Children's National Hospital Program

The Pediatric Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at Children’s National Hospital is an accredited one-year fellowship program that aims to train board-eligible physicians in hospice and palliative medicine, ultimately certifying them in this specialty. This program fulfills a crucial need for trained palliative care physicians, particularly in pediatric-focused care, given the limited number of dedicated pediatric training programs available nationwide.

Fellows in the program gain diverse experiences as they rotate through various hospitals and hospices catering to both pediatric and adult populations. Major training sites include Children’s National Hospital, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Rehabilitation & Specialized Care, and local hospices, thereby providing exposure to a wide range of clinical scenarios and patient needs 1.

Curriculum

The curriculum for the fellowship is designed to offer a comprehensive educational experience and includes several key components. These encompass core lectures, conferences, and didactic sessions that prepare fellows for various aspects of hospice and palliative care.

The core lecture series introduces fellows to pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic symptom management strategies and provides orientation to expressive and supportive care teams comprising music therapy, art therapy, child life, and spiritual care. Additional conferences include board review preparation courses, journal clubs addressing the latest research in palliative care, and ongoing didactic lectures which are integrated with both inpatient consult services and palliative care teams 2.

Rotations

The fellowship offers a structured rotation schedule that is essential for experiential learning. It begins with a two-week orientation followed by 18 weeks of inpatient consult services, where fellows can split their time between pediatric and adult hospice and palliative medicine. The rotation components also include 10 weeks dedicated to hospice rotations and exposure to long-term care facilities.

Fellows partake in ambulatory care experiences weekly, which may involve perinatal palliative care consults and outpatient palliative visits. Other unique aspects of the rotations consist of two weeks in anesthesia pain service, six weeks of elective rotations tailored to the interests of the fellows, and allocated time for research-oriented projects, ensuring a well-rounded experience 3. This structure promotes an in-depth understanding of palliative care through real-world applications.

Research and Scholarly Activities

Throughout the fellowship, there is a strong emphasis on research and quality improvement. Each fellow is required to complete a quality improvement project within the one-year period. The program encourages fellows to engage in collaborative research opportunities, highlighting its commitment to the advancement of pediatric hospice and palliative medicine 2.

Application Requirements

The fellowship program offers one position annually and requires applicants to participate in the National Resident Matching Program. Essential application documents include a completed application, a Curriculum Vitae (CV), personal statement, medical school transcript, and three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a program director. Candidates must have satisfactorily completed an ACGME-accredited pediatric residency prior to entering the fellowship program 4.

Visa Support

The program provides visa support for international medical graduates and is capable of sponsoring J-1 and H-1B visa types. This facilitation allows qualified international candidates to apply without barriers relating to immigration status, thereby broadening the pool of potential applicants who can contribute to this essential field of care.

Competitiveness and Friendly Environment

The Pediatric Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at Children’s National Hospital is recognized for being highly competitive, necessitating strong academic credentials. However, the program is also described as being DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) and IMG (International Medical Graduate) friendly, encouraging diverse applicants with varied backgrounds 4.