors uncover serious illnesses hidden behind basic symptoms, including complete blood count tests and air contrast enemas….

12:In an Emergency, Protect Yourself First

Doctors are commanded to do no harm to their patients. What’s equally important is protecting themselves in those rare instances where a patient may do them harm. Get an inside look at how emergency doctors handle dangerous situations, including a patient acting violently and a patient suffering from a highly infectious disease….

13:Treating Insect and Animal Bites

Meet several emergency patients who’ve been bitten by various creatures, from snakes and spiders to ticks and raccoons. Along the way, you’ll learn how doctors treat allergic reactions to bites, how they treat wounds without accidentally injecting more venom into the body, and more….

14:The Missing Piece in an Emergency Diagnosis

Emergency department patients often aren’t ready to trust the doctors attending them, since they have just met. In this lecture, learn how doctors work with patients who aren’t completely forthcoming to build trust and coax out embarrassing-or seemingly irrelevant-details to arrive at the right diagnosis and get them the treatment they need….

15:Healthy Paranoia in Emergency Medicine

Emergency department doctors should always assume every patient has a life-threatening illness-even though only 10% to 20% actually do. How do doctors manage this healthy “paranoia”? And how do they prepare themselves and their patients for the worst outcome while planning for the best?…

16:Fever: Friend or Foe

Are fevers your friend or your foe? In this lecture, learn the best clues to help distinguish between fevers that are signs of a viral infection and those that herald something much more serious. Then, learn some of the common triggers of fevers, as well as doctor-recommended treatments….

17:Always Treat Pain

Pain is a frequent chief complaint in emergency departments. This lecture brings you up close with patients suffering from acute and chronic pain, including the common complaint of back pain. These cases help you better understand everything from pain medications-and the dangers of overuse-to how pain affects the way the brain works….

18:An Ounce of Prevention

No one wants to go to an emergency department. While you can never protect yourself 100%, there are ways to help avoid having to make a trip there. Here, learn about the importance of cancer screenings, vaccinations, and taking medication. A little prevention, it turns out, makes a big difference….

19:The Big Picture in Emergency Medicine

A fever that’s actually a sign of a very dramatic, potentially deadly disease. Abdominal pain that’s not caused by illness or injury. Dr. Benaroch uses these and other eye-opening cases as a window into how doctors arrive at the big picture when a patient’s chief complaints fail to reveal the truth….

20:Is Exercise Good for Your Health?

This lecture’s cases illustrate how sports-related injuries are treated in emergency departments. You’ll encounter a softball player suffering from a concussion, a young boy’s dangerous eye injury from a haphazard game of lawn darts, a teen rescued from a near-drowning event, and a golfer’s stubborn poison ivy rash….

21:Stay Safe in the Emergency Department

Gain insights into tips and practices that emergency department doctors and patients should know to ensure their safety. Topics include the risks of conscious sedation (which is less safe than general anesthesia), the importance of knowing your allergies, and the dangers involved in handing off a patient to another provider….

22:Emergency Medicine for Travelers

Emergency department doctors have to stay especially vigilant when dealing with patients who have traveled abroad¬-especially in the developing world. Find out how they handle uncommon diseases and infections transmitted by mosquitoes, sexual activity, and more. Then, visit a ski clinic for a peek at some other travel-related emergencies….

23:Emergency Medicine Lessons from the Past

What was emergency medicine like in the 1800s? Go back in time to the American Civil War for a glimpse at how military doctors and surgeons treated wounds and combatted infection. Compare these injuries and treatments to those of the Boston Marathon bombing. Also, contrast the medical treatment given to President Garfield after he was shot with the treatment Reagan received after his attempted ass…

24:Lessons from the Emergency Department

It’s time for your last shift in the emergency department. In this closing lecture, Dr. Benaroch uses several case studies to help you review the big-picture lessons of good emergency care you’ve learned throughout the course-lessons that have opened your eyes to the excitement and challenges of emergency medicine and that can help you take better care of yourself and your loved ones….

Target Audience For Medical School 

This emergency medicine education program serves multiple learning audiences:

Pre-Medical Students

Aspiring medical professionals seeking comprehensive exposure to emergency medicine careers and clinical decision-making processes.

Healthcare Professionals

Current practitioners, including nurses, physician assistants, and emergency medical technicians, looking to enhance their emergency medicine knowledge and clinical skills.

Medical Education Enthusiasts

Individuals fascinated by emergency medical care who desire in-depth understanding of how medical professionals handle life-threatening situations.

Continuing Education Seekers

Healthcare providers pursuing professional development in emergency medicine concepts and best practices.

Expert Instructor: Dr. Roy Benaroch

Dr. Roy Benaroch brings exceptional qualifications to this emergency medicine training program:

Educational Background

• Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) from Emory University School of Medicine
• Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Tulane University
• Board Certification in General Pediatrics (1997)

Professional Experience

• Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine
• Full-time practicing physician at Pediatric Physicians, PC, Atlanta, Georgia
• Chief Resident and Instructor in Pediatrics (1998)

Published Authority

• Author of multiple medical education books including “Solving Health and Behavioral Problems from Birth through Preschool” and “A Guide to Getting the Best Health Care for Your Child”
• Medical expert contributor to WebMD.com
• Board member of Cobb Health Futures Foundation, Inc.

Teaching Philosophy

Dr. Benaroch emphasizes that effective medical practice requires active listening and careful attention to patient presentations, combining clinical knowledge with diagnostic reasoning skills.

Conclusion

Medical School for Everyone – Emergency Medicine represents the definitive educational resource for understanding modern emergency medical care. This comprehensive program combines Dr. Roy Benaroch’s clinical expertise with The Great Courses’ proven educational methodology to deliver an unparalleled learning experience in emergency medicine fundamentals.

• Expert instruction from board-certified physician with academic teaching credentials
• Case-based learning methodology mirroring real emergency department experiences
• Comprehensive curriculum covering technical skills, diagnostic reasoning, and patient communication
• Accessible format requiring no medical prerequisites while maintaining clinical accuracy
• Practical application of emergency medicine principles through realistic scenarios

Whether pursuing medical education, seeking professional development, or exploring emergency medicine careers, this course provides the authoritative foundation for understanding how medical professionals deliver life-saving care in critical situations. The combination of clinical expertise, educational innovation, and comprehensive content makes this the premier choice for emergency medicine training outside traditional medical school settings.