Cami Pfennig, MD, MHPE, is a professor of emergency medicine at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, where she serves as associate vice chair of academics and program director of the Prisma Health–Greenville Emergency Medicine Residency program. She is the founding program director and is entering her tenth year of residency leadership. Dr. Pfennig also serves as director of the Academy of Educators, providing institutional leadership in faculty development and educational excellence.
Pfennig completed the executive leadership in healthcare fellowship at Drexel University in 2024. She earned her undergraduate degree from Marquette University and her medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine, where she also completed emergency medicine residency training and served as chief resident. She subsequently completed the ACEP teaching fellowship and earned a Master of Health Professions Education from Vanderbilt University.
Prior to joining the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Pfennig served as director of undergraduate medical education and as an attending physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Vanderbilt University.
Pfennig will present "Lytes On, Lytes Off" at the Airway, Breathing, Celebration CME event as part of the Department of Emergency Medicine residency program's 50th anniversary celebration. She said, "For this milestone event, I’m returning to something foundational, yet often overlooked in its complexity. My session focuses on the management of electrolyte emergencies, one of the most frequent and potentially life-threatening derangements we see in the emergency department. These are everyday cases that demand uncommon precision. Hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, calcium disturbances. They may not always come with flashing lights but getting them wrong can have profound consequences.
What I hope to offer is not just a review of the latest evidence or algorithms, but a reframing: electrolyte emergencies as diagnostic and cognitive stress tests. They challenge our ability to synthesize rapidly, think physiologically and make critical decisions before confirmatory data arrives.
My goal is for attendees — regardless of how long they've been practicing — to walk away with renewed clarity, practical strategies they can use on their next shift and perhaps most importantly, a deeper appreciation for the nuance and urgency that defines the core of our specialty. This talk is about sharpening clinical instincts, honoring the complexity of routine problems and staying anchored in the fundamentals that save lives."
Question: Looking back on your training, what drew you to this residency program, and what experience or moment continues to stand out for you today?
Pfennig: What drew me to Indiana University Emergency Medicine was the reputation for intense, hands-on clinical training at Wishard and Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital — the kind that doesn’t just prepare you to survive as an emergency medicine doctor, but to lead. The volume, complexity and acuity of cases promised a kind of baptism by fire that I knew would forge true competence and confidence. But what truly sealed it was the culture: humble, high-performing and deeply invested in mentorship.
Q: In what ways did this program shape your approach to emergency medicine and influence your career path or leadership journey?
Pfennig: This program taught me that competence without compassion is incomplete, and that leadership isn’t about titles, but about being the calm in chaos and the advocate in silence. The department didn’t just teach me how to run a trauma bay or lead a resuscitation; it taught me how to read a room, how to teach at 3 a.m. and how to show up when others can't.
Carey Chisholm and Kevin Rodgers shaped my leadership philosophy profoundly. Their mentorship challenged me to think critically, communicate clearly and act decisively. That influence has echoed through every role I’ve taken on from clinical leadership to academic mentorship. I often find myself asking: “What would Carey or Kevin say here?” and that compass has never failed me.
Q: What lesson, value, or habit from residency still guides your work as an emergency physician today?
Pfennig: There’s also a value of humility I carry forward, knowing that medicine is unpredictable, that no matter how experienced you are, the ED can humble you in an instant. The program taught me to lead with confidence, but never arrogance. That balance keeps me safe, keeps my patients safe and keeps me growing.
Q: As you reflect on your career and the evolution of emergency medicine, what does the program’s 50th anniversary mean to you personally?
Pfennig: It means legacy. It means remembering the hands that shaped us and honoring the ones we now extend to others. The 50th anniversary is not just a milestone, it’s a mirror. It reflects how far we’ve come, how much we’ve given and how many lives have been touched through this program.
Personally, it's also a moment of gratitude. Gratitude for mentors who are no longer with us but whose influence is deeply alive. Gratitude for the friendships forged in the crucible of night shifts and trauma bays. And gratitude for the chance to now be part of a living lineage, contributing to a field that’s still evolving, still vital, still full of purpose.
Q: What are you most excited about when you think about the future of emergency medicine and the next generation of physicians?
Pfennig: At this stage in my career, what fuels me most is legacy, the chance to shape the next generation of emergency physicians not just in what they know, but in who they become. Being entrusted with training residents and overseeing academic development is a daily reminder that the impact we make extends far beyond a single patient or shift. It’s generational. It’s systemic.
I still love the clinical work, the diagnostic puzzles, the high-stakes decisions and the human connections forged in minutes. But what truly drives me now is seeing a resident find their voice, step into leadership or navigate their first difficult case with courage and clarity. Those moments are fuel.
Emergency medicine will always challenge us. But through mentorship, curriculum innovation and a commitment to professional identity formation, I have the privilege of building structures that help young physicians thrive, not just survive. That keeps me inspired. That keeps me grounded in purpose.
Q: What advice would you offer current residents or early-career emergency physicians as they navigate their training and careers?
Pfennig: Know that your competence will grow with time, but your character is being shaped now. Show up, stay curious, ask questions even when you’re tired and be the kind of teammate you’d want at your side on your hardest day. And protect your humanity. Medicine is hard enough; don’t lose yourself in the grind.
Q: What continues to fuel your passion for emergency medicine?
Pfennig: It’s the immediacy of impact. Every shift, no matter how hard or chaotic, offers the chance to make a difference in someone’s life right now. There’s no waiting for test results to come back a week later, no long arc to healing. In the emergency department, your presence, your decisions and your humanity matter in real time.
What also keeps me going is the raw honesty of the space. Emergency medicine strips away pretense. Patients don’t come to us with curated stories. They come vulnerable, afraid, angry and hopeful. To be trusted in those moments is a privilege I never take lightly.
But beyond the medicine, it’s the people. The colleagues who carry each other through impossible nights. The residents who remind me why teaching matters. The mentors I carry with me, even if they’re no longer here. Emergency medicine is not just a job — it’s a community, a calling and a commitment. And as long as I can keep showing up with purpose, curiosity and compassion, the passion will take care of itself.
