The three year curriculum for trainees allows for the development of expertise in the care of the critically ill child and the use of cutting edge technology to deliver that care. Ample time for research is incorporated into the training program with the flexibility for the fellow to structure his or her time to accommodate specialized training in clinical or research areas of interest. The department of pediatrics offers a monthly conference series covering a wide range of topics relevant to all pediatric subspecialists including teaching skills, contract negotiation, medicolegal aspects of pediatric care among many others. Our divisional didactics include the following conferences.

Weekly morbidity and mortality conference:

In this conference all admissions to the ICU are reviewed with particular attention paid to elements of system based practice and practice based learning. A “case of the week” and “save of the week” are presented by the on service fellow and salient features are discussed. This is a multidisciplinary conference that includes our colleagues in other specialties, nursing, respiratory therapy social work, child life, pharmacology and others.

Monthly Management Conference:

This formal didactic series provides the divisional members the opportunity to prepare and discuss a clinical management controversy or issue. An extensive review of the literature is performed and evidence based recommendations for changes in management strategies are made and implemented. This conference promotes the essential skills of critical thinking, advancing one’s medical knowledge, practice based learning and systems based practice.

Monthly Research Conference:

In this forum fellows present their evolving scholarly activity to the members of the division and their SOC members in a collegial environment that provides timely and specific recommendations for the fellows’ research activities. This is meant to serve as a mentoring session for work in progress, although ultimately it serves as a forum for the preparations for national presentations and publications.

Monthly Journal Club:

Two to five recent studies or investigations relevant to the practice of critical care are presented and dissected and critiqued in detail. The ability to interpret, critique and apply current evidence is quickly developed through this conference.

Weekly Physiology course and Board Review:

The fellow’s Physiology and Board Review course, through a series of didactic and interactive tutorials, covers a wide range of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine topics over a 2 year period. This conference is hosted by the Division of Pharmacology and Critical Care and includes both Divisional faculty as well as outside speakers. The scope of the course is meant to review both basic physiologic processes as well as disease specific states relative to the care of PCCM patients.

The core content of pediatric critical care training as set forth by the board of pediatrics is reviewed in this conference that is primarily run by the fellows. A series of practice board questions are reviewed in preparation for the in-service exams and ultimately the board certification exam.

Weekly Professor’s Rounds

In this conference a recent or current ICU case is presented by the on-service fellow to a faculty member and a comprehensive scrutiny of care and management is discussed. This is a particularly popular conference with our fellows.