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Sun Oct 15 20:06:43 BST 2006

Guys, guys, guys!  

I have lurked long enough. Don't be so hard on each other. There is truth to all that has been said regarding this topic, and one's opinion is no better or worse than anothers.

ATLS has it's utility. The course was designed to provide some training to those practicioners who don't routinely care for trauma victims (read the preface to the manaual). The course was not designed to surplant residency training in surgery or emergency medicine, nor paramedic training. That being said, I use ATLS as a bridge course to EM training: All of my residents are required to take the course early in their first year of training. The course is reinforced with hours and hours of didactic (lecture) experience from EM and surgical traumatologists, monthly joint EM/Surgery trauma conferences, as well as years of clinical experience. And this probably isn't enough.

I personally am not required to have current ATLS certification for credentialling at my institution, as the Dept of EM recognizes my residency training and clinical experience as sufficient. However, I still take the course every 4 - 5 years for CME and as a refresher course, as the course is an excellent overview. As a side note, all surgical residents (both general and subspecialty) are required to take the course at WSU. Having the orthopod or urologist understand their role and how things work in the big picture is not a bad thing.

Be nice.

Don Benson, DO, FACEP
Program Director
Emergency Medicine Residency Program
St. John Hospital and Medical Center
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Detroit, MI USA

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