Saint Mary’s ED Physician Attains Toxicology Board Certification

Ryan Cole, M.D., received Board Certification in Medical Toxicology from the American Board of Emergency Medicine in November. 

Medical toxicologists are physicians who specialize in the prevention, evaluation, treatment and monitoring of injuries or illness from overdoses and exposures to poisoning whether from medication, plants or envenomation, or from chemical and hazardous material.

Toxicology is a niche specialty in the medical field. According to the National Institutes of Health, there are only several hundred board certified medical toxicologists in the United States. This rigorous board exam is conducted every two years.

“Before medical school I worked as a paramedic and ran a lot of overdoses. I always found those calls to be the most interesting. Toxicology combines a knowledge of physiology, pharmacology, and critical care, some of my favorite parts of medicine. Knowledge of history is also a major component, which another interest of mine,” said Dr. Cole. “Studying historical poisons, chemical weapons and toxicological disasters is a key component because while these things may not be common today, they are something that we need to know how to recognize, and treat, should they be encountered again.”

Dr. Cole says that having a toxicologist at the bedside is a huge benefit for patients. “My goal is to be able to see folks at the bedside and provide expertise in real time as opposed to playing a game of phone tag over the phone. Which, we are perfectly able to do, but there is a little extra that can be provided by doing the hands-on assessment of patients.”

“We are incredibly proud of Dr. Cole for attaining this Board Certification,” said Kent Burgwardt, D.O., Emergency Department Director, Saint Mary’s Hospital. “Having Dr. Cole on staff is like having our own Poison Control Center. It is a huge plus for patient care.”