About Foundations I | F1 Learning Pathways| F1 Course Schedule
About Foundations I
Foundations of Emergency Medicine (FoEM) creates free, open-access, learner-centric, level-specific residency curricula that have been widely adopted in the United States. The Foundations I (F1) course is specifically designed for intern-level learners and is intended to provide a framework for understanding cardinal presentations, “can’t miss” diagnoses and essential management strategies within the practice of Emergency Medicine. The F1 course is divided into 30 systems-based units. Learners are expected to review curated self-study resources prior to each meeting (flipped classroom approach), allowing classroom time to be used for active learning and application of knowledge through small group patient cases. After each meeting, you can review an Essential Learning summary (aka Teaching Points Handout) +/- paired assessments to help with spaced repetition, application to clinical practice, and EM In-Training Exam (ITE) preparation.
To optimize your learning, take advantage of the following Foundations I course learner resources:
Foundations I Learning Pathways
FoEM Learning Pathways provide high-quality, independent study resources that pair with each F1 course unit. There are a combination of text-based as well as multimedia-based resources including FOAM (Free Open Access Medical education) blog posts and podcasts, in addition to high-yield summaries of evidence-based practice (EBMedicine). Choose your pathway based on your preferred method of studying. Using the listed objectives for each unit, triage your time to focus on common clinical presentations and known gaps in your knowledge. At a minimum, try to protect 2 hours of study time each week. Specific Learning Pathway assignments for each unit of F1 unit can be found by system on the FoEM main page. For more details about specific resources and strategic use, visit our Learning Pathways How-To page.
FoEM Learning Pathway Essentials
- Use objectives for each unit to guide your preparation
- Study for at least 2 hours a week
- Use our vetted and coordinated references, or use your own
Foundations I Course Schedule for Learners
Below you will find the core schedule for Foundations I. Keep in mind, your program may be making significant changes from the standard schedule and your local Foundations Course Director will provide you with a detailed schedule for your institution (dates with specific units for your site). Note that the core schedule below includes paired Frameworks and suggested paired assessments (Rosh Review, PEER) for each unit (these may or may not be provided by your program).
FoEM PLAYLIST– Take advantage of our collection of “walk-up songs” that correlate to cases in the FoEM Foundations I (F1) curriculum with the goal of engaging the learner and sparking curiosity for the learning topics. Review the full list here, access songs through this F1 Playlist link, or search for us on Spotify (FoundationsEM).
Block 1
| Meeting | Unit | General Topics | Specific Topics | Paired Framework | Rosh or PEER Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Orientation | Course Review | Foundations Overview, Intro to Oral Boards Cases | ||
| 1 | GI I | GI Bleeding, Esophageal and Stomach Disorders | GI Bleed, Esophageal Do, PUD, Perforation | Approach to Nausea and Vomiting | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 01- GI I |
| 2 | GI II | Acute Abdomen, Anorectal | Acute Abdomen, Anorectal Disorders | Abdominal Imaging | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 02- GI II |
| 3 | GI III | Biliary, Liver, GI Infections | Diarrhea, Biliary Disease, Hepatitis, Cirrhosis, Pancreatitis | Approach to Jaundice | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 03- GI III |
| 4 | Pulm I | Non-infectious Pulmonary Disease | Hemoptysis, PTX, Asthma, COPD, ARDS, PE, Cyanosis | Approach to Hypoxemia | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 04- Pulm I |
| 5 | Pulm II | Infectious Pulmonary Disease | Pneumonia, TB, Effusion, Aspiration, Abscess, Empyema | Approach to Emergent Airway Management | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 05- Pulm II |
| 6 | Cards I | Dysrhythmias | Dysrhythmias, Pacemakers | Tachyarrhythmia , Bradyarrhythmia and Approach to Cardiac Arrest | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 06- Cards I |
| 7 | Cards II | ACS, CHF | ACS, CHF, Cardiomyopathy | Approach to CHF | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 07- Cards II |
| 8 | Cards III | Valvular disease, Carditis | Peri/Myocarditis, Valvular Disease, Endocarditis | Approach to Shock Approach to Syncope | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 08- Cards III |
| 9 | Vascular | Dissection, Aneurysm, DVT & HTN | Dissection/Aneurysm, DVT, HTN | Approach to HTN in the ED | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 09- Vasc |
Block 2
| Meeting | Unit | General Topics | Specific Topics | Paired Framework | Rosh or PEER Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Trauma I | General Traumatic Injuries | Thoracic, Abdominal, Pelvic, Extremities, Peds | Chest Trauma Abdominal Trauma Pelvic Trauma Vascular Extremity Injury | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 10- Trauma I |
| 11 | Trauma II | General Traumatic Injuries | Brain, Spine, HEENT | Traumatic Head Bleed | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 11- Trauma II |
| 12 | Trauma III | Specialized Traumatic Injuries | Penetrating, Blast, Electrical, Burns, Pregnancy | Approach to Burns (FW 9/15) | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 12- Trauma III |
| 13 | Peds I | Pediatric Resuscitation, Neonatal Emergencies | Peds Resus, Neonatal Disorders, Congenital Heart Disease | Approach to the Sick Neonate | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 13- Peds I |
| 14 | Peds II | Pediatric Pulm, Pediatric Infections | Peds Airway, Peds Infections, Acute Airway Obstruction | Approach to the Febrile Neonate | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 14- Peds II |
| 15 | Peds III | Other Pediatric Emergencies, Child Abuse | Peds Seizure, Shunts, GI/GU, Child Abuse | Approach to Pediatric Abdominal Pain | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 15- Peds III |
| 16 | HEENT | Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Emergencies | Ear Infection, Hearing Loss, Eye Infections, Eye Inflammation, Eye Pain, Vision Loss, Eye Meds, ENT Infections | Approach to Vision Loss | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 16- HEENT |
Block 3
| Meeting | Unit | General Topics | Specific Topics | Paired Framework | Rosh or PEER Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | ID | Infectious Emergencies | Sepsis, Tetanus, Malaria, Rabies, Zoonotic Infection, Warfare Agents, Legionella, AIDS | Approach to Fever in the HIV Patient | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 17- ID |
| 18 | Neuro I | Seizure, Coma, AMS, Vertigo, Headache, Meningitis | Stroke, Seizure, Coma, AMS, Vertigo, Headache, Meningitis | Approach to AMS Approach to Vertigo | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 18- Neuro I |
| 19 | Neuro II/MSK | Stroke, Neuromuscular, Neuropathy, Spinal Cord | Arthritis, Tendonitis, Back Pain, MSK Infections, Compartment Syndrome, Neuromuscular, Neuropathy, Spinal Cord | Approach to Stroke Approach to Weakness | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 19- Neuro II |
| 20 | Ortho | Traumatic Orthopedic Injuries | Upper Ext, Pelvis, Hip, Knee, Lower Leg, Ankle, Foot | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 20- Ortho | |
| 21 | Tox I | Toxidromes and Poisoning I | Tox Eval, TCA, Li, Sedatives, Phenothiazines, Phenytoin, Opioids, Clonidine, Alcohols, Cocaine, Amphetamine, Hallucinogens, ASA | Approach to the Poisoned Patient/Toxicologic Resuscitation | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 21- Tox I |
| 22 | Tox II | Toxidromes and Poisoning II | APAP, Fe, HC, Caustics, OP, Mushrooms, CN, Dig, BB, CCB, CO, Mercury, Sulfonylurea | Approach to Toxidromes | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 22- Tox II |
| 23 | Environmental | Environmental Exposures | Heat/Cold Exposure, Bites/Stings, Altitude Sickness, Submersion, Radiation | Approach to Hypothermic Resuscitation | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 23- Enviro |
Block 4
| Meeting | Unit | General Topics | Specific Topics | Paired Framework | Rosh or PEER Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Renal / GU | Renal and Male Gentiourinary Disorders | AKI, CRF, HD Complications, Renal Transplant, UTI, Kidney Stones, Penile/Urethral Disorders | Approach to Testicular Pain | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 24- Renal/GU |
| 25 | GYN | Ovarian and Uterine Disease, Gyn Infection | STIs, ID, Ovarian Disease, Vaginal Bleeding, Sexual Assault | Approach to Female Pelvic Pain | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 25- Gyn |
| 26 | OB | Pregnancy Emergencies | Pregnancy Complications- Medical, Surgical, Complicated Deliveries | Approach to Vaginal Bleeding | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 26- OB |
| 27 | Endo / Metabolic | Endocrine, Metabolic and Nutritional Disorders | Fluids and Electrolytes, Acid-Base Disorders, Hypo/Hyperglycemia, Hypo/Hyperthyroid, Adrenal Insufficiency/Crisis | Approach to Hyperglycemia and Insulin | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 27- Endo/Met |
| 28 | Heme / Onc | Hematologic Emergencies, Emergent Complications of Malignancy | Bleeding Disorders, Sickle Cell, Anemia, Transfusions, Anticoagulation Reversal, Malignant Obstruction and Effusions, Hypercalcemia, SIADH, Tumor Lysis, Hyperviscosity, Adrenal Insufficiency, Immunosuppression | Approach to Sickle Cell Crisis | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 28- Heme/Onc |
| 29 | Psych | Psychiatric Emergencies | Agitation, Psychosis, Depression/SI, Bipolar, Anxiety/Panic, Somatoform, Eating Disorders, Intoxication/Withdrawl, Delirium/Dementia | Approach to the Agitated Patient | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 29- Psych |
| 30 | Rheum / Immuno / Derm | Immune System Disorders, Skin Emergencies | Raynaud, Reiter, Scleroderma, SLE, Allergic Reactions, Drug Reactions, Dermatitis, Skin Infections, Drug Rash | Approach to the Undifferentiated Rash | FOUNDATIONS I (F1) UNIT 30- Immuno/Derm |