Training is offered to physicians who have successfully completed their residency training and desire advanced training in pediatric critical care. It is our goal for all trainees to become board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, Sub-board of Critical Care Medicine, and to practice full-time as academic pediatric critical care specialists.

The trainee is expected to develop maturity of judgment in administrative areas, as well as clinical management of patients. With the attainment of both manual skills and clinical judgment, the trainee will become progressively independent. However, at no time on any service will the trainee be expected to take the place of the attending physician. The fellow is there as a trainee and not an individual to do the work of and for the attendings. When on clinical service, there will be a great deal of bedside management of patients, which will probably occupy the major portion of the trainee's time during the day and frequently at night. The program in turn is fully compliant with the ACGME recommendations for fellow work hours, and we are committed to ensuring that the fellows work no more than 80 hours per week with at least one day off in seven as well as leaving "post-call" by noon. In order to achieve this we have a large practice of critical care nurse practitioners as well as a senior back-up call system for junior fellows.

• There is an extensive didactic teaching schedule within the section, the Department of Pediatrics, and the University. The section's weekly physiology conferences are designed around a core curriculum that covers all knowledge points required by the Sub-Board of Critical Care Medicine. In addition, the weekly research conference allows fellows and faculty to update the division on their ongoing basic science and clinical investigative interests.  Conferences provide a core of information that the trainee needs to initiate a career in pediatric critical care medicine. In addition to these conferences, there are monthly mortality review, peer review, trauma peer review, and transport peer review conferences.

• The UT Southwestern Medical Center campus provides an array of conferences and lectures which are open to PICU fellows, including pediatric, surgery, and internal medicine grand rounds, surgical research conferences, trauma conferences, and anesthesia grand rounds and teaching conferences. A wide range of research conferences emphasizing the molecular, cellular and physiologic mechanisms of disease is also offered throughout the campus.

• Formal courses in intubation, ECMO, PALS, high frequency ventilation and nitric oxide are given by the Critical Care Division, and all fellows are expected to take, and demonstrate proficiency in, these courses.

Through attendance at the above listed regular meetings, trainees will be exposed to the various aspects of administration, equipment and nursing that will enable him/her to participate in the management of a multidisciplinary critical care unit.

Fellow Requirements

•      Conferences: During the 3-year training period, fellows are not only expected to present at the following conferences, but will need to maintain an overall 75% attendance record.

1. Present at noon conference
2. Present at research and physiology conferences
3. Present research at national meetings

•      In Service Exam: Fellows are required to complete a yearly in-service exam in pediatric critical care medicine. This exam serves as a valuable self-assessment of preparedness for the board exam in pediatric critical care medicine, which is highly demanding.

Reading:

A CCM section library of basic physiology and anatomy textbooks, in addition to texts of pediatric intensive care, trauma, pediatric anesthesia, respiratory disease and pediatric cardiology is available. In addition, among the various attendings every major pediatric, medical, anesthesia, cardiology, respiratory and intensive care journal is available.

Library facilities: There is an extensive library on the campus at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. In addition, there is a smaller library at Children's Medical Center and separate libraries in the departments of pediatric cardiology and critical care medicine.

Complete description of 2008-2009 Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship Goals & Objectives