HEARTS ECG Courses for Emergency Physicians
Sharpen your ECG interpretation skills with evidence-based courses designed for emergency physicians. Learn arrhythmia pitfalls and pearls, catch subtle Occlusion MI, and gain confidence applying ECG interpretation to a variety of emergencies on your next shift – all in a live, interactive, small-group format with CME credits.
Built by Emergency Physicians, for Emergency Physicians
The HEARTS ECG Course is a live, interactive medical education program designed for emergency and acute-care physicians who want to interpret ECGs with speed, accuracy, and confidence. Developed and taught by Toronto emergency physicians, our evidence-based approach has been published in the International Journal of Emergency Medicine (IJEM) and featured as a pre-conference course at the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) and the International Conference on Emergency Medicine (ICEM). Whether you are refining your core ECG skills or learning the latest on Occlusion MI (OMI), HEARTS gives you a systematic framework you can apply on your next shift.
Why Physicians Choose HEARTS
Detect Occlusion MI (OMI)
Shift your paradigm from STEMI to Occlusion MI, and learn the evidence-based advances to to catch subtle occlusion MI and reduce false-positive cath lab activations.
Learn Arrhythmia Pitfalls & Pearls
Learn how to recognize arrhythmias that won’t respond to standard ACLS protocols an that require other emergency treatment.
ECG-Guided Emergency Medicine
Build confidence applying ECG interpretation to a wide variety of emergencies, with a systematic approach and pearls to use on your next shift.
Small-Group, Live, Interactive, with CME credits
Earn CME credits while you work through real ECG cases in small, facilitated groups: active learning with expert feedback, not a passive lecture series.
What Physicians Learn in HEARTS ECG Courses
A curriculum of three inter-related courses designed around the high-stakes ECG decisions emergency physicians make every shift. Evidence-based, case-driven, and immediately applicable at the bedside.
Subtle Occlusion MI (OMI)
Evidence-based advances to identify the top 10 occlusions that STEMI criteria miss – including subtle inferior, posterior, or LAD occlusion, and occlusion in the presence of right or left bundle branch block
False-Positive STEMI
Identify the top 10 patterns of ST elevation without occlusion – including benign early repolarization, LVH, pericarditis, LBBB, paced rhythms, and LV aneurym.
Tachy-arrhythmias
A systematic approach to wide and narrow complex tachy-arrhythmias to differentiate when ACLS will work (eg VT, SVT) and when other treatments are required (eg AF/RVR, hyperkalamia)
Brady-arrhythmias
A systematic approach to bradycardias and blocks, to identify which require ACLS and which require other emergent treatments – including empiric calcium for hyperkalemia, or cath lab activation for ischemia.
Other emergencies
Wide variety of cases including Brugada, long-QT, HCM, PE, tamponade, sodium channel toxicity, hyper/hypokalemia, and ischemia.
Artifact and Lead Reversal
Identify ECG acquisition errors mimicking arrhythmias, infarct, Brugada and Wellens
Evidence-Based. Peer-Reviewed. Available on-line or in person
IJEM
Published approach in the International Journal of Emergency Medicine
CAEP
Pre-conference course for the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians
ICEM
Pre-conference course at the International Conference on Emergency Medicine
Accessible
Available virtually, as a pre-conference ourse, or organized for your local group
What Physicians Are Saying
“The OMI section alone changed how I read every ECG. I’ve caught three subtle occlusions in the past month that I would have missed under classic STEMI criteria.”
Emergency Physician
Community ED, Ontario
“The best ECG course I’ve taken in 15 years of practice. Evidence-based, immediately useful, and taught by physicians who actually work shifts.”
Staff Physician
Academic ED, Toronto
“Small groups, real cases, no fluff. I left with a framework I use every shift and a renewed confidence with wide-complex rhythms.”
Senior Resident
FRCPC Emergency Medicine
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are HEARTS ECG Courses for?
The course is designed for emergency physicians, senior residents, hospitalists, intensivists, and any acute-care physician who reads ECGs and makes time-critical decisions. We offer tracks for both experienced clinicians and those seeking a structured refresher.
Are the courses CME-accredited?
Yes. Three of our HEARTS ECG Courses (ACS, Arrhythmias, and Emergencies) are eligible for continuing medical education (CME) credits.
Are the courses offered online or in person?
Both. We run live virtual courses, or in-person pre-conference courses. Local courses can also be organized for your hospital, residency program, or emergency group.
What makes HEARTS different from other ECG courses?
ECG education is traditionally based on unreliable pattern recognition and passive learning. The content of HEARTS teaches a systematic approach to ECG interpretation that integrate the latest evidence-based advances. The format of HEARTS courses emphasizes active learning in a supportive environment, so you can learn through practice and get immediate feedback
How long are the courses and what is the time commitment?
Courses are 10 hours each. This starts with two hours of pre-course reading material to prime you for the course. Each course is 6-7 hours of interactive learning (in one day for the in-person courses, or split over two evenings for the virtual courses), followed by an hour of consolidation with further cases.
How do I register?
You can browse upcoming dates and enroll directly on the Courses page. Or contact us to organize a local course for your group.
Ready to Read Every ECG with Confidence?
Join a community of emergency physicians who trust HEARTS for evidence-based, clinically relevant ECG training. Enrollment is limited to keep groups small and interactive — reserve your seat today.
Based in Toronto. Courses delivered across Canada, the United States, and online.