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Applying for pediatric critical care fellowship in July, significant other has an opportunity in Houston, can anyone shed some light on the reputation/training at UT Houston for peds critical care?
Pediatric Critical Care
- Thread starter Carolinagirl007
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If it is terrible, would you leave your spouse for years?
The further I get into training, the less I think it matters. My residency program was at a community facility and fellowship is in an academic facility. My community residency wasn’t better or worse than the academic center it is just different but I can say my residency was better for me. Is my fellowship perfect? Nope. But it is good for me and my situation. And I know that it is what you put into it so I will graduate with everything I need.
That being said, I knew someone who trained down there and they mentioned it was good training. But do what is best for your family. At least in my opinion.
The further I get into training, the less I think it matters. My residency program was at a community facility and fellowship is in an academic facility. My community residency wasn’t better or worse than the academic center it is just different but I can say my residency was better for me. Is my fellowship perfect? Nope. But it is good for me and my situation. And I know that it is what you put into it so I will graduate with everything I need.
That being said, I knew someone who trained down there and they mentioned it was good training. But do what is best for your family. At least in my opinion.
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The ability of finding a job in critical care is mostly dependent on 1) do you have a skill set that sets you apart from the other many applicants, 2) is the division desperate enough 3) see #2
ie. Skill set > warm body >> understaffing
Program of training is irrelevant in that equation.
ie. Skill set > warm body >> understaffing
Program of training is irrelevant in that equation.
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I think the biggest thing is more what sort of research project are they going to push you towards. And what sort of apparatus do they have in place to get you there.
Everyone graduating from a PCCM program is expected to be able to run a code, manage critically ill patients, be procedurally sound. That sort of discrepancy in training in the basics is long, long gone. Maybe you'll get a better or worse cardiac experience, variable volumes in ECMO runs, and more or less neurocritical care specific training, but the rest should all be there in spades.
You want to make sure though that a program is going to push you through a project at a fellow level, is going to help you build some sort of niche, and hopefully put you in a situation that when you interview you can explain a roadmap to tenure, ideally with some sort of thought on where you might garner extramural funding. What you don't want is people who are going to let you get by with any sort of old project. I'm in a private practice group with no academic demands and we have passed quickly on candidates due to their research project...it's a kiss of death if people are asking how you got away with a project that is more in line with a medical student than a fellow. It raises questions about your ability to think critically and adapt to novel situations if you can't see that your project is limited in scope, impact, and execution.
Everyone graduating from a PCCM program is expected to be able to run a code, manage critically ill patients, be procedurally sound. That sort of discrepancy in training in the basics is long, long gone. Maybe you'll get a better or worse cardiac experience, variable volumes in ECMO runs, and more or less neurocritical care specific training, but the rest should all be there in spades.
You want to make sure though that a program is going to push you through a project at a fellow level, is going to help you build some sort of niche, and hopefully put you in a situation that when you interview you can explain a roadmap to tenure, ideally with some sort of thought on where you might garner extramural funding. What you don't want is people who are going to let you get by with any sort of old project. I'm in a private practice group with no academic demands and we have passed quickly on candidates due to their research project...it's a kiss of death if people are asking how you got away with a project that is more in line with a medical student than a fellow. It raises questions about your ability to think critically and adapt to novel situations if you can't see that your project is limited in scope, impact, and execution.
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I will say, just as a caveat, a vast majority of graduating following aren’t going to be applying for federal funding or be on a tenure track. In fact, in the past 7 years on faculty, I’ve seen 0 fellows (of 30 or so) go down that path.
A niche is important though if you want to differentiate yourself from the pack.
A niche is important though if you want to differentiate yourself from the pack.
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Thank you for your responses. Would you say all accredited programs have enough volume for a fellow to graduate confident? If not, how many admissions/yr do you think a unit needs to train fellows very well?
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You will get more or less the same clinical experience and skill attainment no matter where you go. The ACGME requirements are quite specific and in order for a program to be accredited, they need to demonstrate that they can fulfill those requirements. The fellow number is just a reflection of unit size. The only real downside to low fellow numbers is that you have less flexibility as far as trades and backup.
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You'll be able to take care of critically ill kids after just about any accredited fellowship. Your exposure and direct involvement in congenital heart disease may vary from program to program however, and I would ask about that during interviews. Are cardiac kids managed by cardiologists/cardiac fellows or PICU? Having a broad and involved cardiac exposure is good physiology and might open up some jobs in combined units later on.
