Jerry Snow, MD, is a clinical associate professor of emergency medicine and internal medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and program director of the medical toxicology fellowship, with expertise in emerging drug trends, overdose management, envenomation and addiction medicine.
Snow will present "Xylazine to Nitazenes: Emerging Drug Trends and Adulterants in the Emergency Department" at the Airway, Breathing, Celebration CME event as part of the Department of Emergency Medicine residency program's 50th anniversary celebration. He said, "My session will focus on emerging trends in recreational drug use and the clinically significant adulterants and contaminants that increasingly complicate emergency care. I hope the session reinforces the idea that staying current with drug trends is no longer optional in emergency medicine — it is essential to patient safety and high-quality emergency care. I hope attendees leave with increased awareness of current drug trends, a practical approach to recognizing contaminant-driven presentations and greater confidence in the acute management of undifferentiated intoxication in the emergency department."
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?
Snow: What initially drew me to Indiana University Department of Emergency Medicine was my belief that the program could make me the best emergency medicine physician I could be. From my first interactions, it was clear that this was a program that took patient care seriously, trained residents to think deeply and independently, and valued people as much as performance. There was an authenticity to the faculty and residents that was immediately apparent.
What continues to stand out is not a single case or shift, but the culture — being trusted early, supported consistently and challenged to become better every day. Training at the Department of Emergency Medicine, through both residency and medical toxicology fellowship, shaped every part of my career and who I am as a physician today. The sense of family, the mentors who invested in me and the lifelong friendships forged there are what made leaving the department the hardest professional decision I have ever made. Those relationships remain strong to this day.
Q: In what ways did this program shape your approach to emergency medicine and influence your career path or leadership journey?
Snow: The department instilled in me a disciplined, patient-centered approach to emergency medicine — one grounded in clinical excellence, intellectual curiosity and accountability. I learned how to manage uncertainty, how to lead during chaos and how to advocate for patients who often have no one else advocating for them.
Equally important, the program modeled leadership as service. Faculty demonstrated that strong leadership is rooted in humility, preparation and taking responsibility for outcomes. That philosophy directly influenced my pursuit of medical toxicology, my academic interests and my willingness to take on leadership roles later in my career. The program didn’t just train me to be an emergency physician; it trained me to be a physician-leader.
Q: What lesson, value, or habit from residency still guides your work as an emergency physician today?
Snow: The lesson that has stayed with me most is simple but profound: show up fully for every patient, every colleague, every shift. The department emphasized preparation, follow-through and respect — for the work and for one another. That translated into habits I still carry today: meticulous clinical reasoning, clear communication and an unwavering commitment to doing the right thing, even when it is difficult or inconvenient.
Q: As you reflect on your career and the evolution of emergency medicine, what does the program’s 50th anniversary mean to you personally?
Snow: The 50th anniversary is both a celebration and a responsibility. It represents five decades of physicians trained to care for patients at their most vulnerable moments, and it reminds me that I am part of something much larger than my own career. Personally, it is a moment of deep gratitude: for the mentors who shaped me, the colleagues who stood beside me and the program that gave me a professional home. It is also a reminder to give back, to invest in the next generation and to protect the values that made the Department of Emergency Medicine special in the first place.
Q: What are you most excited about when you think about the future of emergency medicine and the next generation of physicians?
Snow: I am excited by the intelligence, empathy and advocacy I see in the next generation of emergency physicians. Despite practicing in an increasingly complex and strained healthcare environment, today’s trainees are thoughtful, data-driven and deeply committed to equity and patient safety. I am optimistic that they will continue to redefine what it means to be an emergency physician: clinically excellent, system-aware and unafraid to lead meaningful change.
Q: What advice would you offer to current residents or early-career emergency physicians?
Snow: Seek out mentors who challenge you, not just those who affirm you. Protect your integrity, invest in your relationships and remember that your reputation is built one decision at a time. The medicine matters, but how you treat people will define your career just as much.
