Established in 1981, Midwestern University-Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine Emergency Medicine Residency Program is approved by the American Osteopathic Association and Osteopathic Emergency Physicians.  

With over 200 graduates, the Emergency Medicine Program is the largest osteopathic emergency medicine program in the United States. There are currently 64 residents and 17 interns in a wide variety of practice environments including urban/community hospital settings and trauma centers. Our residents rotate at world renowned care centers.

Mission
The MWU/CCOM Emergency Medicine Residency is a three-year AOA approved program, which follows the Basic Standards for Residency Training in Emergency Medicine of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians (ACOEP). The philosophy of the department is that Emergency Medicine is best learned in an emergency department with additional experience coming from selected rotations pertinent to emergency care. The dynamic field of Emergency Medicine requires our program to be flexible to remain current and innovative.

Faculty/Staff

Thomas A. Boyle, DO, FACEP, Chairman
Paul J. Allegretti, DO, FACOEP, Program Director
Thomas Green, DO, FACOEP, Associate Program Director
Maureen Cleghorn, Program Assistnat

For a listing of program faculty, please click here to access the faculty directory.

Emergency Medicine Program
The MWU/CCOM Emergency Medicine Residency holds educational conference days on Wednesday mornings. Conferences are held primarily at Provident Hospital of Cook County. Monthly trauma lectures are held at St. James Hospital - Olympia Fields campus every second Wednesday in conjunction with the trauma surgery service.

• Lecture Series: Speakers from the Emergency Medicine faculty and guests from a wide variety of specialties present weekly lectures covering a variety of topics encompassing the field of Emergency Medicine.
  
• Trauma Lecture Series: Monthly lectures are held at St. James Hospital - Olympia Fields, a Level 1 Trauma Center. Participants include all departments involved with the initial evaluation, definitive care and rehabilitation of the trauma patient.
  
• Journal Club: A resident is selected to lead critical review of several assigned articles pertaining to or published in emergency medicine literature. The objective is to critically evaluate the medical literature in an organized fashion.
  
• Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide by Tintinalli: Chapters from this well-known emergency medicine text are assigned weekly. The session is lead be a senior resident.
  
• Morbidity and Mortality Rounds: This conference presents the opportunity for discussion of patients with difficult management problems or atypical presentations. Cases are presented by the treating resident and are discussed with other residents and attending physicians.
  
• Gross Anatomy and Procedural Skills Laboratories: Residents attend a series of gross anatomy procedural skills labs during the year. Anatomy Labs are held at Midwestern University in Downers Grove. The sessions provide an anatomical review period and instruction in technical skills. Some of the procedures include thoracotomy, cricothyroidotomy, chest tube insertion, vascular cut downs and pacemaker insertion.
  
• Oral Board Simulation: Each resident completes a simulated oral board examination as required for board certification by the American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine.
  
• Specialty Courses: Residents must maintain certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), during the residency. A base station communications course is given to residents by the Chicago Fire Department EMS division led by Dr. Paula Willowby.
  
• Research Requirement: In keeping with the requirement of ACOEP, each resident completes a mandatory annual research requirement.
  
• Educational Stipend: An annual stipend is offered to each resident for conference, publications, or education materials in the area of emergency medicine.

Curriculum
The MWU Emergency Medicine residency is a three-year program starting in the 2nd postgraduate year (PGY-2). An Osteopathic Rotating Internship is required prior to starting residency. Midwestern University offers a "special emphasis" emergency medicine internship.

1st Year Resident (PGY-2): The resident performs primary individual patient care in the Emergency Department and specialty services. The first year provides the resident with a broad based knowledge, technical skill, and theory behind Emergency Medicine.

• Emergency Medicine (7 months)
• Pediatric Emergency Medicine (Rush Children's Hospital - 1 month)
• Trauma Surgery (St. James Olympia Fields - 1 month)
• Cardiology (1 month)
• Anesthesia (2 weeks)
• Radiology (4 weeks)

2nd Year Resident (PGY- 3): As the resident's clinical acumen and knowledge base expands, the resident incurs increasing responsibilities for teaching students and managing busy, urban Emergency Department.

• Emergency Medicine (8 1/2 months)
• Intensive Care Unit (1 month)
• Orthopedic Surgery (1 month)
• Neurology (1 month)

3rd Year Resident (PGY-3): The senior resident has increased administrative and teaching responsibilities in preparation to becoming an attending physician. In addition, the resident prepares for the steps to becoming board certified by the ABOEM.

• Emergency Medicine (7 1/2 months)
• Emergency Medical Services (Chicago Fire Department - 1 month)
• Ultrasound (1/2 month)
• Trauma Surgery (Stroger Hospital of Cook County - 1 month)
• Toxicology (1 month)

Two weeks of vacation for 2nd and 3rd year residents and three weeks for 4th year residents.

EM/IM Residents have 6 months of Internal Medicine Electives year in lieu of Emergency Medicine months.

Sample Educational Schedule - One Month

Emergency Medicine Sites:

Advocate Hope Children's Hospital, Oak Lawn, IL
Holy Cross Hospital, Chicago, IL
John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, IL
Provident Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, IL
Resurrection Medical Center, Chicago, IL
St. Anthony Medical Center - Crown Point, IN
St. Bernard Hospital and Health Center, Chicago, IL
St. Francis Hospital- Blue Island, IL
St. James Hospital and Health Centers, Chicago Heights, IL
St. Margaret Mercy - North Campus, Hammond, IN
Swedish Covenant Hospital, Chicago, IL

How to Apply
You may apply to MWU/CCOM's Emergency Medicine Residency Program by downloading the attached application form, and returning it to the department, along with the following documents:

Requirements:

• Graduate from an AOA accredited osteopathic medical school
• Successful completion of an AOA approved internship
• American Osteopathic Association Member
• Must be able to licensed in the states where the affiliated sites are located

Application:

• Application Deadline is November 1
• Official medical school transcripts
• Letter of Recommendation from the internship Director of Medical Education (DME) or Dean's Letter if applying to the specialty emphasis internship.
• Three (3) letters of recommendation - Emergency Medicine Physicians preferably
• National Board Scores
• Application

For more information, please download the MWU/CCOM Intern-Resident Application Information.

Those interested in an internship position may obtain an application by calling the CCOM Office of Postdoctoral Education at (708) 747-4000, ext. 1990.

Contact Information

Application should be sent to/questions referred to:
Maureen Cleghorn, Emergency Medicine Program Assistant
Midwestern University
20201 South Crawford Avenue
Olympia Fields, IL 60461
708-747-4000 ext. 1445

Program Director: Paul Allegretti, DO
Program Assistant: Maureen Cleghorn

American Osteopathic Association (AOA), Chicago, IL

American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians (ACOEP), Chicago, IL

American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine (AOBEM), Chicago, IL