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AFSC 44E4, Staff
AFSC 44E3, Qualified
AFSC 44E1, Entry

Specialty Summary. Examines, diagnoses, and treats initial and acute phase of illnesses and injuries. Directs emergency and related outpatient services. Directs disaster planning, training, and management in the prehospital and hospital access areas. Related DoD Occupational Group: 6A.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Examines, diagnoses, and treats illnesses and injuries in the acute care setting. Provides immediate diagnosis and resuscitation care for life-threatening conditions, and directs the provision of such care in the prehospital setting. Provides diagnosis and care on the basis of medical history, physical examination, and diagnostic tests. Provides supportive care to patients with serious medical and surgical conditions until the care of that patient can be assumed by the appropriate specialist for that condition. Provides definitive or interim care for conditions that, while not life-threatening, cause discomfort or risk of worsening to the extent that such care cannot be reasonably delayed until the next available access into a more appropriate source for care.

Organizes and designs disaster management programs. Works with disaster planning and hospital command personnel to design effective prehospital and initial hospital care and triage activities for disaster and mass casualty situations. Functions as the prehospital care provider and supervisor in disaster and mass casualty situations, and provides triage expertise and immediate care skills at the hospital access level.

Provides training. Provides training and supervision of nonphysician health care personnel in aspects of prehospital and hospital life-saving care. Provides training to medical and nursing personnel in aspects of resuscitations, including identification and treatment of cardiac, traumatic, and infectious emergencies.

Directs the operation of hospital emergency care services. Plans and directs the operation of emergency care systems, including prehospital care. Supervises patient care activities of physicians, nurses, technicians, and other staff assigned to that area. Ensures that the emergency care system provides quality care and meets the needs of the patient population it serves. Works with Nursing Services to ensure optimal training and skill performance by all personnel assigned to the emergency services.

Specialty Qualifications:

Knowledge. Fulfillment of education and experience requirements partially satisfies the knowledge required. Additional knowledge is mandatory in aspects of injury and illness which are unique to the Air Force and its military mission (chemical, bacteriological, and nuclear injuries, and immediate care of casualties in combat situations); operation of USAF health care delivery system; and needs of population served by these systems.

Education. For entry into this specialty, a degree of doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathy from an approved school of medicine and completion of 1 year of graduate medical education in a clinical specialty at a hospital acceptable to the Surgeon General, HQ USAF, are mandatory.

Training. For award of AFSC 44E3, completion of an emergency medicine physician course is mandatory.

Experience. For award of AFSC 44E3A, acceptance by the American Board of Emergency Medicine for examination by completion of either (1) a residency program in emergency medicine, or (2) completion of practical experience and continuing education activities is mandatory. NOTE: This requirement must be verified by letter of eligibility for examination from the American Board of Emergency Medicine.

Other. None.

Specialty Shredouts:

A.............Emergency Medicine Specialist

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Above Information Derived from AFMAN 36-2105