Residency Program
Curriculum
Oregon Poison Center
Oregon Poison Center, established by the Oregon Legislature in l978, is a program of the OHSU Hospital
and the Department of Emergency Medicine. OPC is a regional center that provides 24-hour comprehensive
services to citizens and health care professionals throughout Oregon and neighboring states. The
Department of Emergency Medicine and the OPC offer a two-year fellowship leading to board eligibility
in medical toxicology. The fellowship offers experience and training in the diagnosis and treatment of
toxicologic emergencies, critical care, occupational exposures and environmental toxicology.
Emergency Medicine residents (EM-III) spend one month on the toxicology rotation, serving as medical back-up
to OPC, and providing telephone and bedside consultation and follow-up for patients with toxicologic illness
throughout Oregon. The rotation also emphasizes extensive one-on-one and small-group teaching, as well as
research into relevant topics. Residents present a toxicology M & M case during the rotation.
Research
Emergency medicine research at OHSU is lead by Craig Newgard, MD, MPH, a nationally recognized emergency
health services researcher. Dr. Newgard is active in a wide range of clinical research activities including
projects addressing EMS outcomes, medical ethics, trauma systems, medical informatics, poison center
outcomes and medical education research.
The Department has received grants and contracts from the National Institutes of Health, Agency for
Healthcare Quality and Research, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency,
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and numerous other foundations and government agencies. Computer hardware,
software and research administrative support is available for resident projects.
Teaching
There are multiple opportunities for residents to teach, both at the bedside and in the classroom. Our residents play an important role in the teaching of medical students, paramedic students, faculty and each other. All emergency medicine residents become ACLS instructors.