Skip to main content
AAEM26 Main banner
Evaluation

Scientific Assembly

Track Session

Session: Session 319

MacGyver Moves for EM Docs: Simple Hacks That Make You Look Like a Pro

Tuesday, April 14, 2026
3:40 PM - 4:00 PM PT
Location: Cascade Ballroom I - 2nd Floor
CE: 0.25 CME Credit
Practice of EM

    Speaker(s)

  • Alexandra Ortego, MD (she/her/hers)

    Emergency Medicine Residency Program Director
    NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine
    Garden City, New York

    Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

Disclosure(s):
Alexandra Ortego, MD: No financial relationships to disclose
Emergency Medicine thrives on adaptability, resourcefulness, and creative problem-solving - and sometimes, the best solutions aren't in a textbook or a pre-packaged kit. This practical lecture will highlight some of the top "MacGyver" tricks of the trade used by emergency physicians to improvise, adapt, and overcome challenges in the ED.
From wound care to procedural and exam workarounds to quick fixes to everyday frustrations we’ll review low-cost, high-impact techniques that can save time, improve patient care, and keep your department moving. These are the tips you wish you'd learned earlier- gathered from fellow EM docs.

Learning Objectives:

  • Describe practical, low-resource techniques (“MacGyver tricks”) to troubleshoot common ED challenges
  • Recognize the value of creativity, adaptability, and critical thinking in high-acuity or resource-limited environments.