Rush University Medical Center has launched a fully accredited Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Program, building on the strength of the Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the clinical and academic strength of the Division of Neonatology.
The new, ACGME-accredited fellowship program is designed for physicians who have completed a three-year residency in general pediatrics. The fellowship is seeking applicants to start in July 2020.
Rush University Medical Center offers a broad range of experiential clinical, research, teaching and leadership opportunities in neonatal-perinatal medicine, making the fellowship program ideal training for achieving excellence in all four domains. The state-of-the art NICU provides high-level, specialized family-centered care for premature and full-term infants, including high-frequency and NAVA ventilation, therapeutic hypothermia and ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) treatments.
“We are very excited about this new program. With a very strong clinical service, solid clinical, didactic and simulation-based training and a nationally and internationally-recognized research program we will provide fellows with solid training. We are confident that we will be ranked amongst the top 3 neonatal-perinatal fellowship programs in Chicago,” said Beverley Robin, MD, program director.
The Division of Neonatology has a long history of basic, clinical and translational research. In the past five years, the 11-member faculty has published 54 papers in peer-reviewed journals. Most notably, the innovative Rush Human Milk Research Program has garnered national and international acclaim for its translational studies of human milk and human milk feeding for preterm and high-risk infants.
The unique Fetal-Neonatal Medicine Center provides antenatal consultation for high-risk pregnancies, leading to approximately 120 NICU admissions annually. The High-Risk Follow-up Clinic treats approximately 500 infants a year, including very low birth weight infants infants who received therapeutic hypothermia and those with complex congenital heart disease.
Rush cares for infants and their families in a supportive, family-focused environment. For example, the Renée Schine Crown NICU is staffed with neonatologists, advance-practice nurses, neonatal nurses, respiratory therapists, nutritionist, social workers and pharmacists. The 60-bed single family room NICU provides parents 24/7 access to their infant, which promotes breast feeding and bonding. Rush has achieved the Baby-friendly designation and is a March of Dimes NICU Family Support site.
The robust fellowship curriculum is based on the ACGME’s six core competencies, with the majority of clinical responsibilities fulfilled in the first two years. The program has a strong focus on simulation-based education for procedural skill, clinical management and teamwork training. Fellows are required to participate in scholarly activity, and 16.5 months are dedicated to research. Additionally, fellows may choose to complete a master’s in Rush University’s Health Systems Management program (ranked No. 5 in that nation) or a master’s or doctorate in clinical research.
“We are proud to offer this new fellowship,” said Joy S. Sclamberg, MD. “With the commitment to translational research, simulation training and teamwork, the program promises to train physicians who will advance neonatal-perinatal medicine.”
Rush trains physicians in all major disciplines, with more than 640 fellows and residents across 70 specialties.