Program Overview
The University of Virginia School of Medicine and the Department of Pediatrics have a long track record and commitment to training clinician investigators. Clinical training is based on 1:1 interaction with faculty and a “hands-on” approach to learning. During the research training portion of the program, fellows receive training in either basic science or clinical investigation (or both). Trainees interested in the clinical investigation may complete the 4th year of fellowship to complete a Master’s degree in the field of interest. Trainees working in basic science research may take coursework that complements their educational objectives and work closely with a primary mentor.
All trainees have a Scholarship Oversight Committee consistent with the ACGME/American Board of Pediatrics guidelines.
In order to ease the transition to fellowship from residency the first month of the first year, fellows undergo an orientation curriculum. Orientation includes a procedure boot camp, didactic sessions, simulations, an ECMO workshop, clinical shadowing, interaction with our Newborn Emergency Transport System team, buddy call nights with senior fellows, and social events.
- Supervise clinical care of NICU patients with attending guidance
- Assume an active role in the supervision and teaching of house staff, medical students, and nursing staff in the NICU
- Lead daily Intake Rounds each morning discussing new admissions and overnight events
- Perform or supervise clinical procedures and attend high-risk deliveries when special expertise is required
- Perform antenatal consultations
- Primary physician of ECMO cases performed in the NICU
- Organize and participate in neonatal and perinatal conferences
- Organize and dispatch the Newborn Emergency Transport Service team and participate in particularly complex transports
- Rotations in Maternal-Fetal Medicine (required) and the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (elective) are available.
- Pursue self-selected research project(s) with active guidance and mentoring from Neonatology faculty and clinical and basic science faculty outside the Division of Neonatology
- Required 2-week courses in statistics, epidemiology, and electives related to clinical or bench research to receive a certificate in clinical research
- Present at regional and national scientific meetings and generate at least one peer-revied publication of the scholarly project by the end of the fellowship
- Evaluate medical and developmental progress of infants discharged from the intensive care nursery
- Seen in conjunction with Developmental Pediatricians and Pediatric Occupational & Physical Therapists
- Fellows are scheduled for approximately 20 half-day clinics across the three years of fellowship
Fellows have an academic half-day on Thursdays during which faculty cover clinical duties. These half-days include didactic teaching, flipped classroom teaching, simulation and procedural workshops, and other divisional conferences listed below.
- Perinatology Rounds – Discuss upcoming high-risk deliveries and management of current inpatients
- Neuro-NICU Rounds – Multidisciplinary discussion with Neurology, Neurosurgery, Therapists, and NICU service of patients with neurological injuries. Also includes the monthly Neuroradiology Conference.
- Interdisciplinary Rounds – Clinical service team discusses inpatients with therapists, case managers, and social work
- Pediatric Grand Rounds (Sept – June)
- Fellows Forum (biweekly) – Professional development series for all fellows in the Department of Pediatrics
- Division Meeting (biweekly) – Discussions of clinical issues and management of the NICU
Monthly
- Journal Club – Fellow-led review of recent or sentinel publications in the field of Neonatology
- Morbidity, Mortality & Improvement – Fellow-led review of recent issues of care in the NICU often supported by Pediatric Pathologists
- Board Review – Attending-led discussion of Board-type questions
- Research in Progress – Discussion of current and potential clinical trials within the NICU
- Neonatology Morning Report – Join Department of Pediatrics faculty in resident-led case conference
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinical Case Conference – Multidisciplinary case conference with MFM
- Clinical case conference – Fellow-led discussion of recent interesting cases in the NICU. Consulting services also attend and teach.
- Unit Based Ethics Conference (quarterly) – Multidisciplinary conference facilitated by Medical Center Ethics team to discuss complex and difficult cases
- In-house call for fellows on a night-float system
- Chief scheduling fellow makes clinical schedule
- Supervise residents and advanced practice providers