A Journal Club Designed for Emergency Physicians in Rural Areas
Best Evidence in Emergency Medicine (BEEM) in collaboration with the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP), has developed a novel journal club that is designed for emergency physicians practicing in rural areas. Many studies are developed and conducted in tertiary care or large urban centres. While these studies can be practice changing, it may be a challenge to change practice in the rural setting. Barriers related to human resources, lack of specialized equipment, and distance to the nearest city all impact on how physicians practice in rural and remote areas.
The BEEM / CAEP rural journal club helps inform physicians on how the new evidence can impact their practice in remote settings. Following the BEEM critical appraisal, these sessions provide a dialogue with a rural emergency physician to understand the impact of the studies discussed and how they can be incorporated (or not) in areas of limited resources.
Spinning Heads and Fast Hearts – Syncope in the ED
Wednesday, April 22, 2026 ┃ 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET
By the end of this session, the participant will:
Understand the role of Vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillation.
Identify best tests in the identification of patients presenting with nontraumatic aortic dissection.
Apply the Sudbury Vertigo Risk Score to patients who present with dizziness.
Moderator:
Rahim Valani
MD, MBA, M Med Ed, LLM (Health Law)
Dr. Rahim Valani has been practicing emergency medicine in some of Canada’s busiest emergency departments for over 18 years. He is Associate Professor at the University of Toronto and is also the Chair of the Best Evidence in Emergency Medicine program. He is also part of the International Federation of Emergency Medicine and recently spearheaded the international pediatric emergency medicine curriculum, which is now published.
He holds a Masters in Medical Education and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. He is the co-editor of the Sickkids pediatric trauma hadbook, and editor of the pediatric emergency handbook along with pain and procedural sedation in the emergency department.
Presenter:
Nathan Chow MD, CCFP(EM)
Dr. Nathan Chow has been working at Cape Breton Regional for the past four years, following completion of CCFP training in rural Nova Scotia and CCFP(EM) training at Memorial University. After growing up in urban Ontario, Dr. Chow and his wife chose to settle in a coastal, more remote setting. Practising in a geographically isolated regional site presents unique challenges, while also offering tremendous opportunities for professional growth, meaningful community contribution, and a strong work–life balance for a young family.
Presenter:
Suneel Upadhye MD, FRCPC
Suneel Upadhye is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine/Health Research Methods, Evidence & Impact (HEI) at McMaster University. He completed his Royal College Emergency Medicine training in 2001, and his Masters in HEI in 2005. He is a co-founder of the Best Evidence in Emergency Medicine (BEEM) course since 2005. He is a former Standards Chair for CAEP, and is the inaugural Research Lead for the EM Researchers of Niagara (EMRoN). He also serves as a Methodologist for the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine Guidelines for Reasonable & Appropriate Care in the Emergency Room (GRACE) program since 2019, which has led to numerous guidance documents and reviews for EM practice. He is also a jazz music enthusiast, founding bassist for Docs that Rock, master scuba diver, and mediocre golfer.