Before we look at what’s required for board certification, let’s consider what is required to obtain a license to practice emergency medicine. Physicians must earn their bachelor’s degree (4 years) and then attend medical school (3 years) to earn their MD or DO degree, and then complete a full-time emergency medicine residency (typically three or four years), for a total of ten or eleven years, to earn their license to practice medicine.
Board certification in emergency medicine is granted by the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “ensure the highest standards in the specialty of Emergency Medicine.” The ABEM requires physicians to pass written and oral examinations, and complete three years’ specialty training (residency) to achieve their board certification. And the emergency medicine board exam is no easy task, consisting of extensive oral exams where different scenarios are presented, and treatment choices and diagnoses have to be answered live and in person. And for good reason, because emergency medicine physicians are tasked with making quick and 100% correct decisions, in life-or-death situations.
What does this mean for patients? On the most basic level, it means that their physician has voluntarily completed additional requirements to achieve and demonstrate their expertise in emergency medicine. Practicing medicine requires an ongoing commitment to learning, and board-certified emergency medicine physicians take lifelong learning one step further, by completing their continuing education in an environment which includes ongoing assessments, to demonstrate their ongoing expertise in emergency medicine.
It’s no coincidence that the physicians who own and operate Patient Care Now Urgent Care are board certified in emergency medicine. Dr. Dominic Ruocco has over 12 years’ experience in managing the clinical and administrative aspects of emergency medicine, and in recent years, he and Dr. Alban have been involved in all aspects of the startup, operations, and ongoing management of multiple urgent care centers. Our experience is what sets us apart. At Patient Care Now Urgent Care, you can simply walk in when you need immediate care. We make it easy and convenient to get the care you need for acute illnesses and injuries, and our board-certified emergency medicine physicians are experienced in treating many illnesses and injuries that have traditionally been treated only in emergency rooms.
As a true full-service facility, Patient Care Now Urgent Care offers diagnostic services and a wide variety of treatments that you would normally find at different types of facilities, all under one roof. We pride ourselves on being an accessible urgent care provider, offering adult urgent care, pediatric urgent care, and orthopedic urgent care. The benefits of having a reputable urgent care in your area are many, from quick and professional treatment, to the strain it takes off of local emergency departments, so they can focus more on life-threatening situations.
Patient Care Now Urgent Care is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, Monday through Friday 8am-8pm, and Saturdays and Sundays, 8am – 6pm. No appointment is necessary, but if you prefer you may call ahead at (267) 202-6433, or use our convenient online check-in form.
