Chattanooga Surgical Critical Care Fellowship

Program Description

The program is a one-year accredited surgical critical care fellowship integrated with a general surgery residency at a tertiary regional referral center located at the Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Surgery Residency Review Committee (RRC) approved the program for up to two fellows each year. The hospital facility houses its own flight program with two Aeromedical helicopters which transport a variety of emergency general surgery, vascular, and trauma patients from a 120-mile radius. The fellowship is attended by five full-time faculty general surgeons who are board certified in surgical critical care.  

Ten months of the academic, year each fellow rotates on the Surgical Critical Care Service which provides care for a variety of trauma, general surgery, vascular, and obstetrical critical care patients with an average daily census of 20-24 patients. One-month electives are also offered in management of burn patients and pediatric critical care. The fellowship also offers unique experiences with continuous renal replacement therapy and airway pressure release ventilation. Applicants must be a clinical PGY-4 level or higher at the time they would begin the fellowship program, in either a Categorical General Surgery Residency position or be board eligible in General Surgery. 

Research Opportunities

Development of a clinical research project with expected presentation at a national meeting and publication in a peer-reviewed journal is a major priority in this program. A laboratory facility capable of various cytokine assays is available to facilitate research efforts.  Each fellow will be expected to participate in protocol development and implementation and will attend a number of committee meetings allowing experience in the administrative responsibilities of an ICU director.