Curriculum

Academic Program

The Fellow must have at least 9 months in designated critical care rotations. There are mandatory rotations in the MCP-ICU (2), Hahnemann University Hospital ICU (1), Neurosurgery (1), Cardiothoracic Surgery (1), MCP-MICU (1), and Transplantation (1).

There are 2 electives for the remaining critical care months. These may be selected from Toxicology, CCU, Pediatric ICU, Nephrology, Infectious Disease, Pulmonary, or Trauma.

The remaining three months are also electives that may be selected from any of the above rotations, but also include: research (clinical or basic science) and the Mercy Hospital ICU (mixed med-surg). Basic science research will require advance preparation for the laboratory as well as the selection of a research advisor.

Conferences

The educational program offers to the Surgical Critical Care Fellow both hands-on learning and didactic instruction. This instruction is grounded in a formal educational program, which emphasizes the basic science foundations and a logical approach to surgical critical care.

GRAND ROUNDS
Grand Rounds are held on Tuesday mornings at 7 a.m. at MCP Hospital’s Kaiser Auditorium. This conference is organized and managed by the residents. The format is case presentations followed by questions posed to the faculty regarding case management.

VISITING PROFESSORS
Periodically, Visiting Professors are invited as guests of the Chair. These distinguished individuals are nationally and internationally known surgeons with fields of interest representing the scope of general surgery and its specialties.

MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY
Each hospital in the residency program conducts a weekly M&M Conference. Constructive discussion about potentially avoidable complications remains a cornerstone of the educational program.

ICU CONFERENCE
There are no current scheduled didactic conferences. An integrated didactic series with the medical ICU team as well as the Emergency Department Divisions of Critical Care and Toxicology is under development as a multi-disciplinary didactic series. Participation in the existing Department of Surgery didactic conferences in expected.

Evaluations

FELLOWSHIP EVALUATION SYSTEM
Faculty members on a given service are asked to evaluate fellow’s performance at the end of the rotation. Evaluations serve as a basis for the biannual review of each fellow’s performance. Potential problems are identified and referred to the program director as they arise.

ROTATION EVALUATION SYSTEM
Fellows evaluate each rotation anonymously. The accumulated database has proven valuable in helping to make the changes necessary to provide more comprehensive and resident-friendly environment.

BIANNUAL MEETINGS WITH THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Each fellow in the program meets individually with the program director at least twice annually. In addition to reviewing performance evaluations, these meetings also provide each fellow an opportunity to discuss professional and personal development and to obtain feedback regarding performance.

FELLOW SUPPORT PROGRAM
The Department of Surgery possesses a deep commitment to the fellow’s education and well being. Recognizing that training can be stressful, support systems have been created to ease the process of training. Our program encourages counseling for stress-related issues.