Resident involvement in civilian tactical emergency medicine.
BACKGROUND
Tactical emergency medicine services (TEMS) has emerged as a specialized niche within the field of emergency medicine. With increasing demand for physician participation in civilian tactical teams, there will be efforts by residents to become involved at earlier points in their clinical training.


OBJECTIVE
This article discusses resident involvement with a civilian TEMS unit and provides five maxims for emergency physicians to better understand the difference between working in the emergency department or with emergency medical services vs. in a TEMS environment.


CONCLUSIONS
Differences between TEMS and other trauma life support models, institutional and political barriers likely to be encountered by the resident, the value of preventive medicine and the role of the physician in long-term tactical operations, opportunities for subspecialty growth, and the role of operational security are all discussed in detail.


CONCLUSIONS
Tactical emergency medicine is a specialty that utilizes the full array of the emergency physician's skill set. It is also a field that is ripe for continued expansion, but the resident looking to become involved with a team should be aware of the requirements necessary to do so and the obstacles likely to be encountered along the way.
Ramirez
Mario Luis
ML
Department of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-4700, USA.
Slovis
Corey M
CM
D000328:Adult; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D035846:Law Enforcement; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D010819:Physician's Role; D018635:Rescue Work; D014194:Traumatology; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population; D000078329:Workforce