Rotations
Clinical rotations are designed to provide the optimal experience for the fellows with regards to operative case experience, autonomy in management, and exposure to faculty clinical expertise. Fellows lead a large clinical team typically consisting of a fourth-year resident, a third-year resident, a second-year resident, 3-4 interns, 2-3 medical students, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.
On any given day, the team manages 40-50 inpatients including 15-25 neonates. Fellows are expected to be the primary point of care for the service and responsibilities include evaluating patients, constructing their surgical and medical management plans, and developing collaborative relationships with consultants and other services within the hospital.
Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital (CMHH) is the primary teaching hospital for the service. This is a high volume program that consists of acute care general pediatric surgery, neonatal and pediatric critical care, pediatric trauma, pediatric burns and elective general pediatric surgery. Fellows are offered independence in the operating room, as deemed appropriate by the staff, as well as taking junior residents through cases. In addition, fellows gain additional exposure to complex pediatric surgical oncology at the Children’s Cancer Hospital at MDACC.
General pediatric surgery clinic is held daily throughout the week and fellow participation is expected at least once per week. In addition to daily general pediatric surgery clinic, several sub-specialty programs exist including oncology, colorectal, vascular anomalies, chest wall deformities, short-gut and intestinal rehabilitation, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, and high-risk neonatal care. Fellows are encouraged to participate in these subspecialty clinics to gain exposure to the breadth of outpatient pediatric surgery.
During the first year, fellows participate in core off-service rotations including Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. The second year consists of ten months as the senior pediatric surgery fellow at CMHH and MDACC and two elective months. Second year electives are chosen with the program director to enhance career interests and goals. In years past, senior fellows have rotated with pediatric urology, fetal surgery, pediatric CV surgery, pediatric CV anesthesia, pediatric intensive care unit, and ambulatory pediatric surgery. In addition, a research elective is available, however, there are no formal research requirements to graduate from the fellowship program. The pediatric surgical faculty are involved in basic science, clinical and health services research and fellows are welcome to participate in ongoing clinical projects during their fellowship.
There is an educational curriculum that includes weekly case conferences with various pediatric services, didactic fellows’ education conference, and morbidity & mortality conference.