Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine Fellowship
The pulmonary/critical care fellowship is a three-year program allowing for one fellow each year (three ACGME approved fellowship positions).
Program Director
Craig Backous, D.O.
Core Curriculum
Three years (36 months)
- ICU - 10 months
- IMCU - Five months
- Pulmonary consult - 12 months
- Elective - Three months
- Cardiothoracic surgery - One month
- Pulmonary rehabilitation - One month
- Sleep medicine - One month
- Pulmonary function testing - Two months
- Research - One month
Procedures Performed
- Pulmonary function testing and inhalation challenge testing
- Cardiopulmonary exercise testing
- Fiber optic bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage and transbronchial and endobronchial biopsies
- Endobronchial ultrasound with transbronchial needle aspiration
- Ultrasound-guided thoracentesis
- Arterial puncture with cannulation
- Central venous catheter placement
- Pulmonary artery catheterization
- Ventilator management
- Pneumothorax management with needle insertion and small bore chest tube insertion
- Exam/interpretation of sputum, fluids and tissues
- Polysomnography interpretations
Ambulatory Clinic
Pulmonary/critical care fellows have access to the pulmonary rehabilitation program at Galter LifeCenter (Thursday afternoons) as well as the Erie Foster underserved clinic (Tuesday and Friday afternoons). Pulmonary fellows spend one half day per week in their respective clinic. Fellows will inherit a panel of patients from graduating fellows. New patients are also gained through referrals, emergency room follow-ups and inpatient admission follow-ups. As the fellow continues through training, a continuity panel is created for a comprehensive ambulatory experience.
Craig Backous>>
Erie Foster Avenue Health Center>>
Additional Resources
Fellows will also have access to the pulmonary function laboratory (in the Heart and Lung Institute), pulmonary rehabilitation (in the Galter LifeCenter) and the sleep laboratory (in the Sleep and Neurodiagnostic Center). Additionally fellows participate in a multidisciplinary thoracic tumor board once a month.
Cardiac Heart Services>>
Pulmonary Rehabilitation>>
Sleep and Neurodiagnostic Center>>
Galter LifeCenter>>
Lectures/Conferences
Fellows are provided five CME days and are encouraged to attend any conferences and board review courses that interest them. In the past, our fellows have attended CHEST and ATS as well as multiple local conferences. Additionally, fellows are provided a yearly $2,500 stipend for educational materials.
Research
The hospital has a medical library staffed on a full-time basis by Lizabeth Giese, MLS. Library services include mediated librarian and intersearches, medical and nonmedical reference information, specialized information gathering and bibliographic instruction. Reprints of journal and/or books that are not part of the library collection are obtainable through the library’s network and consortium memberships. The library currently has seven computers with internet access. The library data bases include OVID, MEDLINE and CINAHL, as well as internet and intranet access to EBSCOHOST. The library at Midwestern University located in Downers Grove is also available for personal on-site use and via internet connection.
Fellows are expected to complete one research project and submit one research paper to the ACOI Council on Education and Evaluation prior to the completion of their training
Faculty and the program directors are available as mentors for research projects. Throughout fellowship, an evidence-based medicine lecture series will be provided by Dr. Eric Gluck.
Contact Us
For more information, contact Bria Douglas, program coordinator, at
773-878-8200 ext. 5994 or BDouglas@schosp.org.
