Geoffrey Hays, MD, is an assistant professor of clinical emergency medicine and pediatrics and has been a faculty member at Indiana University since 2018. He graduated from Creighton University School of Medicine in 2013 and completed his combined residency training in emergency medicine and pediatrics at IU School of Medicine in 2018. He works clinically at Methodist Hospital and Riley Children's Hospital. He serves as program director for the combined emergency medicine/pediatrics program. His clinical interests include residency and curriculum development, medical education and evidence-based medicine.
Hays will present "Pediatric Trauma: Lessons and Advances" at the Airway, Breathing, Celebration CME event as part of the Department of Emergency Medicine residency program's 50th anniversary celebration. He said, "Pediatric trauma is always an uncomfortable point. Hopefully, we can make a chaotic patient encounter a bit easier by helping provide solid recommendations and evidence to guide practice."
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?
Hays: I came to the program for the outstanding clinical training and the chance to train in a combined residency program. I still remember the outstanding senior residents I staffed with as a visiting student and remembering wanting to practice medicine like them.
Q: In what ways did this program shape your approach to emergency medicine and influence your career path or leadership journey?
Hays: I admired the high standards set by the training program and the notion that emergency medicine tried to be above the fray and take care of any patient in a moment of need.
Question: What lesson, value or habit from residency still guides your work as an emergency physician today?
Hays: Really just the whole approach to emergency medicine and being a part of our community. Putting the patient first and advocating for what is best for them in the moment.
Q: As you reflect on your career and the evolution of emergency medicine, what does the program’s 50th anniversary mean to you personally?
Hays: I am proud of the legacy this program leaves. I feel part of a large and capable alumni base full of outstanding emergency medicine physicians and am always proud to say I trained at IU.
Q: What are you most excited about when you think about the future of emergency medicine and the next generation of physicians?
Hays: Regardless of what the future brings, I know the graduates will be well trained and have a strong ethical base from which to practice.
