University of Miami/Jackson Health System Program

Overview of the Program

The University of Miami/Jackson Health System offers a Surgical Critical Care and Trauma Fellowship aimed at training proficient surgeons adept in both operating rooms and intensive care units. This program emphasizes excellence in clinical care with a strong commitment to research and academic growth, preparing its fellows for future contributions to surgical critical care and trauma specialists.

Program Structure

This one-year fellowship is structured to provide comprehensive exposure to surgical critical care with a focus on practical experience, research, and competency achievement. The program comprises:

• 10 months dedicated to surgical critical care
• 1 month on trauma surgical service
• 1 month on emergency general service

Fellows are expected to qualify for the American Board of Surgery Surgical Critical Care Certifying Exam upon completion.

Clinical Experience

The clinical training includes management of various critical conditions, ensuring fellows acquire essential skills, including:

• Invasive hemodynamic monitoring
• Management of shock types (hemorrhagic, neurogenic, septic)
• Complex ventilatory strategies
• Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy
• Management of neurological, cardiovascular, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome

This extensive clinical exposure is complemented by the opportunity to present research findings at leading surgical critical care trauma meetings globally, enhancing academic engagement and professional networking.

Training Sites

The fellowship is primarily based at the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, a 1,567-bed tertiary care facility renowned for its trauma services. This center is recognized as one of the six Level I trauma centers in Florida and serves as a critical care hub, managing approximately:

• 3,500 trauma admissions annually
• 113,000 emergency department visits per year

The facility's designation demonstrates its capacity to handle the highest acuteness of trauma cases, with a diverse referral pattern for critically injured patients.

Application Requirements

Applications for the fellowship are accepted through the Surgical Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery Fellowship Application Service, with a typical application window from February to March. The program has specific eligibility criteria including:

• Completion of USMLE Steps 1, 2, and 3 before starting the program
• A completed three-year graduate medical education program in an eligible specialty (e.g., anesthesiology, emergency medicine, general surgery, etc.)

Furthermore, the program emphasizes a commitment to training diverse and skilled fellows, aligning with its mission to produce exceptional academicians capable of fostering the next generation of specialists.

Visa Support

The program offers support for international candidates through the J1-Visa, which is suited for those who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. This visa is facilitated by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).

Competitiveness and Inclusivity

The fellowship is highly competitive, as it has a robust curriculum and a large volume of diverse clinical cases. It welcomes applicants from various backgrounds, including International Medical Graduates (IMGs) and graduates from osteopathic programs, emphasizing inclusivity and dedication to high standards of surgical training.

Alumni Placements

The fellowship has a successful history of alumni placement in top hospitals including:

• Abington Hospital – Jefferson Health
• Hartford Hospital
• University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
• Yale New Haven Hospital

These placements reflect the program's comprehensive training and the esteemed reputation of its graduates in the surgical critical care community.