The Discipline of Emergency Medicine was established in 1997 to provide teaching and research support to the clinical specialty.

Unlike traditional medical specialties which are typically vertically integrated specialties – that is, specialties of depth confined to a particular bodily region or function – Emergency Medicine is a horizontal specialty, that is, a specialty of breadth. The uniqueness of Emergency Medicine is defined by its concentration on the first few hours of presentation of conditions of most other specialties.

Emergency Medicine has unique qualities which differentiate the specialty from others in educational settings. There are obvious differences in subject matter and student learning objectives that are not able to be learned as efficiently or effectively in the environments of other disciplines.

More importantly, the background to learning in emergency departments, the recent development of the specialty and academic profile, the way the educational philosophy is interpreted in this environment, the practical aspects of teaching and its integration with pre-vocational and vocational training are all specific to Emergency Medicine

Our mission

• To enhance and improve the standard of emergency medical care to the community through education and research.

Objectives

• To ensure that health care professionals in Western Australia have current comprehensive knowledge and skills in the management of emergencies.
• To encourage all those involved in emergency care to participate in scientific research.
• To encourage collaborations with others involved in emergency medicine at a national and international level.
• To promote our research within the medical community and increase awareness of emergency medicine as a specialty.