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At the foot of the Rocky Mountains, Denver is known for sweeping views and a wide array of outdoor activitiesEmergency Medicine - Fellowship
Overview
The primary focus of our training program is to provide comprehensive training in Pediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) to allow the graduate to independently manage all problems that would fall under the purview of a Pediatric Emergency Medicine subspecialist.
Fellows rotate primarily through Children’s Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado) located on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Children's Colorado is the only free-standing, quaternary care pediatric hospital in Colorado and the only Level 1 Regional Pediatric Trauma Center in the state with regional referrals from the surrounding 7 state region.
Learning from direct patient care is augmented by numerous integrated longitudinal curricula involving research, critical appraisal of literature, quality, toxicology, and self-directed and facilitated learning activities. Our fellows are required to participate in quality projects, lead a scholarship project, and participate in trainee education throughout their fellowship.
Program Aims
- To produce physicians who are clinically proficient in the practice of pediatric emergency medicine, especially in the management of the acutely ill or injured child, in the setting of an emergency department (ED).
- To produce physicians who are knowledgeable and have experience in clinical research and research methodology, quality improvement/patient safety, and skills in teaching and life-long learning.
- To provide useful tools to combat burn-out and encourage wellness and resiliency among trainees, inform trainees of available departmental and institutional resources to address trainee needs.
Meet the Fellows... | Tour Children's Hospital Colorado... |
Our Hospital
Ranked No. 6
Children’s Hospital Colorado consistently ranks in the top 10 on the U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll
Our Department
70,000 visits annually
Our large and diverse faculty mentor trainees in caring for patients presenting with a broad array of conditions
Clinical Training
The primary focus of our clinical training is to provide comprehensive training in Pediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) to allow the graduate to independently manage all problems that would fall under the purview of a Pediatric Emergency Medicine subspecialist.
Fellows are directly supervised by Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medicine faculty during their clinical ED rotations. Under the supervision of a large and diverse faculty, trainees gain exposure to patients with a broad spectrum of clinical problems. To prepare trainees to function as effective Pediatric Emergency Medicine subspecialists upon completion of their fellowship, the fellows assume graduated responsibility for patient care over the course of three years.
First Year
During their first year, fellows function as direct care providers, focusing on honing clinical and procedural skills. In the second half of the year, fellows will have some shifts in which they provide supervision of junior trainees and learn ED management/flow under the direct supervision of a PEM attending.
The first year for pediatric-trained fellows includes:
- Pediatric ED (6 blocks)
- Anesthesia
- Pediatric Critical Care
- Toxicology
- Adult Emergency Medicine and Trauma month at Denver Health Medical Center (DHMC)
- Ultrasound scanning time
- Research
For emergency medicine-trained fellows:
- Pediatric ED (5 blocks)
- Anesthesia
- Pediatric Critical Care
- Neonatology and Newborn Nursery
- Pediatric inpatient and primary care clinic
- Research (2 blocks)
- Pediatric ultrasound scanning
Second Year
During their second year, fellows begin the transition from caring for patients directly to becoming the supervising physician in charge of an ED team. In their second year, the total amount of clinical time decreases compared to year I and fellows assume more teaching and supervisory responsibilities and dedicate more time to scholarship projects. As part of their clinical requirement, fellows begin “Pre-tending Shifts” where he or she will gradually assume the responsibilities of the Attending ED physician.
The second year for pediatric-trained fellows includes:
- Pediatric ED (2blocks)
- Research (5 blocks, during which fellows have decreased clinical shift load)
- Emergency Medicine Services/Transport
- Adult Emergency Medicine and Trauma month at Denver Health Medical Center (DHMC)
- Elective (2 blocks)
For emergency medicine-trained fellows:
- Pediatric ED (2 blocks)
- Research (7 blocks)
- Elective (2 blocks)
Third Year
During their third year, fellows become proficient in running a large urban, Pediatric ED. Fellows take primary responsibility for patients, trainees, and other providers on the ED team, referral and transfer calls, and are expected to maintain an effective working relationship and communication with the charge nurse, nursing and ancillary staff.
The third year for pediatric-trained fellows includes:
- Pediatric ED (4 blocks)
- Research (6 blocks, during which fellows have decreased clinical shift load)
- Adult Emergency Medicine and Trauma month at Denver Health Medical Center (DHMC)
- Adult ED Point-of-Care Ultrasound at Denver Health (1 month)
- Elective (1 block)
For emergency medicine-trained fellows:
- Research (10 blocks)
- Elective (2 blocks)
Overview
The program seeks to provide comprehensive scholarly training that prepares all trainees with the background and skills to compete for academic faculty positions at the completion of their fellowship.
The expectation of this fellowship program is that graduates will have completed a research or complex scholarly project during their three years including presentation of the project at a national meeting, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics fall meeting or the Pediatric Academic Societies spring meeting, and publication of a first author manuscript. Fellows are also required to be involved in QI.
Research Infrastructure
The Section has a full-time research coordinator and biostatistician who are available for assistance with study design, IRB applications, database management, statistical analysis, abstract, and manuscript submission. Fellows have access to Professional Research Assistants (PRAs) who can help with their research projects by carrying out study enrollment and data collection in the Children’s ED. PRA coverage averages 10-16 hours per day.
Timeline for Pediatric-trained PEM fellows
- PEM Fellowship Year 1:
- Choose a mentor and research project with the help of the Program Director and Research Director by the winter of the first year
- Presentation of idea to Scholarship Oversight Committee
- Presentation at Section Academic Conference and/or CEMRC (Combined Emergency Medicine Research Conference with Emergency Medicine
- Presentation at the National PEM Fellows Conference
- Preparation and submission of Colorado Multiple Institutional Review Board (COMIRB) proposal
- Apply for funding if possible or necessary
PEM Fellowship Year 2:
- Supervise patient enrollment and data collection
- Analyze and interpret data
- Presentation of progress to Scholarship Oversight Committee and Section Academic Conference
- Poster presentation of research study progress at the annual Department of Pediatrics Spring Poster Session
- Submission of an abstract to a national scientific meeting
PEM Fellowship Year 3:
- Conclude patient enrollment, analyze and interpret data
- Submission of an abstract to a national scientific meeting
- Preparation and submission of a paper for publication in a peer-reviewed journal
- Presentation of final work product to Scholarship Oversight Committee who will determine if the fellow has met board certification requirements
- Poster presentation of research study progress at the annual Department of Pediatrics Spring Poster Session
*Emergency Medicine-trained PEM fellows have a required 3- year curriculum. Clinical requirements feature more prominently during the first 2 years, and the 3rd year is focused on scholarship. Completion of all 3 years is required for graduation from the fellowship program.
National Research Networks
The University of Colorado Denver/Children's Colorado is a member of PECARN, the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. PECARN is a federally funded pediatric emergency medicine research network conducting multi-institutional research on the prevention and management of acute illness and injuries in children and youth of all ages. For more information: http://www.pecarn.org/
Several faculty are members of PEM CRC, the PEM Collaborative Research Committee, a subcommittee of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Emergency Medicine. PEM CRC is an unfunded volunteer effort which provides a framework for multicenter investigation. It provides a means of developing protocols and identifying interested co-investigators at over 40 member sites. For more information: http://www.pemcrc.org/
Local Research Support
The Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI) is a collaborative enterprise between University of Colorado Denver, University of Colorado at Boulder, six affiliated Hospitals and health care organizations, and multiple community organizations with resources to promote research and training that will advance health care and improve the public health. Through the CCTSI, Clinical Translational Research Centers (CTRCs) have been established at several affiliated hospitals, including Children's Colorado, University of Colorado Hospital, and Denver Health Medical Center. The CTRC also offers biostatistical collaboration/consultation for study design, including sample size and power calculations, and data analysis. Children’s Hospital Research Institute also offered limited research support to fellows.
Overview
Learning from direct patient care is augmented by a comprehensive series of lectures and conferences focused on Pediatric Emergency Medicine, with the goal to expand clinical knowledge and fine-tune teaching skills. Fellows have mandatory conference every Thursday that covers broad range of topics.
Specialty-Specific Curriculum
Fellows participate in several educational seminars focused on Pediatric Emergency Medicine. Most education takes place during mandatory sessions on Thursday that anchor the educational program.
- Didactic Lecture
- Case Review
- Journal Watch
- Journal Club
- Board Review (in Jeopardy format)
- Research Curriculum
- Toxicology Curriculum
- Quality Improvement Curriculum
- Radiology Review
- Multidisciplinary Trauma Conference
- Podcast Review
Interactive Learning
Ultrasound Curriculum
- Longitudinal curriculum spanning 3 years
- Credentialing in POCUS applications upon graduation
- 2-week introductory Ultrasound block with PEM US faculty (1st year)
- 1 month adult POCUS rotation at Denver Health ED (3rd year)
- Monthly 2-hour POCUS sessions for all PEM fellows
- Self-scheduled scanning sessions with US faculty
PEM Multidisciplinary Simulations
High fidelity simulations facilitated by CHCO Simulation Center staff reinforce care for acute patients, PALS mastery, and honing communication and building teamwork skills.
- CHCO Critical Care bootcamp with critical care, anesthesia, and cardiology fellows at the beginning of first year
- Fellows serve as team leader in high fidelity simulations with ED staff at least twice a year
Fellow-Faculty Dinner Series
Quarterly dinners hosted by faculty to discuss specific topics related to career, wellness, resiliency etc.
Additional Courses
Pediatric Biostatistics Course
Introductory six-session course in biostatistics given under the auspices of the Department of Pediatrics with the goal of developing familiarity with commonly used statistical methods and critically appraise literature.
Introductory Training Program in Quality Improvement
Fellows have the opportunity to apply for an 8-hour session by The Institute for Healthcare Quality, Safety and Efficiency (IHQSE) that covers the importance of quality science in health care, basic tools for analyzing processes of care and identifying opportunities for improvement, fundamental data collection and analysis techniques to support quality improvement projects, methods for creating and testing potential changes, and tactics for implementing and spreading improvement ideas.
Graduate Coursework
Masters of Science in Clinical Sciences (MSCS) program is offered through the university and select fellows through the Department of Pediatrics may apply for limited funding support for this program if grants are available. A mini-certificate or a MPH degree may be obtained at the Colorado School of Public Health (collaboration between University of Colorado Denver, Colorado State University and the University of Northern Colorado). For more information: www.publichealth.ucdenver.edu . The certificate program requires 15 hours of graduate work and the MPH requires 42 hours of graduate work. This requires extra time commitment as the clinical and elective requirements remain unchanged. Funding for trainee graduate coursework is not supported by the section of emergency medicine.
Scientific Meetings and Other Conferences
Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellows are encouraged to attend national scientific meetings throughout their fellowship. If funding is available, the Section supports travel to any national meeting for which the trainee has an abstract or platform presentation according to section rules, as well an additional career-focused conference for networking during their 2nd or 3rd fellowship year.
- National PEM Fellows Conference for first year fellows
- Pediatric Academic Societies or American Academy of Pediatrics conference
- National PEM Fellows Conference for first year fellows
- Academic Societies or American Academy of Pediatrics meeting
Fellow Teaching
- Morbidity and Mortality Conference*
- Combined Pediatric Morbidity and Mortality Conference at Denver Health Medical Center*
- Fellow Faculty Lecture Series* and Section CME lectures
- Resident education*
- Lecture to EMS during Year 2 EMS rotation*
- Teaching Attending shifts in the ED during Year 3* and EM clerkship didactics
- PALS Instructor (if able to obtain instructor status)
- Instructor in Resident Airway Course
*Indicates required teaching opportunity
Core Teaching Faculty
Clinical faculty also participate in fellowship education and training but are not listed here.
| Faculty Member | Research Interests | Education/Clinical Interests | Fellowship Roles* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kathleen Adelgais, MD, MPH, MSPH Professor | EMS, multisystem trauma, pediatric pain management | Simulation training of EMS | Senior mentor, Methodological mentor, SOC member |
| Michelle Alletag, MD Assistant Professor | Simulation | Co-mentor, SOC member | |
| Lilliam Ambroggio, PhD Associate Professor | Biomarkers, Respiratory Infections, Diagnostic Evaluation | Senior mentor, Methodological mentor, SOC member | |
| Lalit Bajaj, MD, MPH, MSPH Professor Director, Clinical Effectiveness | QI/Clinical Effectiveness, Bronchiolitis | Senior mentor, Methodological mentor, SOC member | |
| Kristina Brumme, MD Instructor | Medical Ethics | SOC member | |
| Cortney Braund, MD Assistant Professor Assoc. Medical Director (Ans) | Skills maintenance | SOC member | |
| Kevin Carney, MD Assistant Professor Director, Clinical Operations | Quality improvement | Clinical Operations | SOC member |
| Beth D’Amico, MD Instructor | Ultrasound | SOC member | |
| Joe Grubenhoff, MD Associate Professor | Diagnostic Error, Concussion | Senior mentor, Methodological mentor, SOC member | |
| Maya Haasz, MD Assistant Professor | Firearm safety | Co-mentor, SOC member | |
| Bernie Johnson, MD Associate Professor Medical Director (Anschutz) | Clinical Operations | SOC member | |
| Kristin Kim, MD, PhD Assistant Professor | Disaster, Education | SOC member | |
| Patrick Mahar, MD Associate Professor | Mobile Simulation, Resident Education | SOC member | |
| Maria Mandt, MD Associate Professor Medical Director, Transport and EMS | Transport and Pre-hospital care | SOC member | |
| Megan Mickley, MD Assistant Professor Co-Director of Ultrasound | Ultrasound | Co-mentor, SOC member | |
| Rakesh Mistry, MD, MS Professor Director of Research Director of Academic Affairs | Antimicrobial Stewardship, Infectious Diseases, Multicenter Collaborative Research | Faculty and fellow development | Senior mentor, methodological mentor, SOC member |
| Nidhya Navanandan, MD Assistant Professor | Biomarkers in Asthma | Co-mentor, SOC member | |
| Tara Neubrand, MD Assistant Professor | Simulation, Video review of Resuscitation | Intubation Cardiac Arrest | Co-mentor, SOC member |
| Jon Osborn Assistant Professor Co-Director of Ultrasound | Ultrasound | Co-mentor, SOC member | |
| Arleta Rewers, MD, PhD Associate Professor | Acute complications of diabetes | Co-mentor, SOC member | |
| Mark Roback, MD Professor Section Head | Procedural sedation | SOC member | |
| Kelley Roswell, MD Associate Professor Director, Med Student Education | Medical student education, Outreach simulation | SOC member | |
| Sarah Schmidt, MD Assistant Professor Director of Informatics | Informatics | Co-mentor, Methodological mentor, SOC member | |
| Halden Scott, MD Associate Professor | Sepsis | Senior mentor, Methodological mentor, SOC member | |
| Marion Sills, MD Professor | Health Services, Asthma | Senior mentor, SOC member | |
| Melisa Tanverdi, MD Assistant Professor | Asthma | SOC Member | |
| Irina Topoz, MD Assistant Professor Director of Quality Improvement | Clinical Pathways, Diagnostic Error, Quality Improvement | Co-mentor, Methodological mentor, SOC member | |
| Tien Vu, MD Associate Professor Director, PEM Fellowship | Fellowship education | ||
| Sam Wang, MD Associate Professor | Medical toxicology, Opioids, THC | Co-mentor, SOC member | |
| Joe Wathen, MD Associate Professor Director, Mass Casualty | Procedural sedation and analgesia, Disaster training | SOC member | |
| Ali Wiersma, MD Assistant Professor | QI, Clinical Pathways | Co-mentor, SOC member | |
| Jason Woods, MD Assistant Professor Associate Director, Resident Education | Podcasts, Dissemination, Resident Education | Co-mentor, SOC member |
Required Application Materials
All application material should be submitted through the Electronic Residency Application Service(ERAS) We participate in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) and typically do not offer any positions outside of the match. Required application materials include:
- Completed ERAS common application form
- Curriculum vitae
- USMLE (or COMLEX/ECFMG) transcript
- Personal statement addressing your interest in Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- 3-4 letters of recommendation: 1 from your residency director, and at least one from a PEM fellowship director or PEM-trained faculty.
ERAS Application Timeline
| Date | Activity |
| Monday, May 31, 2021 | ERAS 2021 season ends at 5 p.m. ET. |
| Wednesday, June 9, 2021 | ERAS 2022 season begins at 9 a.m. ET. |
| Thursday, June 10, 2021 | EFDO will release tokens to fellowship applicants. |
| Wednesday, July 7, 2021 | July cycle fellowship applicants may begin submitting applications to programs at 9 a.m. ET. |
| Wednesday, July 21, 2021 | July cycle fellowship programs may begin reviewing applications at 9 a.m. ET. |
| Wednesday, November 17, 2021 | December cycle fellowship applicants may begin submitting applications to programs at 9 a.m. ET. |
| December 1, 2021 | December cycle fellowship programs may begin reviewing applications at 9 a.m. ET. |
| May 31, 2022 | ERAS 2022 season ends at 5 p.m. ET. |
NRMP Fall Match Timeline
| Dates | Activity |
| Wednesday, September 22, 2021 | Match Opens |
| Wednesday, October 27, 2021 | Ranking Opens |
| Wednesday, November 17, 2021 | Quota Change Deadline |
| Wednesday, December 1, 2021 | Rank Order List Certification Deadline |
| Wednesday, December 15, 2021 | MATCH DAY |
Applications
Applications will be accepted as soon as the ERAS Post Office opens on July 15th. Application reviews typically occur by early-mid August, thus applications received after this time may not be considered. Additional dates for the Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellowship match are provided below. Please visit the NRMP website for additional information.
Interviews
Our pediatric fellowships will be conducting virtual interviews for this upcoming interview season. We look forward to sharing our programs with you and getting to know more about you. Our planned virtual interview dates are provided below.
Fall Interview dates:
- Wednesday, September 30th
- Wednesday, October 7th
- Wednesday, October 14th
- Wednesday, October 21st
- Wednesday, October 28th
- Wednesday, November 4
If you have questions about our online and interview application process feel free to reach out to our program coordinator.
Salary and Benefits
The University of Colorado offers salary and benefits packages that are competitive with other fellowship programs across the country. Current salary levels can be found at the School of Medicine - Graduate Medical Education Stipends
Please address further questions to:
Tien Vu, MD
- Fellowship Program Director, Section of Emergency Medicine
- University of Colorado School of Medicine
- E-mail: Tien.Vu
Jason Woods, MD
- Associate Fellowship Program Director, Section of Emergency Medicine
- University of Colorado School of Medicine
- E-mail: Jason.Woods
Brooke Baker, BSW
- Fellowship Coordinator, Section of Emergency Medicine
- E-mail: Brooke.Baker
Our Fellows
1st Year Fellows
Julia Brant, MD
- Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
- Medical School: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (Go Heels!)
- Residency: University of Colorado/Children’s Hospital Colorado
- Your research interests: Anything and everything POCUS related. Also pre-hospital readiness, and sports injuries.
- Why I chose CHCO PEM: I love the people! From the other fellows to the supportive faculty and staff who have always had my back, I can’t wait to continue my education at Children’s. Also having 3 brand new Mindray TE7s doesn’t hurt 🤣
- Email: Julia.Brant
Natasha Cabrera, MD
- Hometown: Elizabeth, New Jersey
- Medical school: University of Colorado School of Medicine
- Residency: Children’s Hospital Colorado
- Program: I love the mentorship and available research opportunities!
- Email: Natasha.Cabrera
Patrick Joynt, MD
- Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin
- Medical School: University of Rochester SMD
- Residency: Denver Health Residency in Emergency Medicine (DHREM)
- Research Interests: Medical Education and Pediatric Trauma
- Why I chose CHCO PEM: The people!
- Email: Patrick.Joynt
2nd Year Fellows
Anna Abrams, MD
- Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
- Medical School: Tulane University
- Residency: Children’s National Medical Center (DC)
- Research interests: Racial disparities in health, refugee health
- What I love about our program: Hiking every weekend we are off 😊, comradery among fellows, large faculty with varying interests/experiences
- Email: Anna.Abrams
Shannon Flood, MD
- Hometown: Eugene, Oregon. GO DUCKS!
- Medical School: Oregon Health and Sciences in Portland, OR.
- Residency: Here! Never could get myself to leave…
- Research interests: Simulation and medical education. I love teaching med students and residents and I help to run the sim program for the residents.
- What I love about our program: Our faculty! We have such a broad group of attendings with diverse interests and talents. You can find someone with experience in your area of interest in this vast mecca of academia, even if it’s not within the PEM section. And outside of medicine, our group is so active- in the community, in the mountains, with their families!
- Email: Shannon.Flood
Sindhu Sudanagunta MD
- Hometown: Dallas, Texas
- Medical School: University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
- Residency: Children’s Health Dallas, UTSW
- Research interests: Health policy and advocacy
- What I love about our program: my co-fellows are some of the most wonderful humans I’ve met. Learning and growing with them both clinically and in life has been so fun, and this is just the first year! As for the program, you’ve got support in whatever you choose to pursue. You’re not asked to fit a project, you’re asked to find a project that fits you.
- Email: Sindhu.Sudanagunta
3rd Year Fellows
Rachel M Cafferty, MD
- Hometown: Little Falls, Minnesota
- Medical school: Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
- Residency: University of Minnesota
- Research interests: Suicide prevention and adolescent mental health access and delivery of care in the ED, with a focus on gender differences and disparities in care.
- What I love about our program: The people! My co-fellows are all lovely and the attendings treat you as colleagues and not trainees.
- Email: Rachel.Cafferty
Jessica Graham, MD
- Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Medical school: University of New Mexico SOM
- Residency: University of Colorado/Children’s Colorado
- Research interests: Diagnostic Error, Outcome feedback in medicine, medical case review; I’ve also dabbled in illicit drug use/exposure in pediatrics and Penicillin allergy delabeling
- What I love about our program: First and foremost, I love the environment in which we work—we have a diverse patient population (ethnically and in terms of medical complexity), supportive faculty, and a phenomenal nursing staff. Second, I greatly appreciate the breadth of knowledge among our faculty—no matter what your ideas/dreams are, there seems to be someone who is willing to invest time to help you realize them. And last, but definitely not least, I am extremely grateful for my co-fellows—each of them is intelligent, thoughtful, and impassioned, which is quite motivating.
- Email: Jessica.Kraynik
Emily Greenwald, MD
- Hometown: Columbus, Ohio but lived in Philadelphia for 12 years so that feels like home too!
- Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine
- Residency: University of Colorado/Children’s Colorado
- Your research interests: Sepsis, quality improvement, difficult vascular access, resuscitation
- What I love about our program: Giant children’s hospital in a beautiful setting! Great faculty. Tons of opportunities. Large patient volume, high acuity.
- Email: Emily.Greenwald
| Diversity / Equity / Inclusion |
We are committed to creating a diverse environment for students, residents, fellows, and faculty. We believe that an environment of inclusiveness and respect promotes excellence and that a setting where diversity is valued leads to the training of physicians who are prepared to practice culturally effective medicine and meet the needs of the various populations we serve. Visit our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in PEM page for more. |
| Well-Being / Resilience |
By embracing wellness and improving personal resiliency, physicians can reconnect with the meaning of their work and fend off stress. Reducing or eliminating burnout also has practical implications for the entire department such as improving patient safety, student advancement, and the overall campus environment. Visit our Pediatric Well-Being and Resilience website for more. |
| Keep Up with Our Latest News |
Stay up-to-date with what is going on in the Section of Pediatric Emergency Medicine. Follow us on Twitter and/or Facebook. Visit our Section of Pediatric Emergency Medicine newsroom to learn more about recent news related to our team.
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Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship
Program Coordinator: Brooke Baker
13123 East 16th Avenue, Box
Aurora, CO 80045
Phone: 720-777-5818 | Fax:720-777-7258
