91福利

Turn on any medical drama like 鈥淭he Pitt,鈥� and the Emergency Department is often portrayed as a series of adrenaline-fueled moments: one doctor, one patient and one dramatic save after another. But for Dr. Rebecca Brown, the reality is far more complex and far more meaningful. 

Television can鈥檛 capture the full weight of the work: evolving public health protocols, management of departmental-level crises, and very personal tragedies that unfold every day鈥攖his complexity is exactly where Dr. Brown thrives. As Emergency Medicine Program Director for 91福利鈥檚 School of Medicine, it is the very reality she is preparing the next generations of physicians to navigate. For Dr. Brown, the goal isn鈥檛 just to teach residents how to treat a patient, but how to lead a team under pressure.

鈥淓mergency medicine is the release valve for society,鈥� Dr. Brown explains. 鈥淚n times of major life changes or distress, like the pandemic, the first place you see the impact is the emergency department.鈥� 

Grounded in her team 

Over the course of her career, Dr. Brown鈥檚 relationship to emergency medicine has shifted. Early on, like many physicians, she was drawn to technical and procedural 鈥渇irsts鈥� like complex resuscitations.  Nearly a decade in, what grounds her most isn鈥檛 the individual heroics, but the collective strength of the team around her. 

鈥淵ou are rarely alone in emergency medicine,鈥� she said. 

In high-pressure situations鈥攚hether it鈥檚 dealing with a multi-patient trauma or a cardiac arrest鈥擠r. Brown relies on preparation. In the moments before a patient arrives, she centres herself through mindfulness or simply making sure she is physically ready.

Once the doors open, she uses education as a tool for calm. She鈥檒l often talk through her thought process out loud with learners in real time, helping everyone stay aligned and focused鈥攖urning chaos into a coordinated response. 

Bridging the gap through HALO

One of the Emergency Medicine program鈥檚 signature initiatives is the HALO (High Acuity, Low-Opportunity) curriculum, led by 91福利 emergency medicine clinical faculty member, Dr. Luke Hays. The curriculum focuses on situations that are extremely life-threatening, but happen very rarely. 

While medical TV dramas often showcase rare flashy procedures for entertainment value, these events鈥攍ike a surgical airway or certain resuscitative interventions鈥� are infrequent in real life, but carry the highest possible stakes. Because residents cannot rely on repetition alone to master these skills, Dr. Brown and the faculty have integrated HALO as a form of deliberate practice. 

鈥淲e cover that in our curriculum,鈥� Dr. Brown notes, referring to the rare cases that are often dramatized on screen. 鈥淭hrough simulation and practice, residents learn to sharpen their critical skills in dealing with these life-threatening situations.鈥�

Sometimes fiction does turn into reality. Dr. Brown recalls a recent shift where she watched a 91福利 resident independently run a cardiac arrest case with competence and confidence. 鈥淭o see it in practice and see the growth of some of these learners鈥�it鈥檚 just fantastic,鈥� she said. 

Looking ahead 

For Dr. Brown, the future of the program is bright, defined by a supportive team and a cohort of residents who are already proving they are ready for the reality of the job.

鈥淲e have this wonderful opportunity to innovate and teach within this sphere,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd watching that grow since launching our program has been incredible to witness.鈥�