In 2010, IFEM published a document summarising the essential elements of a Graduate Medical Education Curriculum for Specialist Emergency Medicine. As part of a standard IFEM process, a project to update this landmark document occurred from 2022-2025.

The IFEM Core Curriculum and Education Committee (CCEC), under the leadership of Dr James Kwan and Prof Arif Alper Cevik, embarked on a 2 stage process to update the document:

1) Stage one: Define 5 entrustable professional activities (EPAs) which are the core of EM practice. Completed with approval by IFEM board in 2024.

2) Stage two: Using the EPAs, either update or rewrite the IFEM GME Curriculum Document. Completed with approval by IFEM board in 2025.

For stage two, a team of primary authors from IFEM CCEC members completed the project. Here is an executive summary of the contents of the finalised document.

• The content of the 2010 curriculum document is still valid in 2025, and this document supplements the 2010 document with modern educational principles.
• The defined five core EPAs in emergency medicine at a specialist level were fleshed out with learning outcomes derived from a curriculum mapping process using the current curricula of the founding organisations of IFEM.
• Addition of commentary about certain demographic population groups (age and gender) that need special consideration.
• Addition of commentary regarding:
  • The dilemma of competency-based training vs service provision when designing training programs;
  • Creating a supportive workplace learning environment and learning in the workplace through the use of coaching and mentoring principles;
  • The importance of adding leadership training in emergency medicine training;
  • A summary of modern assessment modalities of trainees in the workplace;
• Comment on the rise of fellowships for focused areas of further training either during or after general emergency medicine training.

The primary authors of this document would like to thank the 44 international EM physicians over all 6 geographical regions represented by IFEM, and members from 6 IFEM Special Interest Groups, who provided feedback on how to improve the initial draft of the document.

Project lead: Dr Simon Chu (Australia).

Primary authors: Drs Julio Alencar (Brazil), Elif Dikek Cakal (Turkey), Tejasvi Chikatla (India), Jean Klig (USA), Shankar LeVine (Bhutan/USA), David Teng (Singapore), Anastasia Spartinou (Greece), Simon Tumusiime (Uganda).

Additional authors: Dr Nick Jouriles (USA), Dr Janis Tupesis (USA)

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