How are the applicants chosen for interviews?

Applications are reviewed by a group of faculty. Based on the strength of the candidate and their application materials, an interview is offered.

Can you describe a typical clinic day for your fellows?

Fellows generally show up at around 7:00am. Morning rounds start at 7:30 and are most often done by 9:30-10:00. Fellow lectures, journal clubs, morbidity and mortality conferences, etc. are from 10:00-11:00 several days per week. Afternoon/checkout rounds occur at 2:00pm and generally last one hour. After checkout rounds, the non-call fellows make sure any outstanding issues are taken care of and generally leave by 5:00pm.

Do you have an electronic record?

Yes, since November 2010 the University uses Epic for medical records, including documentation and orders.

Do fellows have an educational fund?

Yes. Fellows are allotted a fund of $2,400 to provide support for specific needs during the course of their training, including attendance at one national meeting (attendance at the Society of Critical Care Medicine’s annual meeting is highly encouraged).

What are your average duty hours?

Fellows average less than 60 hrs per week. Duty hours are tracked by MedHub.

Can you give me an overview of your clinical activities?

The fellowship is based in the Surgical and Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit (SNICU) and the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU). Fellows actively participate in the care of all patients in these units and are exposed to a broad and comprehensive patient base encompassing all aspects of critical care medicine. Experiences include, but are not limited to, complicated post-operative patients (solid organ transplant, heart and lung transplant, ventricular assist devices and total artificial heart, major vascular, etc.), neurological disease (stroke, intracranial bleed, neoplasm), trauma, respiratory failure/ARDS, cardiac failure and ischemia, liver and kidney dysfunction, and sepsis. The critical care service is responsible for all ventilator management, invasive monitoring, and coordination of care among the participating services. There is a particular emphasis on non-invasive cardiac output monitoring and procedural and diagnostic ultrasound.

How is fellow performance evaluated?

Faculty evaluate fellows quarterly using MedHub and the director meets semiannually, and as needed, with each fellow to review these evaluations and develop corrective strategies if indicated. The evaluations are based on the six ACGME core competencies. Nursing and other support staff also evaluate the fellows quarterly. These evaluations are also reviewed with the fellow during their semiannual meeting with the director.

Do fellows educate other trainees?

Yes. Residents of all training levels from multiple services rotate through the SNICU. In addition, the SNICU rotation is a popular elective among third and fourth year medical students. Fellows are encouraged to be active in both the clinical/bedside education of these learners as well as participating in didactic lectures to residents and medical students.