Welcome to Prehospital Case Review
A case-based newsletter for EMS clinicians.
I still remember sitting in conferences or case reviews during medical school, residency, and beyond - watching physicians break down complex cases in real time, interrogating every decision, pulling apart the evidence, and doing it all without pointing fingers. It was some of the most powerful learning I’ve ever experienced.
And every time, I thought the same thing: why didn’t we have this in EMS?
I started in EMS as an EMT, then a paramedic. I would say the education I received was fantastic; but, it rarely looked anything like what I’d later experience in medical school. No case conferences, no deep dives into the evidence behind the protocols, no structured space to ask why things went the way they did.
EMS clinicians make some of the most consequential decisions in medicine - often alone, in the dark, with incomplete information and no backup. They deserve the same quality of case-based education that hospital medicine has had for decades.
Prehospital Case Review is my attempt to close that gap. Every issue breaks down a real prehospital call - anonymized, evidence-reviewed, written by and for EMS clinicians. What happened, why it happened, what the evidence actually says, and what the learning points are. Think of it as the prehospital equivalent of the case conferences, M&M reviews, and grand rounds that have shaped clinical education in hospital medicine for generations.
It will always be free.
I’m genuinely passionate about this profession and about elevating the people who gave me the life and career I’m blessed to have today. This newsletter is one small way of doing that.
The first case is coming soon!
If you’ve run a call that stuck with you - one that went sideways, raised questions, or was just too interesting to forget - send it to emsdrmike@gmail.com. Remove the identifying details and tell me what happened. I’ll do the rest.
A few rules before you hit send:
No patient names, dates of birth, or identifying details
No agency names, locations, or unit numbers
No provider names or identifying information
Stick to the clinical facts - what was dispatched, what you found, what you did
All submissions are reviewed for de-identification before publication. Submitting a case does not guarantee publication.
- Dr. Mike
Prehospital Case Review is intended for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical decisions should always be made in accordance with your agency’s or local governing protocols and under the guidance of your medical director.