Emergency medicine residency demonstrates innovation in simulation and education

Carmen J. Martinez, M.D., and Caroline Molins, M.D., present a pericardiocentesis simulation model.

The Emergency Medicine Residency Program demonstrated its leadership in medical education and simulation at the 2025 Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine (CORD EM) conference, held in Seattle in March. Two standout presentations by faculty and residents highlighted the program’s commitment to innovation and excellence in emergency medicine training.

Carmen J. Martinez, M.D., and Caroline Molins, M.D., both assistant professors of emergency medicine, presented a cost-effective, high-fidelity pericardiocentesis simulation model during the Med Tech Bar session. Their brief educational intervention (BEI) was designed to teach this rare but life-saving procedure using a “crawl-walk-run” instructional approach. 

Through a structured three-part session — including a didactic lecture, hands-on simulation, and debrief — residents learned to identify appropriate indications (e.g., symptomatic pericardial effusion, cardiac tamponade) and contraindications (e.g., myocardial rupture, aortic dissection), gather necessary supplies (such as an 18G spinal needle or pericardiocentesis kit), and perform the procedure in a simulated environment. The model was created to be easily reproducible and affordable, making it a valuable tool for procedural training across residency programs.

David Monaco, M.D., presents his research at the

conference.

David Monaco, M.D., a second-year resident, presented his educational research titled “Teaching Ultrasound-Guided Fascia Iliaca Block to EM Residents” and was recognized among the top medical education abstracts out of more than 275 submissions. Monaco represented a collaborative team of residents and faculty, including Channing Stroud, D.O., and faculty mentors Molins, Beau Stokes, M.D., and Reshvinder Dhillon, M.D.

The study evaluated the effectiveness of a brief educational intervention (BEI) combining asynchronous online learning with hands-on simulation to teach EM residents how to perform ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca blocks — an increasingly important technique for pain control in patients with hip fractures. Following the intervention, mean resident test scores improved significantly (from 55% to 79%), and all participants reported increased confidence and preparedness to perform the procedure in clinical settings.