ACME Courses

Core themes (mandatory)

• Cardiovascular Emergencies
• Airway and Respiratory Emergencies
• Complex Emergencies
• Human Factors and Crisis Management
• Includes non-technical skills: difficult conversations, teamwork, systems errors

• Death and Dying (2 themes)
• Toxicology
• Obstetric Emergencies
• Teaching/Education
• Wellbeing

• develop an understanding of human factors and team behaviours and their impact on the quality of team-based clinical care;
• build confidence in everyday themes of EM, specifically crisis management, team skills, communication, leadership, and technical skills;
• refresh key clinical procedural skills including as listed by the ACEM CPD Program. These core procedural skills may be recorded as scope of practice skills after you have met your annual core procedural skills requirements; and
• reflect on current practice and provide opportunities to learn from each other.

• experienced EM physicians
• senior registrars; or
• senior CMO/MOSS practising Emergency Medicine

This course is also well-suited for those who are transitioning back to the ED following a period of leave and is approved for CPD hours (Fellows only).

Any new sites interested in running an ACME course at their centre should ensure they meet minimum site requirements for the course.

The Advanced & Complex Medical Emergencies Course aims to stimulate and provide the experienced physician (FACEMS, Advanced Trainees / Training Stage 3 or higher, senior registrars/senior CMOs) practicing emergency medicine and who wishes to be challenged. While there is a significant hi-fidelity simulation component to the course, there are also small group discussions and mini-scenarios on various aspects of the complex specialty of emergency medicine.
 
This text is provided as a guide on how to prepare for the course prior to participation. Please note there is no required reading prior to commencement, but recommendations have been made.
 
Furthermore, the course director at the ACME course is someone who can be an ally to you during your attendance. You should feel free to discuss any needs with them, either privately or publicly.
 
The course directors at each site are available to help participants with any particular needs or concerns that may arise.

How to prepare for the course? 

The participant manual has been designed for use before and during the implementation of the course, as well as a reference tool post-course. It contains background information which participants may find useful to read to further optimise their experience during the ACME course.
 
Each section includes clear learning objectives and participants are encouraged to familiarise with, before commencing the course. Furthermore, it is valuable to self-evaluate their achievement against the objectives.
 
Of particular importance in preparation for this course is the ‘Human Factors’ module. It is strongly suggested that participants are familiar with this content, prior to commencing.
 
The FACEM curriculum provides the foundational knowledge for the ACME course, since the course is designed for Fellows to further expand and share their established knowledge, skills and experiences in advanced complex medical emergencies.
 
Please note that there is no assessment at any point during the ACME course.

Pre-Reading Material

• The ACME Course participant manual available on the ACEM e-Learning platform. Pay particular attention to the ‘Human Factors’ module
• Life in the Fast Lane (LITFL)
• Resuscitation Guidelines: ANZCOR
• Advanced Life Support (ALS)

Disclaimer: The course will refer to clinical guidelines (both national and global) that will be constantly updated, so pre-reading material may not always align. Please concentrate efforts on the Human Factors module information.