Curriculum

We offer fellows four major types of experiences:

• Clinical: As part of the trauma team, fellows and Pediatric Emergency Medicine faculty provide 24-hour supervision in CHKD's Emergency Department.
• Teaching: Fellows teach residents and students, gaining practice in lecture design and delivery.
• Administrative: Fellows are involved with day-to-day administrative operations and participate as active members of hospital committees.
• Research: Following a first-year research boot camp, fellows design and execute one or more independent research projects suitable for publication or presentation.

Our program provides early exposure to research methodology and access to research support staff. This affords fellows the resources to successfully complete one or more scholarly projects during their training period. Fellows also receive clinical autonomy during their training which assures their ability to independently staff a high-volume pediatric emergency department immediately after graduation.

First-year fellows

Attend a two week introductory course to assist in transitioning you to become an Emergency Medicine physician. This includes information on emergency ultrasound, emergency medicine procedures and training in advanced trauma procedures. Fellows should expect six months during their first year to be spent working primarily in the Emergency Department and one month to be dedicated to research. 

The core off-service clinical rotations for the first year are listed below:

• Trauma
• Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and critical care transport 
• Adult emergency medicine 
• Anesthesia
• Orthopedic surgery and sports medicine

In addition, fellows participate in lecture series, PALS teaching courses, mock-code scenarios, weekly fellows conferences and scheduled journal clubs.

Second- and third-year fellows

The goal is for fellows to complete all core clinical skill rotations while expanding proficiency as teachers and researchers. Fellows will expand their administrative exposure by participating as members of the department's educational committee and resuscitation outcomes committee. Our second-year fellows participate in a three-day national ultrasound course to refine their skills.

Clinical rotations in the second year include: 

• Adult emergency medicine 
• Toxicology at Blue Ridge Poison Center 
• Ultrasound

Fellows receive ample time to complete a research project, which should be ready for submission for presentation at a national meeting by the middle of the third year. Fellows are also expected to present their research at a departmental conference.

Required two-week clinical rotations in the third year include:

• Child abuse and maltreatment or Community emergency medical services
• Procedural and deep sedation

Our third-year fellows participate in an emergency procedure cadaveric course and also receive full funding to participate in a weeklong sponsored medical mission trip.

Electives

• Adolescent medicine
• Cardiology
• Dentistry 
• Dermatology
• ENT
• Infectious disease
• International medicine
• Neurology
• Neurosurgery 
• OB/GYN
• Ophthalmology pediatric surgery 
• Plastic Surgery 
• Pulmonology 
• Transport and emergency medicine services
• Ultrasound
• Wilderness medicine (at Blue Ridge Poison Center)

These electives allow fellows to spend 8-12 hours per week working clinically in the Emergency Department. Electives not listed can be added with the consent of the fellowship director. 

Certifications offered during fellowship include:

• Basic Life Support
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support
• Advanced Trauma Life Support
• American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) Pediatric Certification
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support

Advanced degrees and certificates

During fellowship, our trainees have the option to enroll in one of the following online degree tracks or certificate programs at no additional cost to the fellow:

• Master of Medical and Health Professions Education (EVMS)
  • For future academic leaders of graduate or undergraduate medical education or future residency and fellowship directors
• Master of Public Health in Public Health Practice (UMass Amherst)
  • For future leaders in global health or population-based health or future researchers looking to explore clinical research methodology
• Master of Health Administration (Ohio University)
  • For future business leaders in medicine or future healthcare or hospital administrators
• Certificate in Global Health (Johns Hopkins)
  • For future leaders in humanitarian health efforts and healthcare in developing nations