When Chelsea Mendola enrolled in the ER Cert program, she was an ER doctor at VEG Denver who wanted to feel confident handling any case brought her way. The program helped her to do just that—it deepened her critical care knowledge and skills and delved into all kinds of emergency cases. She’s now a medical director at VEG Denver Tech Center, where she can not only use these skills, but also pass her knowledge along to others. Read about her ER Cert experience and how participating in this VEG Education program inspired her to teach others too.

How did you learn about the ER Cert program?

I learned about it from my medical director at the time. She enrolled me in the program because of my interest in critical care medicine, and also because of my willingness to train other doctors on the floor once I earned my ER Cert.

Why did you participate? What were you hoping to get out of the program?

I had been giving serious thought to applying for ECC residencies prior to VEG, as I was feeling very stagnant at my previous jobs and looking for something to reignite my love of medicine and allow me to grow. I also really wanted to improve my critical care knowledge and feel comfortable handling any case that came my way. Having the opportunity to grow in my career at VEG, plus amazing CE opportunities like the ER Cert, satisfied what I was looking for. I have been more fulfilled in my career in the last year since graduating the ER Cert, becoming a Cert instructor, and starting the MD role, than I have in the last nine years of being a veterinarian.

Chelsea (second from right) with her fellow VEGgies.

What kind of support did you receive from your team/manager to further your learning?

I was very supported by other ER doctors going through ER cert at the time. Our group chat became an amazing tool for bouncing questions off of each other and getting to learn about a broader spectrum of cases than those I came across in my own hospital.

What was your favorite aspect of the program?

My favorite aspect was the in-person learning held at Viticus Center in Las Vegas. Having 1:1 topic/case discussions with criticalists and other VEG ER doctors was very helpful. It allowed us to take deeper dives into the types of cases we may frequently see in the ER, but may not have had time to delve into. The topic rounds, critical procedural labs, and POCUS training all helped me leave the program feeling much more confident as a doctor.

Share something unexpected about your experience.

Something unexpected that came after the program was the opportunity to be an ER Cert instructor. I knew how much I loved going through the program as a learner, but did not expect to love going back as an instructor even more! Being able to help other VEGgies grow, continue to learn from criticalists and ER doctors around me, and watch my fellow VEGgies excel in medicine and their careers, is more rewarding than I ever could have imagined.

How has this program helped you to grow in your career at VEG?

I finished the ER Cert about a year before stepping into a medical director role. The program helped me grow into this role by giving me a much stronger critical care knowledge base to pass on to my ER doctors on the floor. It also helped me learn the importance of coaching, mentorship, and growing the VEGgies around you, which is a huge part of my current role.

Is there something you are doing now that you weren’t able to do before completing this program?

ER Cert has allowed me to become very competent in POCUS and many critical procedures that I either had not performed before or was not incredibly confident in prior to the program.

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