Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship

Fellowship Goals & Objectives

Understanding the basic sciences, including anatomy, physiology, genetics, biochemistry, and pharmacology as applied to the practice of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine is a part of ongoing dynamic curriculum. Teamwork utilizing other medical/non-medical services, as well as specialty consultants, is stressed. All Fellows are appropriately prepared for the Sub-specialty Board Examination and are capable of undertaking academic/clinical positions as Pediatric Intensivists.

Fellows are expected to demonstrate competence in teaching (including teaching nurses, medical students, pediatric residents, other sub-specialty residents and allied health care students) and to have the ability to produce independent research. Finally, exposure to Ethical issues as related to Pediatric Critical Care and participation in meetings of the Hospital's Bioethics Committee, is mandatory.

Fellows are expected to participate actively in a didactic curriculum offered by the division, which includes core lectures, journal clubs, case discussions, research seminars, and several mini symposia on ventilator management, ECMO, Apheresis, and biostatistics. Regular Board review courses prepare them for the certifying examination. Our Division also conducts annual board review courses. Our 2nd and 3rd year fellows are required to attend.

Research

Research training is an integral part of the Fellowship. In addition to the minimum 12 months of dedicated time for research, all Fellows have ample time and opportunity to pursue research activities during several clinical rotations. Fellows are expected to participate in a core curriculum of lectures in the basics of research, including study design, data analysis, and preparation of manuscripts and grants. There are opportunities for translational research (bench and animal laboratory) and/or clinical research. Presentations at national conferences are encouraged and facilitated.

Current Research in the Division

The Division of Critical Care Medicine (CCM) in Nicklaus Children's Hospital has conducted both basic and clinical research in various aspects of pulmonary critical care. Our Fellowship program requires participation of the Fellows in planning, performance, analysis and publication of research projects. To satisfy Board certification requirement, each Fellow also must, at least, submit one article to a Peer Reviewed Journal, as the first author. To facilitate this endeavor, the Division's Faculty, including the Attending Physicians, Scientists (a Ph.D. Physiologist, and a D. Pharm, Pharmacologist) provide mentorship and assistance in planning, execution, analyses and publication of the research data.

Fellows have ample opportunities to learn database analyses. The use of the Nicklaus Children's Hospital Pediatric Human Patient Simulator is also another option that has been used for ventilation studies at the Hospital.

Critical Care Transport

Nicklaus Children's Hospital's LifeFlight® critical care transport team provides transport of critically ill children from referring hospitals to Nicklaus Children's Hospital pediatric care units. In addition to ground ambulance transports, the LifeFlight program offers air transport via helicopters operated by PHI, Inc., one of the world's most experienced aircraft operators and the holder of a Part 135 Certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, and through contracted fixed-wing aircraft charters.* Fellows gain the experience of Transport Medicine in several ways during the three years of training including: functioning as a medical control physician; transporting patients while on-call as the "Transport Fellow"; and participating in related didactic activities.

* Nicklaus Children's Hospital is not a direct air carrier. Aircraft, both helicopter and fixed wing, are operated pursuant to contract with Nicklaus Children's Hospital, by companies which are FAA certificated.