Emergency Simulation Fellowship

The RUSH University Department of Emergency Medicine Simulation Fellowship provides a one-year immersive experience in simulation-based medical education for graduates of 3- or 4-year Emergency Medicine Residency programs. The fellow is integrated in a critical teaching role for the RUSH Emergency Medicine Residency, which has been built with an emphasis on developing resuscitation specialists during simulation first. Graduates will be prepared to launch their career in academic Emergency Medicine with the skills to become simulation directors, center directors and expert debriefers.

Our 12-month curriculum includes monthly didactic sessions in collaboration with Chicago Simulation programs, which focus on resident, faculty and medical student simulation considerations; interprofessional simulation; global health simulation; EMS; Surgical and Anesthesia Simulation; and many other topics. Fellows will develop a strong foundation in medical education theory and practice. By the end of the fellowship, you will be well-prepared to take the Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator Exam offered by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.

Each fellow will select a simulation-based education program or question to study, such as the following:

• Developing, piloting and evaluating a new simulation-based educational program
• Evaluating an existing simulation-based education program for quality improvement and publication
• Comparing different simulation-based education programs using alternative instructional or assessment methods
• Gathering evidence for the validity of an simulation-based education program assessment or clinical skills procedural assessment

Fellows benefit from weekly mentorship and supervision activities; have access to resources to help you finish their scholarly project within the fellowship’s one-year time frame; and are encouraged and supported to share their research in the form of posters, presentations, and publications. Fellows are encouraged to participate in national organizations related to simulation including the Society for Simulation in Healthcare and the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Simulation Academy.

Fellowship Time Commitment

Each new fellowship year begins in July with an orientation followed by immediate immersion as faculty in our resident orientation simulation curriculum. Fellows are considered half-time employees of RUSH University Medical Center who receive full benefits and work about eight shifts per month in RUSH’s Emergency Department. Fellows are expected to spend approximately 20 hours per week on development of simulation materials, debriefing simulation events, auditing various programs in the Simulation Center or with clerkships, and developing your research project from IRB to publication. Family leave time is available and encouraged.

Application Process

You must submit a letter of intent, a brief personal statement, your curriculum vitae and three letters of recommendation to Sara Hock, MD, at sara_hock@rush.edu. Interviews will be scheduled after the applications have been reviewed. If you have interest, please reach out in advance to discuss our program and see if we might be the right fit for you.