Key Academic Scholarly Activities
We offer a broad range of educational activities to support fellows in developing lifelong learning skills and preparing for independent practice. Fellows are provided one non-clinical day per month, in addition to protected academic time throughout the year, to participate in a variety of structured academic and educational experiences.
Fellow Orientation:
The fellowship begins with a five-day orientation, including two days of hands-on OR buddying. Fellows gain familiarity with system-based practices, including perioperative workflow, equipment, the pre-operative unit, and the post-anesthesia care unit, ensuring a smooth and confident start to clinical training.
Annual Fellows Boot Camp:
Every August, fellows participate in a two-day immersive Boot Camp featuring high-fidelity simulation and hands-on workshops. Key topics include regional anesthesia, difficult airway management, one-lung ventilation, point-of-care ultrasound, ultrasound-guided vascular access and disaster preparedness workshop.
Fellow Monthly Academic Day:
On the third Tuesday of each month, fellows participate in a full day of didactic sessions, workshops, high fidelity simulation training and debriefing sessions. These sessions focus on advancing knowledge through problem-based learning and are designed in alignment with the Society for Pediatric Anesthesiology (SPA) goals and objectives.
Departmental Journal Club:
Fellows participate in monthly Journal Club sessions, where they critically evaluate recent peer-reviewed research in pediatric anesthesiology. Each session, led by fellows with guidance from faculty experts, focuses on study design, methodology, statistics, and clinical relevance, fostering advanced critical thinking and translating research into evidence-based patient care.
Grand Rounds Series:
A weekly, CME-accredited Grand Rounds series, held every Thursday at 7:00 am, featuring presentations by nationally and internationally renowned physicians and scientists. These sessions provide expert-led discussions on clinical updates, research advances, and case reviews, fostering knowledge, critical thinking, and professional development for fellows.
Fellow Teaching Series:
Annual lecture to the PICU and the NICU fellows. Fellows choose educational topics from the ACGME Clinical Core Competencies to present each year to the Anesthesiology Residents during their Pediatric Anesthesiology rotation.
Oral and Written Board Exam Preparation:
Individual and group sessions with faculty, including ABA Examiners, starting from January onwards, that focus on the advancement of medical knowledge and exam-taking techniques in preparation for the ABA Applied Examination.
Pediatric ECMO Course:
A two-day immersive course, held every September, providing high-yield training on all key aspects of pediatric ECMO. Fellows gain hands-on experience and expert-led instruction covering patient selection, cannulation strategies, circuit management, troubleshooting, and perioperative care.
Pediatric Cardiovascular Anesthesia Conference
A monthly Pediatric Cardiovascular (PCV) anesthesiology faculty lectures designed to cover a broad range of pediatric cardiovascular anesthesiology topics facilitated by faculty and guest speakers.
Weekly Children’s Heart Institute (CHI) Cath Conference
Weekly Children’s Heart Institute (CHI) Grand Rounds
Scholarly Activities
Pediatric Sedation Seminar:
Fellows participate in a full-day Pediatric Sedation Seminar, engaging in both learning and teaching roles. The program includes academic sessions, high-fidelity simulation, and hands-on workstations, allowing fellows to develop expertise in pediatric sedation while also mentoring others in safe and effective sedation practices.
Fellow Involvement in Committees:
All fellows serve as members of the Fellowship Selection Committee, playing an active role in shaping the future of our program. In addition, fellows are encouraged to participate in the Department’s Quality Improvement Committee, contributing to initiatives that enhance patient care, safety, and departmental processes.
Disaster Preparedness Workshop:
An annual workshop led by a Special Interest Group (SIG) member from TSA or SPA, providing fellows with hands-on training and practical skills in disaster response and preparedness relevant to pediatric anesthesiology.
Opportunities in Research and Quality Improvement
Fellows are allowed opportunities to participate in QI initiatives, educational, outreach and research projects, with access to strong departmental support, mentorship, and opportunities for regional and national participation.
Clinical Research in Progress Seminar Series (C-RIP):
An hour-long presentation is held second Wednesday of each month by a faculty discussing a variety of research related topics ranging from navigating the peer review process and why research papers get rejected to presenting the prospective or retrospective researches proudly.
Grand Rounds at other fellowship programs:
We collaborate with Arkansas Children’s Hospital to have our fellow present Grand Rounds on interesting topics.
Surgical Services Safety Workshops:
The Solutions for Patient Safety (SPS) network collaboration among Children’s hospitals has led to the development of proven best practices. We, at Children’s Hospital Memorial Hermann Hospital holds an annual mandatory Surgical Services Safety Workshop to integrate error prevention practices into our culture and to discuss expected safety behaviors and practice behaviors for error prevention to provide safe care to our patients and families.