Education Curriculum
A robust, structured didactic curriculum is offered to create a rich educational environment, including lectures, selected readings, hands-on courses, journal club and M&M conference. Fellows are required to attend a didactic series of lectures given by SNICU staff as well as local and national experts in critical care. Fellows lead SNICU/CVICU M&M and SNICU/CVICU Journal Club monthly, and are expected to attend Department of Surgery M&M as well as Acute Care Surgery Journal Club and Acute Care Surgery Research meetings.
Fellows will also participate in providing a Grand Rounds presentation for the Department of Surgery. Fellows are part of the SNICU management meeting along with all staffs involved in ICU patient care to discuss the operational business of the ICU and the issues related to patient care.
Academic Texts
There is a wide variety of texts provided to the Surgical Critical Care fellow including the Department of Anesthesia Library and the University of Iowa Hardin Medical Library. In addition, there is a well-developed internet library of electronic textbooks and journals available at every computer within the SNICU. Also in the SNICU, there are a total of 127 titles as well as 13 journal subscriptions.
Fellow Duties
Ultrasound Course
The fellows will participate in a 2-day ultrasound course hosted by the University of Iowa.
Regional/National Conferences
The fellowship program sponsors attendance at one critical-care related meetings which could include EAST, Mattox TCCACS and Society of Critical Care Medicine annual meeting. In addition to attending a meeting, the program will provide a critical care textbook such as Surgical Critical Care and Emergency General Surgery.
Inservice Exam
Fellows take the SCCM MCCKAP exam annually.
Ecmo Elective Rotation
For fellows with an interest in ECMO, we have developed an experience that continues throughout their year of training. Early in the fellowship year, there is a formal didactic program that will introduce them to the physiology and management of ECMO patients. Throughout the year, they may participate in ECMO call, evaluating and managing patients requiring veno-venous (V-V) and veno-arterial (V-A) ECMO support. Participating fellows will also participate in the quality improvement process, helping review indications and complications at our regularly scheduled ECMO Conference.
Additional Training offered at the University of Iowa
- Fundamentals of Critical Care Support (FCCS) Course
- Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Course
- Advanced Trauma Operative Management (ATOM) Course
- Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma (ASSET) Course
Schedule Requirements
As required by the ACGME, all trainees will spend at least 8 blocks in the SNICU, and then rotate to other intensive care units which provide extended educational experiences suited to the need of the fellow. Each trainee will be required to complete a minimum of 10 blocks of time in the critical care setting, 2 blocks of time in elective unit, with one block of time reserved for vacation (3 weeks) and meetings (1 week).
In addition to the SNICU, other ICU rotations include: MICU, PICU, NICU, and CVICU.
Elective rotations include: Burn, Infectious Disease Consults, Pulmonary/Bronchoscopy, ECHO Lab, Nephrology Consult, Trauma, Emergency General Surgery, Anesthesia, Vascular Lab and Research.
Sample Block Schedule
Each Block = 4 Weeks
| Block | Rotation |
|---|---|
| Block 1 | SNICU |
| Block 2 | Trauma/Burn |
| Block 3 | SNICU |
| Block 4 | MICU |
| Block 5 | SNICU |
| Block 6 | PICU |
| Block 7 | SNICU |
| Block 8 | SNICU |
| Block 9 | SNICU |
| Block 10 | SNICU |
| Block 11 | SNICU |
| Block 12 | ECHO Lab |
| Block 13 | VAC |
Fellow Academic Projects
Scholarly activity is actively encouraged for fellows in the Surgical Critical Care Fellowship program. A number of research projects are currently in progress within the Acute Care Surgery Division, and a requirement for each fellow in the program is to complete at least one academic project through research or quality improvement to be presented towards the completion of training. Fellows are also asked to participate in presenting a Department of Surgery Grand Rounds.
Research & Scholarly Activity by Surgical Critical Care Fellows:
- Abdominal Compartment Syndrome
- 2021-2022 Pentobarbital Coma Quality Improvement Project
- UIHC Rib Fracture Protocol
- ICU Quick Reaction Checklist (QRC) Guide