University of Utah Health Program

Overview

The Surgical Critical Care Fellowship at the University of Utah Health is a one-year program focused on the management of critically ill surgical patients, and it has been continuously accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Established in 2003, the fellowship is designed to equip fellows with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide comprehensive care in intensive care settings, handling a wide range of conditions such as severe trauma, organ failure, complex surgical infections, and postoperative complications.

During the fellowship, participants will gain expertise in critical care principles, including ventilator management, hemodynamic monitoring, and advanced resuscitation techniques. The fellows' training emphasizes optimizing patient outcomes in critical situations. The program also provides a robust clinical exposure, fostering autonomous education, mentorship, didactic instruction, hands-on experience, and self-directed learning.

Program Aims

The Surgical Critical Care Fellowship Program aims to:

• Develop expert critical care specialists who can provide comprehensive care to critically ill patients.
• Advance patient outcomes through effective critical care interventions.
• Promote multidisciplinary collaboration among various health professionals.
• Encourage research and evidence-based methods in surgical critical care.
• Cultivate leadership skills for fellows to manage complex clinical scenarios.
• Foster professional growth, encouraging fellows to pursue academic roles.
• Empower compassionate, empathetic patient care.
• Champion ethical medical practices, maintaining high standards of integrity.
• Prepare fellows for certification and practice in surgical critical care.

Program Duration

The fellowship lasts one year, but it can also be part of a two-year track. In this case, the first year focuses on surgical critical care, while the second year covers acute care surgery. Each academic year, one position is available per track.

Education and Meetings

Fellows participate in clinical training as well as trauma committee and SICU IDC meetings. They have access to weekly lectures on surgical critical care topics and are engaged in an intensive critical care ultrasonography curriculum. This includes valuable hands-on training in conjunction with the Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship and additional echocardiography training at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Topics covered in weekly didactic lectures include:

• Pleural infections and empyema
• Palliative care in critical illness
• Traumatic brain injury
• Advanced ventilator management
• Coagulation management in ARDS

Research Opportunities

Fellows have access to diverse research opportunities tailored to their interests, with the expectation that they will actively engage in critical care research.

Examples of recent fellow publications include:

• Surgical capacity building in low- and middle-income countries.
• Feasibility of mHealth-supported surgical site infection diagnoses in rural contexts.
• Impact of community-based health insurance on women after cesarean sections.
• Challenges in managing rib fractures and related complications.

Rotation Information

The Surgical Critical Care Fellowship includes clinical rotations at:

• University of Utah Health
• Primary Children’s Medical Center
• Intermountain Medical Center
• Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Fellows rotate through various units, enabling them to evaluate new patients, participate in treatment planning, and manage ongoing care. Each fellow's progress is monitored individually and assessed quarterly by the program director following the completion of clinical rotations.

Competitiveness and Application Requirements

The program is known for being highly competitive, expecting applicants to have completed at least three years in an accredited residency field, such as general surgery or emergency medicine. For a two-year track, candidates must have completed a general surgery residency.

Additional requirements include:

• Eligibility for licensure to practice in Utah
• Completion of all United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) exams
• Graduation from an LCME-accredited medical school or equivalent
• Passing a criminal background check

Visa Support

The University of Utah Health offers visa support and can sponsor suitable candidates for J-1 or H-1B visa types. This assistance is available to international medical graduates who meet the eligibility criteria.

Application Process

Candidates may apply through the Surgical Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery Fellowship Application Service. Applications undergo thorough screening followed by review by a panel of faculty members, and selected candidates are invited for interviews. Assessment criteria include academic productivity, letters of recommendation, and interview performance.

Applicants are also required to submit a personal statement, CV, and score reports for relevant exams.