The Section on Emergency Medicine (SOEM) was founded in 1981 for the purpose of providing a forum for the discussion of problems relating to the treatment and care of pediatric cases in the emergency department. The Section's overall mission is to sustain, develop, and promote the delivery of optimal emergency care for acutely ill and injured children and adolescents by providing an educational forum for the discussion of problems relating to treatment and care of pediatrics cases in the emergency department; stimulating research in, and the teaching of, emergency care for children; and disseminating knowledge of pediatric emergency care through Academy channels to the medical profession at large. In addition, the Section consults to the AAP Board of Directors on related issues and works with the AAP Committee on Pediatric Emergency Medicine to provide comments on official Academy policies in these areas. Membership in the Section is open to all Fellows, Post-Residency Training Fellows, Candidate Fellows, Honorary Fellows, Emeritus Fellows, Life Fellows, Dual Fellows, and Resident Fellows of the Academy with an interest in Pediatric Emergency Medicine. The Section has also developed criteria for Specialty Fellowship and Affiliate membership. An applicant must meet certain criteria, as approved by the Board of Directors, in order to join. Section membership continues to grow and is currently over 1,000. The annual dues are $40 for Fellows and $15 for Resident Fellows. The Section on Emergency Medicine holds two organizational meetings each year; one at the Academy's National Conference & Exhibition and one in the spring. The Section conducts an annual business meeting in conjunction with the National Conference & Exhibition, and provides two days worth of programming including scientific abstract presentations and two 3-hour segments on current issues in the field.

The Section on Emergency Medicine has liaison relationships with three AAP national committees which include the Committee on Coding and Nomenclature, Injury and Poison Prevention, and Pediatric Emergency Medicine. The liaison members to these committees attend both the committee meeting and the executive committee meeting to disseminate information on how the Section and the committees can work collaboratively. The Section also works collaboratively with outside medical specialty societies such as the American College of Emergency Physicians. The Section has further divided its executive committee into various subcommittees including collaborative research, fellowship, administration/practice guidelines, pediatric emergency medicine in non-pediatric settings, and emergency medical services for children. The Section publishes a biannual newsletter which contains reports on these various subcommittees as well as reports from the executive committee and staff. In addition, the Section sponsored an intensive review course in emergency medicine, PREP-EM, in 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2002. The next PREP-EM course will be held August 8-11, 2004. Leadership retreats were presented by the section in 1987, 1995, 1997,and 2003. In addition to the above mentioned activities, the Section also presents a distinguished service award, recently renamed the Jim Seidel Distinguished Service Award, every other year to a member of the Section who demonstrates exceptional leadership in the section and the field. In addition, the Section sponsors an annual $10,000 Ken Graff Young Investigator Award to support new research. Finally, the Section recognizes the achievements of the scientific abstracts that are submitted for presentation at the National Conference & Exhibition by presenting "Best Paper Awards,""EmergiQuiz Awards," and the Willis Wingert Award for the Best Fellow or Resident presentation.

For a detailed history of the Section on Emergency Medicine (SOEM) and the Committee on Pediatric Emergency Medicine (COPEM), please click here.