The College of Emergency Medicine curriculum: is the specialty-specific knowledge section fit for purpose?
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the knowledge specified in the specialty-specific section of the College of Emergency Medicine curriculum covered the diagnoses presenting to a UK teaching hospital emergency department.


METHODS
An audit of 1000 sets of notes was undertaken, the diagnosis abstracted and mapped to the curriculum.


RESULTS
1076 diagnoses were derived and all were covered by the curriculum. The three most common diagnostic categories were musculoskeletal, wound management and cardiology.


CONCLUSIONS
The curriculum covered all the diagnoses in this sample. Knowing the frequency of a diagnosis could be used to inform training and assessment.
Robinson
Sarah
S
Emergency Department, Southampton University NHS Trust, Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK. robinsonmustafa@aol.com
Vincent
Claire
C
Reay
Jude
J
Clancy
Mike
M
D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards*; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000592:standards*; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit; D012955:Societies, Medical; D006113:United Kingdom; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy