Education

PEDIATRIC CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

EDUCATION

OUR PROGRAM

The University of Minnesota offers an ACGME accredited 3 year fellowship in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine.

OVERVIEW

The Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship at the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital is nationally recognized with the steadfast commitment of providing trainees with high quality, comprehensive training in preparation for academic careers in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine.

The fellowship program offers broad-based training in the practice of pediatric critical care medicine. Emphasis is placed on the stabilization and management of the critically ill child with acute single or multisystem organ failure due to cardiac, pulmonary, infectious, neurologic or traumatic illness. The PICU serves active programs in pediatric cardiac surgery, bone marrow and solid organ transplantation. Pediatric Critical Care fellows participate actively in the multidisciplinary teams responsible for the care of those patients.

The philosophy is to design a training program to achieve the specific career goals of each trainee under the mentorship of senior clinical and research faculty. We structure our training programs for our trainees to develop the necessary clinical, research, educational, and administrative skills to become clinician-educators and clinician investigators. These curricula may be adjusted somewhat to meet the needs of the individual. However, the overall goal of the program is to produce trainees who are leaders in academic pediatrics.

CLINICAL TRAINING

The PICU is a multidisciplinary facility with active programs in all aspects of pediatric medicine and surgery. The majority of clinical training is provided during the first year of fellowship. The clinical commitments during the second and third years of fellowship are reduced so fellows have ample time for pursuit of academic development and research. Fellows receive director supervision from the faculty and have an active role in all phases of patient care, teaching, and research. In addition, they receive concentrated clinical experience in anesthesiology, cardiology, interventional radiology, cardiology and have rotations at a trauma and burn center.

The PICU provides critical care services for very active programs in medicine, neurosurgery, general surgery, solid organ transplantation, craniofacial reconstruction, orthopedics, otolaryngology and trauma. In the CVICU fellows will care for the full spectrum of pediatric cardiac disease, including more than 200 postoperative patients per year following cardiopulmonary bypass, as well as patients requiring mechanical support including left ventricular assist devices, such as the Berlin Heart, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

EDUCATIONAL TRAINING

The educational training for fellows is comprised of clinical, didactic, and administrative based components. Fellows’ clinical training will be provided through close interaction with faculty during clinical rounds and at the bedside. Didactic sessions provide by the critical care faculty focus on areas relevant to the clinical practice of pediatric critical care. Fellows will also be provided with education in the areas of academic medicine such as scientific writing, grant preparation, presentation of scientific information, statistical analysis, peer review and ethical scientific conduct. The fellow-based component of the educational program is comprised of didactic lectures and journal club articles presented by the fellows and faculty. The purpose of these lectures, through meaningful feedback from faculty, is to help develop presentation and critical thinking skills necessary for all critical care physicians.

CURRENT FELLOWS

Gwen Fischer, M.D. (2009-2012)
Joey Rexine, M.D. (2010-2013)
Angela Noble, M.D. (2011-2014)

Information on policies and procedures for Graduate Medical Education and our program are available from the following links:
Institution Policy Manual (lists policies governing all of University of Minnesota GME)
Program Manual (Program Manual, Department of Pediatrics)
Fellowship Addendum (Pediatric Critical Care Medicine)
Goals and Objectives

FELLOWSHIP APPLICANTS
ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION

Eligible candidates must have an MD or DO degree and completed a three year General Pediatrics Residency Training Program in the US prior to the start of fellowship training. International Medical Graduates must have an ECFMG certificate and hold either U.S. permanent resident status or an appropriate visa (J-1).

For fellowships beginning in July 2012, all applications must be submitted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). First year fellowship positions are offered through the National Residency Matching Program, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine participates in the Pediatric Specialties Fall Match. For fellowships beginning July 2012, applications may be submitted starting on August 11, 2011, and all applications must be complete by October 15, 2010. Interviews are required, and will be offered only after an application is complete, including all letters of recommendation. Interviews will be offered beginning on August 15, 2011 and will be scheduled from August 15, 2011 through October 31, 2011 on a first-come, first-serve basis. Occasionally out-of-phase or transfer applicants may be considered.

APPLICATION MATERIALS
Completed application
Curriculum vitae
Personal Statement
Passport-size photograph
USMLE transcript
ECFMG certificate (for International Medical Graduates)
Letters of recommendation from residency training or later (3 required, at least one from an intensivist)

2011 SCHEDULE OF DATES FOR JULY 2012 FELLOWSHIP SPOTS
August 11 - Applicants begin to submit materials to ERAS 
August 11 - Program begins to receive applications through ERAS
August 15 - First interview offers are made
August 15 - Interviews begin 
Oct 15 - Deadline for submission of all application materials
Oct 31 - Last day of interviews
Nov 17 - NRMP Rank List deadline
Dec 1 - Match Day

CONTACT US

Fellowship Coordinator
Linda Linnerud
University of Minnesota
Department of Pediatrics
Division of Critical Care Medicine

Mailing Address:
East Building MB532
2450 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Email: linne009@umn.edu

Tel: 612.625.9950
Fax: 612.626.0413