Curriculum

The twelve-month curriculum for the CVICU Fellowship is designed to combine didactic lectures and clinical experience in Cardiology and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. There is a set curriculum; however, schedules can be individualized based on particular experiences or interests of specific candidates. The fellow will work closely and have direct supervision by faculty members in Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Medicine, Cardiology, and Cardiothoracic Surgery.

As the fellow progresses through the training experience,  they assume graduated authority and increasing responsibility for patient care. The fellow directs the plan of care for patients with the supervision of the CVICU faculty and performs invasive procedures, including airway management with endotracheal intubation, thoracentesis and thoracotomy tube placement, insertion of invasive monitoring lines, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and cardioversion. Once a fellow has demonstrated sufficient competence, functions as a licensed independent practitioner; however, Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Medicine faculty members shall be available twenty-four hours a day to provide continuous supervision and consultation as needed. Outside of the confines of the CVICU (e.g., the cardiac catheterization lab, echocardiography lab, or cardiovascular operating rooms), the fellow takes part directly in procedures performed under the supervision of attending physicians to learn the necessary skills. In these settings, however, the fellow shall not function as an independent practitioner.