Sub-Specialist in Adult Urgency and Emergency Medicine: An Unpostponable Need

Resumo

The College of Internal Medicine Speciality (CIMS) proposed
the creation of the subspeciality in adult urgent and
emergency medicine (AUEM), which has the support of the
Portuguese Society of Internal Medicine's Centre for the
Study of Urgency and Acute Patients (NEUrgMI). We see this as an essential step towards meeting the growing challenges of hospital emergency services (ES) in Portugal.

Although it could be argued that the fragmentation of
Internal Medicine into subspecialities could threaten its integrative essence, in reality, the perception is that the AUEM subspeciality, far from fragmenting, reinforces the importance
of a global approach to the patient, by combining a
generalist vision with differentiated technical skills. In this
way, we will empower internists to treat patients and lead
and coordinate teams in critical situations, ensuring higher-
-quality patient care.

The admission criteria defined by the AUEM, although
rigorous, reflect the high level of responsibility required.
Mandatory practical experience in the ES, demonstration of
specialized technical skills and participation in training and
research in the field are essential to training professionals
capable of acting in the various scenarios that make up the
complexity of medical emergencies.

At the same time, a balance is advocated between the
practice of care in the subspeciality and in the other fields of Internal Medicine (hospitalization, outpatient consultations, among others), ensuring that the subspecialist internist maintains a wide-ranging, competence, which will benefit the patient throughout the various stages of the disease's evolution.

The UEMA subspeciality seeks to strengthen the
internist's role in the health system, guaranteeing a high-quality approach to the patient in the ES and promoting
professional growth through recertification and continuous
training.