Emergency Medicine EOR exam prep
Emergency Medicine is about triage and the can't-miss diagnosis: stabilize first, recognize life threats, and pick the highest-yield next step.
PAEA's updated End of Rotation exams are effective as of July 27, 2026 (legacy versions run through July 2027). The Emergency Medicine exam adds Professional Practice (5%) and more diagnostic-studies weight, with psychiatric/behavioral content rising and a new infectious-diseases area.
What topics does the Emergency Medicine EOR exam cover?
Resuscitation & shock
ABCs, shock types, ACLS basics, and sepsis bundles.
Cardiovascular emergencies
ACS, aortic dissection, tamponade, hypertensive emergency, arrhythmias.
Respiratory emergencies
PE, tension pneumothorax, status asthmaticus, airway management.
Neurologic emergencies
Stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, status epilepticus, meningitis.
Abdominal & GI
Acute abdomen, GI bleed, ruptured AAA, ectopic pregnancy.
Trauma
Primary/secondary survey, head and chest trauma, FAST exam basics.
Toxicology & environmental
Common overdoses and antidotes, hyperthermia/hypothermia.
Orthopedic & wound
Can't-miss fractures, compartment syndrome, and wound management.
Which topics show up most on the Emergency Medicine EOR?
- STEMI recognition and door-to-balloon goals
- Aortic dissection clues (tearing pain, BP differential)
- Stroke window and tPA contraindications
- Tension pneumothorax — clinical, decompress first
- Common toxidromes and antidotes
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage (thunderclap, CT then LP)
- Compartment syndrome (pain out of proportion)
- Sepsis early recognition + bundle
How should you study for the Emergency Medicine EOR?
- Stabilize before you diagnose. The EM EOR rewards ABCs and the can't-miss diagnosis over the elegant final answer.
- Weight roughly 40% of your study time on resuscitation and the life threats — STEMI, aortic dissection, stroke window, tension pneumothorax, sepsis.
- Know your toxidromes and antidotes, and the CT-then-LP logic for subarachnoid hemorrhage.
- Then run it on FirstPassPA. Work the Emergency Medicine question set by topic, read every explanation, and let spaced repetition resurface your misses as your exam date nears — then simulate with timed, mixed blocks in the final week.
What are common Emergency Medicine EOR mistakes?
- Ordering tests before stabilizing the airway/circulation
- Delaying decompression for imaging in tension pneumothorax
- Missing aortic dissection and anticoagulating
- Forgetting CT-then-LP logic in SAH
- Anchoring on the first diagnosis and missing the life threat
Study Emergency Medicine on FirstPassPA
EOR rotation mode gives you a focused Emergency Medicine question set with an AI tutor on every answer, spaced repetition, and analytics that show your weak spots. Free to start — no credit card.
Start studying free → Try free Emergency Medicine questions →Educational use only. This outline is a study aid for PA students and is not medical advice or a substitute for clinical judgment. FirstPassPA is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NCCPA or PAEA. PANCE® and PANRE® are registered trademarks of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants; End of Rotation™ is a program of the Physician Assistant Education Association.