Emergency Medicine Network 3

Why Prince of Wales Hospital?

Prince of Wales Hospital is a large metropolitan tertiary referral hospital located in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. Co-located on the same campus are the Sydney Children’s Hospital, the Royal Hospital for Women and the Prince of Wales Private Hospital. The Prince of Wales Emergency Department serves as the Adult Emergency Department for the above hospitals and institutions on this campus (including The University of New South Wales Clinical School, Professorial Units, NeuroScience Research Australia, and the Black Dog Institute). The University of New South Wales is across the road and has close ties to the hospital with regard to teaching and research.

Prince of Wales Emergency Department is accredited for Emergency Medicine Training by the Australian College of Emergency Medicine (ACEM). The department manages illness presentations across the whole spectrum of diseases from the teenage to the Geriatric populace. As a referral centre, POWH receives patients from all over the state (e.g. the only public hyperbaric unit, one of two Acute Spinal units, Justice Health ward for NSW), country (including Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands) and internationally, as well as serving the local area. The caseload is in excess of 53,000 per year with a high acuity and an admission rate over 55%. The Department is staffed by Emergency Physicians, Trainees, JMOs, and Advanced Practice Nurses. There are ED Registrars onsite 24/7 with FACEM Consultants onsite 0800-2400 7 days + on call. The Emergency Department at Prince of Wales has one of the few toxicology/toxinology units in NSW with dedicated Registrars and Toxicologists on-call. The POW ED practices and teaches Focused Bedside Ultrasound.

The Department has an Aged Care Assessment Team, Mental Health Clinical Nurse Consultants, Physiotherapy Services, social workers, etc. There is point of care blood gas machines in the Emergency Department, 24 hour access to laboratory services and a full range of Diagnostic Radiology services. There are Consultants and Registrars on-call for the tertiary service specialties.

Commitment to Training

The Prince of Wales Emergency Department is committed to Emergency Medicine training. Registrar and SRMO teaching sessions occur weekly and trainees are guaranteed time away from clinical duties. The education schedule consists of material pertinent for FACEM training. There ae weekly sessions targeted at examination preparation in addition to material essential for high quality Emergency Medicine practice. The schedule includes multiple methods of knowledge acquisition, including practical skill and simulation sessions. Trainees are also encouraged to attend network, regional and national educational activities.

Training Program

The broad case-mix gives trainees a plethora of clinical experience. There is an ultrasound training program which complies with ACEM specification for a Special Skills Term. Toxicology is also accredited with ACEM as a Special Skills Term. Workplace-based assessments (WBA) in the Emergency Department occur on a day to day basis. There is a specific WBA coordinator who works closely with the Directors of Emergency Medicine Training to facilitate access to WBAs for trainees. All the Emergency Physicians are FACEMs. The FACEMs in this department are active within ACEM and a number of them are Chairs of ACEM committees and/or ACEM examiners.

Secondments offered include:

• Anaesthetics
• Intensive Care
• Hyperbaric Medicine
• Paediatrics
• Toxicology/Toxinology
• Ultrasound
• Regional and rural EDs.

Fellowship

Prince of Wales Hospital Emergency Department has an enviable record of exam success. This has been the result of the dedication of the consultants involved in training. There is also a wealth of research opportunities and there is an active research team headed by one of our Toxicologists. Research thus far have been presented at various national and international scientific meetings.

Location, Location, Location

Prince of Wales Hospital is located at Randwick, between the city of Sydney and the world famous Eastern Suburb’s beaches (from Bondi to Maroubra). Nearby you will find a smorgasbord of restaurants, entertainment venues (including Royal Randwick Racecourse with its famous race days and fashion stakes), parks and recreation areas (for example, Centennial Park), shopping precincts and a bustling nightlife. It is within close proximity of Sydney Airport.
Above all, Prince of Wales Hospital Emergency Department has a friendly, supportive atmosphere where we work hard to care for our patients as our main focus but also realise the importance of staff education and staff well-being, without which that care could not be so effectively delivered.

For further information, please contact:

Dr Marian Lee
Co-Director of Emergency Medicine Training
Ph: (02) 9382 9956
Marian.Lee@health.nsw.gov.au

Dr Therese Becker
Co-Director of Emergency Medicine Training
Ph: (02) 9382 9956
Therese.Becker@health.nsw.gov.au