Onboarding plan

Emergency Medicine Physician Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)

A practical, printable plan to take a new emergency medicine physician from first day to full productivity.

Updated By the Career Education Institute Curriculum Team
Emergency Medicine Physician onboarding at a glance

Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.

Before day one

  • Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
  • Verify required credentials: ABEM board certification, State medical license (as applicable)
  • Prepare equipment and access: defibrillators; ultrasound; airway equipment; monitors
  • Assign a buddy or preceptor
  • Enroll the new hire in Emergency Medicine Physician training so foundations are covered before or during week one

Week one: orient and protect

  • Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
  • Follow infection control
  • Use de-escalation for aggressive patients
  • Use sharps safety
  • Follow trauma and code protocols
  • Shadow an experienced emergency medicine physician through a full shift
  • Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)

Days 1–30: learn

Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.

  • Supervised practice: run a cardiac arrest code
  • Supervised practice: perform a FAST ultrasound
  • Supervised practice: hand off patients at shift change
  • Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
  • 30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins

Days 31–60: contribute

Goal: handle a regular workload independently.

  • Evaluate patients quickly: independently
  • Resuscitate critically ill patients: independently
  • Perform emergency procedures: independently
  • Order and interpret tests: independently
  • Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
  • Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
  • 60-day check-in

Days 61–90: own

Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.

  • Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
  • Begin cross-training on a secondary task
  • Agree on a credential goal (for example, ABEM board certification)
  • Discuss the career path: EM Resident → Attending Physician → Medical Director
  • 90-day review

Competency checklist

Skill or taskTrainedObservedSigned off
Run a Cardiac Arrest Code
Perform a FAST Ultrasound
Hand Off Patients at Shift Change
Resuscitation
Airway management
Trauma care
Rapid diagnosis

How to measure onboarding success

  • Days until the new hire works without a preceptor
  • Competency sign-offs completed on time
  • Documentation or charting error rate
  • 90-day retention

How Emergency Medicine Physician training maps to this plan

  1. Introduction to the Emergency Medicine Physician Role
  2. A Day on the Job
  3. Essential Emergency Medicine Physician Vocabulary
  4. Core Duties and Responsibilities
  5. Common Tasks, Step by Step
  6. Tools, Equipment and Technology
  7. Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
  8. Skills Employers Look For
  9. Launching Your Emergency Medicine Physician Career
  10. Final Knowledge Check
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