We are undergoing post-graduate training in one of the most challenging and interesting times in U.S. history. The pandemic has forced academic programs across the country to adapt quickly and effectively, a situation that characterizes the very nature of the field of emergency medicine. Brandon Regional has risen to the challenge in the midst of starting the new academic year. We welcomed our new class of 2023 with 15 residents, and although we were not able to host our usual EM orientation month, we successfully restructured the beginning of their residency training with a combination of live Webex lectures and shadow shifts. This being the first year that we have three classes of residents at BRH, the class of 2023 made a seamless addition to the team and were managing airways on critical patients within their first month.

The BRH class of 2023 has already become an integral part of adapting to residency training during these unique times. They have taken it upon themselves to lead the development of Brandon Regional’s online presence to communicate effectively with future generations of residents and our colleagues in other programs. We’ve created an active Instagram page that is regularly updated showcasing some of our faculty, residents, resources, and training. We’ve hosted live online Q&A sessions with faculty and residents for medical students applying to residency next cycle. Currently, we are building a personalized website to act as a resource to connect with the medical community across the country.

During these past few months, Brandon Regional, under the guidance of ultrasound faculty Drs. Eric Kalivoda and Grabriel Cabrera, has published many great publications showcasing the strength of our ultrasound program. Drs. Keyon Shokraneh and Jordan Johnson published a case report on bedside ultrasound of gastric volvulus. Drs. Melissa Bacci and Roli Kushwaha published a case report on bedside ultrasound of pneumoperitoneum. Drs. Patrick Hsu, Caroline Shepherd, and Keyon Shokraneh published a case report of a flail mitral leaflet on bedside echo. We’ve had many other recent publications, and a few more in progress.

Lastly the addition of faculty member Dr. Martin Kim, who is fellowship-trained in simulation training, has proven to be an invaluable tool during these unprecedented times. Dr. Kim wasted no time upon his arrival to BRH, aggressively developing our simulation program while maintaining safe practices, including masking and distancing. We have successfully been able to convert one of our larger ED treatment rooms into a fully functional, in-house, simulation training room. This has allowed us to engage in weekly simulation training in cohorts, which is sharpening our skills in critical case presentations and developing our comradery with our new fellow residents. We look forward to seeing the development of our program over the course of the academic year. ■