Curriculum
Year 1
The focus of the first year is on gaining the knowledge and skills needed to perform as a team leader in the ICU, on the Pulmonary Consult service, and as primary pulmonologist to patients in the ambulatory setting.
The first-year rotations are organized in a block model including ICU and inpatient consultative rotations, sleep clinic, and six 2-week ambulatory blocks (unique among Pulmonary/Critical Care Fellowship Programs).
A unique component of our fellowship training, fellows on ambulatory block provide care for patients in their general pulmonology continuity clinic, learn one-on-one from experts in sub-specialty areas of pulmonary medicine, and gain hands-on procedural experience by working with IP faculty. In addition to growing trainee knowledge and ability to care for the broad array of pulmonary diseases, this multi-faceted experience lays the foundation for academic and career planning.
Year 2
Second year is a year of exploration, with ample time to participate in research (basic, translational, educational, or QI), to deepen clinical exposure, and to focus on career planning.
As a T32 NIH training grant recipient for over 30 years, our PCCM division is committed to providing the time, tools, and mentoring required to launch a research career. We help set up mentoring and research committees to ensure fellows are productive and prepared to present at the American Thoracic Society conference in the spring. There is also opportunity to pursue further training in areas of education, administration, or research at one of the University’s graduate schools.
Fellows maintain their clinical acumen by:
- Rotating as senior fellow on the Consult service and the Medical ICU
- Rotating through our medical-surgical ICU at our community hospital (FF Thompson hospital)
- Directing the fully-staffed nighttime ICU team
- Honing procedural skills by working with IP faculty on advanced interventional techniques such as endobronchial balloon dilation, ablative therapies (cryotherapy and argon plasma), airway stenting, and endobronchial valve placement.
- Maintaining their ambulatory continuity clinic
Year 3
Third year of fellowship is a hybrid of clinical work and scholarship. Fellows jump back into the MICU, serving as “pre-Attending” by running rounds, supervising residents, and conducting family meetings, all under the supervision of Intensivist Faculty. They also “pre-attend” on Pulmonary Consults and continue to perform complex procedures. They gain additional experience in non-medical ICUs depending on their career goals/interests. They return to subspecialty clinics for a more focused exposure and continue to see their own continuity clinic patients.
In addition to core rotations, fellows elect a variety of other clinical experiences based on career goals.
Finally, third year fellows wrap up scholarly projects with the goal of publishing in a peer-reviewed journal and, for many, of applying for funding for future research. Fellows interested in research-based career paths can choose to continue on for a fourth year, as junior faculty with protected time for research.
Of course, fellowship comes with its share of demands and long hours, but the supportive environment at the University of Rochester has made it manageable. Faculty guidance and peer support have been crucial in navigating the complexities of fellowship training. This program cultivates a culture where fellows encourage to help one other and learn from each other's intriguing cases, something I deeply appreciate."