Curriculum

Clinical Training

Clinical training is provided at the University of Virginia Medical center. ICU rotations will include the Neuro ICU, Medical ICU, Surgical/Trauma/Burn ICU, Coronary Care unit and the Cardiothoracic and Vascular post operative ICU. In addition there are rotations in airway management, EEG, Stroke, Neuro-interventional, and Neuro-anesthesia. The options for elective rotations will be selected by the fellow and fellowship director based on individual needs and interests.

Procedures

Fellows are trained to perform core critical care bedside procedures including: placement of central lines, arterial lines, hemodialysis catheters, lumbar punctures, diagnostic and theraputic bronchoscopy, airway management and intubation, surgical airway management (including percutaneous tracheostomies), pig-tail thoracostomy placement and thoracentesis, critical care bedside ultrasound, as well as the potential to learn other procedures if the fellow chooses (for example some fellows chose to learn how to place PEG tubes and DVT ultrasounds).

Didactics

Daily didactic sessions are given by the attending physicians, nurse practitioners, and fellows for residents, students and fellows. As part of this program, fellows participate in developing the NNICU curriculum for the rotating residents and each fellow will have specific topics that he/she will be assigned each month. In addition, fellows attend a weekly fellow-level lecture every Thursday given by attendings in the ICU as well as guests from other services. The didactic curriculum covers a large range of topics that prepare fellows to become well rounded intensivists, with numerus core critical care/neurocritical care lectures and case conferences and journal clubs, as well as procedures (airway management, central lines, a-lines, pig tail chest tubes, LPs, bronchoscope, continuous EEG monitoring, and Bedside Ultrasound). Fellows attend NNICU administrative meetings and have informal administrative education throughout the fellowship. They will also choose a quality improvement project and work with a mentor and a committee of physician, nurses, pharmacists, and therapy staff.

Block Schedule Examples

Two-Year Fellowship

 

One-Year Fellowship

* Independent work time can include research, administrative duties, or other educational opportunities.

** The fellows have the opportunity to round as independent attending physicians on some of the NNICU weeks on their second year rotations (with supervision from an NNICU Attending Physician).

*** Elective rotations vary and will be customized to each fellow differently in order to help them build their future career. They can include but are not limited to the following: Surgical/Trauma/Burn ICU, Coronary Care unit, Thoracic/Cardiovascular Post-Operative ICU, Intermediate Care Unit, Neurosurgery and/or Neuroanesthesia, and Respiratory Therapy.