Another day - another blog...

I was reading ACEP News (the March 10th issue, which reached my remote home in St. Louis, yesterday on April 10th) about the proposed merger between AAEM and ACEP.

This is rather an exciting development. Does it mean that AAEM, who proposed the merger, will finally abandon their ideology that only those ER docs who did ER residencies should be working in the ERs? Perhaps they have finally realized that such an ideology cannot possibly be consistent with:

1. staffing all the emergency departments in the USA
2. providing adequate emergency medical care to all our patients
3. practising good medicine, because a certain training (any) does not equal core competency
4. long-overdue unification of all ER docs

Or perhaps they haven't realized this, but they will. AAEM must understand that ACEP has an obligation to a certain important part of its membership, the Legacy Emergency Physicians, who actually founded the College in the first place. AAEM must know that a merger means they will have to abandon their prejudices, much like Iran must abandon its prejudices against Israel, if they are to be recognized by the world's peaceloving nations. Much like Lebanon's Hezbullah and Palestine's Hamas had to abandon their hatred against Israel, to be accepted at the conference table. I think the past president of AAEM, Dr. A. Kazzi, just returned home to Lebanon didn't he?

Anyway, the important thing is unity. All Emergency Physicians must be treated equally if they are 'core competent'. They do not have to be board certified, but if they are, they should be praised. There should be no antagonism against ABEM or BCEM, just because people belong to one group or another. There should be universal embracing of all cloths, and all types of training, whether it is in a supervised arena or an unspervised 'in-the-field' arena.

The important thing is core competencies. AAEM may finally be realizing this and that they are doomed if they do not merge with common sense - that is - merge with the majority - that is, ACEP.

Well done AAEM, for being able to see beyond your outdated ideologies.

Sonny