Interventional Pulmonology Fellowship

For 2023, the IP Program will not be accepting new fellows.

​Program Description

The joint Interventional Pulmonary fellowship at University of Colorado Health (UCH) and National Jewish Health (NJH) offers a unique learning experience under multiple board certified IP specialists in two very different environments.

Fellows will spend approximately 50% of their IP fellowship training at each institution, alternating monthly.  At National Jewish Health, fellows will rotate with two board-certified IP physicians in clinics, dedicated IP suite, operating rooms and in-patient service.  The University of Colorado program is based in an academic/university hospital with a 24 hour in-house surgical and medical sub specialty support. A dedicated hybrid (bronchoscopy suite and an operating room) IP suite at UCH provides a unique opportunity to perform wide range of bronchoscopic and minimally invasive surgical procedures in the same room. For the academic year beginning in 2022, our IP program accepts two fellows per year. We participate in IPFAS and NRMP for the IP fellowship application processes and our IP fellowship is accredited by AABIP/AIPPD.

The primary goal of the fellowship training program in Interventional Pulmonology (IP) is to provide our trainees with a one year, comprehensive graduate medical education experience in a learning environment which offers the knowledge, skills and professionalism required to develop into a proficient specialist in IP. IP fellows are assigned responsibilities that are commensurate with their level of training, and receive appropriate supervision from faculty attending physicians in all aspects of patient care. 

The fellowship training focuses on closely supervised patient evaluation and management, largely based on inpatient, outpatient and procedural experience.  Please see the schedules below for details of the weekly schedules at each institution. Trainee call is at home call defined as a call taken from outside the assigned institution. 

Interventional Fellow Expectations:

• The fellow will achieve the ability to evaluate patients independently from Interventional Pulmonology perspective by means of comprehensive history and physical examination and supervised ordering of diagnostic tests. 
• The fellow will demonstrate the ability to formulate a clinical assessment and treatment plan under the close supervision of an attending physician. 
• The fellow is expected to complete all medical records in a timely fashion, and is expected to comply with all necessary documentation that is designed to track the activities of the program, including procedure documentation. 
• The fellow will learn and develop, with supervision, clinical and procedural skills that are essential for the practice of interventional pulmonology: 
  • Difficult airway management
  • Management of massive hemoptysis
  • Management of obstructed airway
  • Lung cancer diagnosis and staging
  • Management of complex pleural effusion
  • Diagnostic bronchoscopy with lung, mediastinal lymph node, and airway biopsy and lavage
  • Advanced diagnostic bronchoscopy with tools such endobronchial ultrasound, navigational, and radial ultrasound
  • Therapeutic bronchoscopy with flexible and rigid bronchoscopy
  • Tumor ablation with modalities such as laser and electrocautery
  • Airway stent placement, metal and silicone
  • Airway stent removal
  • Foreign body removal
  • Endobronchial valve placement
  • Airway Thermoplasty
  • Percutaneous tracheostomy
  • Pleural procedures including:
  • In-dwelling pleural catheter placement
  • Pleurodesis
  • Medical Pleuroscopy
  • Management of pneumothorax (needle insertion and drainage systems chest tubes and drainage systems.​

The fellow will teach medical residents clinical medicine relevant to their patients.

The fellow will provide comprehensive patient care in the outpatient setting through 2-3 half days a week of continuity clinic supervised by an attending physician.

The fellow will actively participate in all required core conference series lectures, Thoric Oncology Tumor Board, Thoracic Oncology Multidisciplinary Clinic, and Lung Cancer Screening /Nodule Clinic. 

At the conclusion of training, the fellow must be able to evaluate, propose treatment plans, and perform procedures for patients with a broad range of problems in Interventional Pulmonary independently.

At the UCH, the fellows will rotate with the IP fellowship program director as well as with cardiothoracic surgery, medical oncology, and ENT surgery.

The IP fellow is expected to demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills in all interactions with colleagues, ancillary personnel, and patients. 

Fellow Scholarly Activities

Research

UCH/NJH provides an opportunity for fellows to participate in research or other scholarly activities, including:

• Participation with the faculty in the initiation or conduct of clinical trials within the department; or,
• Participation in quality assurance/quality improvement or process improvement projects; or,
• Submit and present original investigation or case reports at regional, national, or international meetings; or,
• Submit original investigation in the field of IP for publication in a peer-reviewed journal 

Conferences and Lectures

Didactic / Conference Schedule:

• 4^th Tuesday of each month 7:00am - 8:00am (Several additional didactic sessions on 2^ndTuesdays)
  • IP lecture series by IP faculty and 3 M&Ms by the IP fellow 
• Wednesdays 12:00pm - 1:00pm
  • Medical Grand Rounds UCH 
• Thursday 7:30am - 8:30am
  • PCCM Grand Rounds- NJH 
• 2^nd Wednesday of each month 8:00am - 9:00am
  • UCH Emphysema Advanced Therapies Conference 
• 1^st Monday of each month
  • Interventional Pulmonary Research Conference

Fellow Schedules

Daily Schedule at University of Colorado:

UCH Hybrid Interventional Pulmonary OR

Daily Schedule at National Jewish Health:

Robotic Bronchoscopy with integrated Cone Beam CT at SJH/NJH

Faculty

---

Ellen Volker, MD, MSPH. FCCP

Program Director, UCH/NJH Interventional Pulmonary Fellowship

Director of interventional Pulmonology

Associate Professor of Medicine

Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine

National Jewish Health

Kristen Glisinski, MD

Interventional Pulmonary

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine

National Jewish Health

Current Interventional Pulmonology Fellow