Pediatric Neurocritical Care Fellowship Program

The Pediatric Neurocritical Care Fellowship Program is a one year clinical fellowship position with the goal of developing specialty training in pediatric neurointensive care for board-certified/eligible pediatric intensivists and child neurologists.

• Each year up to one trainee will be accepted for the Critical Care track, designed for intensivists (start date early July).
• Each year up to one trainee will be accepted for the Neurology track, designed for child neurologists (start date early July).

Program leadership

• Program Director, Neurocritical Care Fellowship — Critical Care Medicine: Alexis Topjian, MD, MSCE
• Program Director, Neurocritical Care Fellowship — Neurology: Rebecca Ichord, MD
• Division Chief, Critical Care Medicine: Robert A. Berg, MD
• Division Chief, Neurology: Brenda Banwell, MD

Program goals

The goals of this fellowship are to provide:

1. Expertise in the understanding, monitoring and management of primary and secondary neurologic injuries affecting critically ill children.
2. Education in neuroimaging interpretation
3. Training in EEG monitoring and interpretation.
4. Training in advanced neuromonitoring techniques and real time interpretation
5. Exposure to interventional neuroradiology
6. Exposure to adult neurointensive care.
7. Experience in the diagnosis and management of neurosurgical conditions, including intraoperative and perioperative care.

Eligibility

Critical Care Track — Candidates must have successfully completed a residency in pediatrics and fellowship in pediatric critical care and be board eligible/certified.

Neurology Track — Candidates must have successfully completed a residency in child neurology and be board eligible/certified.

Accreditation

This is a non-ACGME accredited position. There is no board certification following the completion of this one year fellowship.

• Electrophysiology: 4 weeks
• Neuro ICU consult (includes PICU, CICU, NICU): 20 weeks
• Neuroradiology/Interventional Neuroradiology: 1 weeks
• Adult Neuro ICU (HUP): 6 weeks
• Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU): 1 week
• Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU): 8 weeks
• Pediatric Neurosurgery: 2 weeks
• Palliative Care Team: 1 week
• In-Patient Rehabilitation Medicine Consult: 1 week
• Outpatient ICU follow-up clinic & related multidisciplinary specialty clinics: 1-2/month. These will include, but are not limited to, sessions in the Pediatric Stroke Clinic, Physical Medicine/Rehabilitation Clinics, Neurosurgery, Pediatric Regional Epilepsy Program Clinic and Neurocardiac Clinic
• Research: 4 weeks
• Vacation: 4 weeks

The fellow will participate in all didactic conferences within the Division of Critical Care Medicine, and may additionally attend conferences within the Division of Neurology that pertain to material clinically related to critical care.

Trainees will have the access to faculty who are funded in basic science, translational and clinical research focused on acute primary and secondary neurologic injuries, neurologic monitoring and neurologic protection. We will work with the candidate to find research opportunities during the annual year. Additional years of research training are available if the trainee secures external or internal grant funding. Potential sources include institutional T-32 funds and national K-12 funding for initial inquiry.

Applications must be received by June 30 to be considered for the July start date of the following year (at least 13 months in advance). The application will be reviewed by the combined Neurocritical Care Fellowship leadership with input from both specialties.

Application materials and process includes:

• Common CHOP application
• Three (3) Letters of Reference (LORs)
• Dean’s letter aka Medical School Performance Evaluation (MSPE )
• Medical School Transcript
• Current Curriculum Vitae
• Personal Statement
• Photograph
• USMLE Parts 1, 2 CK, 2CS & 3 score transcript(s) OR COMLEX Level 1, 2CE, 2PE and 3 OR MCCQE Parts I and II
• ECFMG Certification if graduated from a medical school outside the U.S., Canada, or Puerto Rico
• Visa documentation if not a citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. (Copy of current visa, Permanent Resident Card)
• Interview with committee
• The education coordinator will inform each applicant of decisions regarding whether and when an interview will be granted. The program director will communicate with applicants who are interviewed regarding the final decision of the fellowship committee on their application.

Application materials for the critical care track should be submitted via email to Alex May.

Application materials for the neurology track should be submitted via email to Ashley Rees-Jones.

Tobacco-free hiring policy

To help preserve and improve the health of our patients, their families and our employees, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has a tobacco-free hiring policy. This policy applies to all candidates for employment (other than those with regularly scheduled hours in New Jersey) for all positions, including those covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Job applicants who apply after July 1, 2014 will be expected to sign an attestation stating they’ve been free of nicotine or tobacco products in any form for the prior thirty (30) days. They will also undergo a cotinine test as a part of the Occupational Health pre-placement drug screen administered after the offer of employment has been accepted but before the first day of hire.

Exemptions: Attending physicians (excluding CHOP physicians in the Care Network), psychologists, principal investigators and/or Penn-based faculty are exempt from this process to better align with our colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.

Fellowship directors

Alexis Topjian, MD, MSCE
Phone: 215-590-3915
Email: topjian@email.chop.edu

Rebecca Ichord, MD
Phone: 215-590-4142
Email: ichord@email.chop.edu

Program Coordinator

Alexandria May
Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, Program Coordinator
Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
3401 Civic Center Boulevard
Wood Building; Suite 6025
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4399
Phone: 267-426-2958
Fax: 267-426-5574
Email: maya2@chop.edu

Ashley Rees-Jones
NCERT Program Coordinator
Program Coordinator-Neurology Center for Education, Research and Training
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
3501 Civic Center Boulevard
Colket Translational Research Building; Office 1200.12
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4399
Email: reesjonesa@chop.edu