Fellowship Programs
Anesthesiology Critical Care Fellowship
Cardiac Anesthesia Fellowship
Hepatic Transplantation Anesthesiology Fellowship
Neuroanesthesia Fellowship
Obstetric Anesthesia Fellowship
Orthopedic Anesthesia Fellowship
Pain Medicine Fellowship
Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship
Regional Anesthesia Fellowship
Research Fellowships
Anesthesiology Critical Care Fellowship [top]
The Anesthesiology Critical Care Fellowship is open to individuals who have successfully completed a four-year residency in anesthesiology and are board eligible or certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) or have completed an accredited program in Canada. As required by the ABA, the duration of the fellowship is one year. An optional second year of research is possible (please refer to the CCM website for research fellowship opportunities).
Surgical specialty ICUs include: cardiothoracic, trauma/general surgery, neurosurgical, obstetric, liver and abdominal visceral transplantation, and general pre- and postoperative surgical critical care. Elective rotations may include echocardiography, radiology, nephrology, infectious diseases and general medical, coronary care, and surgical specialty ICUs.
Please visit the Department of Critical Care Medicine’s Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine fellowship page for further information and application. The fellowship training program also offers two parallel research opportunities in either the Department of Critical Care Medicine Research Program or the Department of Anesthesiology Research Program.
For further information, please contact:
A. Murat Kaynar, MD, MPH
Director, Anesthesiology Critical Care Fellowship
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
3550 Terrace Street
Scaife Hall - Room 639
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Phone: (412) 647-7980
Fax: (412) 647-8060
Email: kaynarm@upmc.edu
Cardiac Anesthesia
Fellowship [top]
The Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Pittsburgh
offers world-class opportunities for advanced training in cardiac
anesthesia. The cardiac anesthesia service provides anesthetic
care for approximately 1500 cardiac surgical procedures per year
at UPMC Presbyterian. At least three one-year positions are available
each year.
Clinical Experience
Cases encountered on the adult cardiac anesthesia service span
the entire range of cardiac surgical practice. UPMC is a world
leader in heart and lung transplantation, and Fellows gain substantial
expertise in the management of these challenging procedures, in
addition to removal of ventricular assist devices as a bridge
to transplantation and the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
for short-term support after lung transplantation. Cardiac anesthesia
Fellows also develop expertise in the management of common cardiac
surgical procedures such as coronary bypass (including a variety
of minimally invasive techniques), valve replacement and repair,
thoracic aortic reconstruction, arrhythmia ablation, and pulmonary
thromboendarterectomy.
A busy thoracic anesthesia service is staffed by a closely related
group of UPMC faculty, offering a rich resource for Fellows who
wish to enhance their experience managing patients undergoing
thoracic surgery.
Fellows are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to
gain expertise in pediatric cardiac anesthesia during a 3-month
rotation at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Fellows interested
in this option should make it known at the time of their application,
so that they may visit Children's Hospital during their visit
to Pittsburgh.
Intraoperative Echocardiography
Intraoperative echocardiography is used to monitor every patient
undergoing cardiac surgery at UPMC. The Department of Anesthesiology
and Critical Care Medicine supports a very active Intraoperative
Echocardiography Service, with substantial equipment resources
and rapport with the Cardiology Division. Intraoperative echocardiography
has been a fruitful area of research for faculty and trainees
at UPMC. Cardiac Fellows will gain extensive experience in the
clinical use of intraoperative transesophageal echo, and all Fellows
rotate for one month in the echocardiography lab. All intraoperative
echo exams are reviewed with a cardiologist at the joint weekly
conference.
Educational Program
The Cardiac Anesthesia Service supports a monthly subspecialty
conference, in addition to the Department’s very full schedule
of didactic lectures, journal clubs, case conferences, research
conferences, and Grand Rounds.
Research Opportunities
The Cardiac Anesthesia faculty have a national profile in research.
Foci of special expertise include mechanisms of myocardial ischemia
and functional properties of ischemic myocardium; intraoperative
transesophageal echocardiography; anesthesia for lung transplantation;
anesthesia for endovascular cardiac surgery; muscle relaxants;
and mechanisms of anesthetic action.
Application Process
Anesthesia residents who will have completed their CA-3 year by
the start of the Fellowship are encouraged to apply at least six
months before their projected starting date. Applicants should
forward their curriculum vitae, evidence of medical school graduation
and medical licensure exam scores, anesthesia in-training examination
scores, and a minimum of three letters of recommendation from
senior faculty, preferably those who have worked with the trainee
performing cardiac anesthesia.
For further information, please contact:
Erin A. Sullivan, MD
Director, Cardiac Anesthesia Fellowship
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Department of Anesthesiology
200 Lothrop St., PUH C-224
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: (412) 647-3262
Fax: (412) 647-6290
sullivanea@anes.upmc.edu
Hepatic Transplantation
Anesthesiology Fellowship [top]
The Hepatic Transplantation Anesthesiology (HTA)
Fellowship position is available at UPMC Presbyterian,
a leading center of organ transplantation with an annual caseload
of more than 200 transplants of the liver, small bowels, pancreas,
and multiviscera. HTA team is comprised of uniquely qualified
anesthesiologists who pioneered and developed the field of transplantation
anesthesiology, including founding of the International Liver
Transplantation Society. This Fellowship program provides a comprehensive
curriculum emphasizing perioperative care, with ample research
opportunities, with collaboration of colleagues in surgery, hematology,
and critical care medicine. By the end of the training year, Fellows
achieve sufficient qualification to become the Director of HTA
in other major medical centers, thus joining the vast alumni of
this highly successful Fellowship program.
Clinical Experience
The objectives of the one- or two-year Fellowships include clinical,
education, and research components. The clinical program emphasizes
a comprehensive perioperative approach. Fellows are encouraged
to participate in the weekly preoperative evaluation of the candidates
at the Outpatient Clinic, intraoperative anesthetic care, and
postoperative visits. They are expected to participate in the
Monday HTA Morbidity and Mortality Conference for extensive discussion
of candidates, perioperative care of patients, and other clinical
evaluation. The program also can be tailored to meet special goals
and needs, such as pediatric HTA and critical care. The teaching
program is supported by five attending anesthesiologists with
a great depth of expertise in evaluation of liver transplantation
candidates, including those with central nervous system, cardiopulmonary
system, renal system, and coagulation defects. During a one-year
experience, the Fellow will participate in more than 50 cases
of liver transplantation.
Educational Program
Our educational program consists of a didactic a curriculum with
a dedicated manual, overseen by faculty members on the HTA service,
covering preparation, assessment, and management of each organ’s
function. The process continues with extensive discussion of each
case at the Monday HTA Morbidity and Mortality Conference. This
format allows Fellows to gain in-depth knowledge of organ transplantation.
In addition, Fellows are encouraged to participate in education
of junior residents and student nurse anesthetists at UPMC Presbyterian.
Research Opportunities
Our research program encourages HTA Fellows to participate in
on-going or newly developed investigative projects. Substantial
departmental financial and intellectual support is available with
clinical or basic projects, and Fellows are expected to be able
to present research abstract at national or international liver
transplant-oriented meetings.
Application Process
The qualifications for the HTA Fellowship Program are that the
applicant will have completed a residency in anesthesiology by
the start of the Fellowship. Upon completion of an application,
Fellows will be selected by a review committee on the basis of
letters of reference and the interview. Starting date can be flexible.
For further information, please contact:
Raymond M. Planinsic, MD
Director of Hepatic Transplantation Anesthesiology
c/o Barb Chismar, Project Manager
UPP Department of Anesthesiology
3471 Fifth Avenue, Suite 910
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
chismarbn@upmc.edu
Phone (412) 692-4503
FAX (412) 692-4515
Neuroanesthesia Fellowship
[top]
UPMC Presbyterian (PUH) has an extraordinarily busy neurosurgical
service, performing over 4000 cases per year. This translates
into 6 to 7 neurosurgical operating rooms daily. In addition,
anesthesia support is occasionally requested in interventional
neuroradiology, or for other diagnostic studies. Over 3000 cases
involve neurophysiologic monitoring. A wide variety of cases are
performed: spine and spinal cord work, surgical for carotid artery
disease and intracranial vascular disease, microvascular decompression
on cranial nerves, and a broad variety of tumor surgery and skull
base work, much involving stereotactic or image guidance, and
trauma neurosurgery. Pediatric neurosurgery is performed at Children's
Hospital of Pittsburgh.
In addition to adult neurosurgical cases at Presbyterian, fellowship
rotations include neurophysiologic monitoring, neuroradiology,
neurosurgical intensive care, and pediatric neuroanesthesia at
Children's. Research activities in neuroanesthesia, brain resuscitation,
and neurosurgical critical care continue to expand. Opportunities
exist for collaborative work with members of the department of
Neurological Surgery, work within the Safar Center, or with members
of the neuroanesthesia division at PUH. The division director
is working on an NIH grant involving functional MR imaging.
There are monthly neuroanesthesia division meetings at PUH, as
part of the weekly PUH anesthesiology conferences. Anesthesiology
Grand Rounds are held weekly. Additionally, there are weekly stroke
conferences and the neurosurgical department meetings, including
morbidity and mortality.
Didactics focus heavily on intraoperative teaching, although
non-clinical time is scheduled for academic pursuits, and a broad
range of reference materials are available within the department.
As the fellows progress, they will also contribute to the teaching
of the CA1-3 residents who rotate on the neuroanesthesia service.
Clinical excellence in providing neuroanesthesia care is the
first goal of the fellowship. Individuals interested in developing
teaching and research skills will have ample opportunity to do
so. On completion of the neuroanesthesia fellowship, the anesthesiologist
will be ready to enter academic practice or assume a leadership
position in neuroanesthesia within a non-academic group.
For further information please contact:
Steve L.Whitehurst, MD
Program Director, Neuroanesthesia Fellowship
UPMC Presbyterian
Anesthesiology C-Wing
200 Lothrop Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone (412) 647-3262
whitehurstsl@anes.upmc.edu
Obstetric Anesthesia
Fellowship [top]
The Department of Anesthesiology at Magee-Womens Hospital (University
of Pittsburgh) offers a CA-IV Fellowship in Obstetric
Anesthesia. Magee-Womens Hospital is one of the leading
Womancare Centers in the country, with more than 9,000 obstetric
deliveries annually. The program offers the Fellow participation
in state-of-the-art anesthetic care of low- and high-risk obstetrical
patients, as well as opportunities in clinical and basic science
research in the discipline. A strong Maternal Fetal Medicine Division,
together with Magee-Womens Research Institute, further enhances
training. The Fellowship year may be tailored to individual needs
by combining obstetric anesthesia with clinical and research experience
in other subspecialties (e.g. neuroanesthesia, cardiac, pain,
pediatrics, and transplantation).
For further information, please contact:
Manuel Vallejo, MD
Director, Obstetric Anesthesia Fellowship
Magee-Womens Hospital
300 Halket Street
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone (412) 641-4260
FAX (412) 641-4766
vallejomc@anes.upmc.edu
Orthopedic Anesthesia Fellowship [top]
The purpose of this fellowship program is to provide an advanced training to anesthesiology residents in orthopedic anesthesia, a subspecialty of anesthesia. This clinical training will include clinical training in orthopedic anesthesia, acute pain and rehabilitation, along with research activities, and educational curricula. Program length is 1 year. Fellows receive the following training:
- 1 month for training in anesthesia and acute postoperative pain in orthopedic trauma
- 2 months for training in anesthesia and acute postoperative pain in joint replacement
- 1 month for training in anesthesia and acute postoperative pain in orthopedic oncology
- 1 month for training in anesthesia and acute postoperative pain in pediatric orthopedics
- 1 month for training in anesthesia and acute postoperative pain in anesthesia and acute postoperative pain in chronic pain related to orthopedic surgery
- 2 months for training in anesthesia and acute postoperative pain in sport medicine related surgery
- 2 months for training in anesthesia and acute postoperative pain in spine surgery
- 2 months for an elective for additional training in any of the sub-specialty of orthopedic surgery or research
This fellowship listing should contain the following application information and a copy of the application form:
For consideration a completed application consisting of the following must be received:
- Completed Application Form
- Current CV
- USMLE Scores for Steps 1, 2, 3
- 3 Letters of Reference
- Copy of Dean's Letter and Medical Student Transcript
- Copy of most recent in-training examination
- Copy of ECFMG Certification (if applicable)
Materials may be addressed to Dr. Jacques Chelly as follows:
Jacques E. Chelly, MD, PhD, MBA
c/o Barb Chismar, Project Manager, Department of Anesthesiology University of Pittsburgh
3471 Fifth Avenue, Suite 910
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
chismarbn@upmc.edu
Fax: 412-692-4515
Pain Medicine Fellowship
[top]
Faculty
Nashaat Rizk, MD, Program Director
Staff
Renee’ Craig, Fellowship Coordinator
The University of Pittsburgh Department of Anesthesiology offers an ACGME-accredited Pain Medicine Fellowship Program. Physicians who have completed their residencies may apply for a one-year fellowship, starting in July. The Pain Medicine Fellowship program is a truly multidisciplinary program with services ranging from pain rehabilitation to interventional therapies, affording the fellows opportunities to learn from work with psychologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and pain medicine physicians from other disciplines including neurology, psychiatry, and rehabilitation medicine. Productive research is encouraged and supported. We strongly encourage applications from individuals interested in conducting pain-related research during and/or after the completion of the fellowship. An important objective of the program is to attract individuals with an interest in developing an academic career.
Click here
for link to Fellowship section of the UPMC Pain Medicine Program
Site.
For further information, please contact:
Nashaat Rizk, MD
Director, Pain Medicine Fellowship
c/o Renee’ Craig, Fellowship Coordinator
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
UPP Department of Anesthesiology
Kaufmann Medical Building
3471 Fifth Avenue, Suite 910
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: (412) 692-4528
FAX: (412) 692-4515
craigrd@upmc.edu
Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship [top]
The Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC is designed to further develop clinical expertise in caring for neonates, infants, children, and adolescents undergoing a wide variety of surgical, diagnostic, and therapeutic procedures. There are approximately 24,000 anesthetics performed yearly at the Children’s Hospital sites. It is among the oldest and most successful Fellowships of its kind in America and it is one of the first Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowships to receive ACGME accreditation. Nine one-year positions are available each year.
Clinical Experience
In addition to the routine pediatric surgical patients, the Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellow will be expected to master the anesthetic care of complicated pediatric patients undergoing repair of orthopedic, neurologic, urologic, plastic, and general surgical pathologies. The fellow will also be exposed to pediatric patients with organ failure undergoing transplantation and non-transplantation procedures. The Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellow will develop expertise in critical perioperative pediatric care, pediatric advanced life support, invasive monitoring and pediatric pain management during subspecialty rotations on the Acute Pain Medicine Service, Congenital Cardiac Service, and The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
The Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh is a Level 1 Trauma Center. Fellows will be involved in emergency room and intraoperative management of the pediatric trauma patient. Specifically, the Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellow will understand the airway management needs of such patients, as well as gain familiarity with resuscitation of pediatric trauma patients.
Educational Program
The Fellow will acquire a comprehensive understanding of the developmental, pharmacological, anatomic, physiologic, and psychological changes that occur with age and disease. The didactic component of the Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship program consists of lectures, seminars, departmental conferences, and bedside teaching. The lecture series consists of daily 30-minute morning conferences. In addition to these morning conferences, a weekly seminar is held to further explore topics in pediatric anesthesiology. These seminars are one hour in duration and are conducted by faculty from the anesthesiology, pediatric, and surgery departments. There is also a monthly morbidity and mortality conference.
Research Opportunities
Participation in clinical or laboratory research is optional but it is highly encouraged. For those interested in clinical or laboratory research, individual research experiences can be arranged.
Application Process
Anesthesiology residents interested in the Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship are encouraged to apply. Applicants should forward their curriculum vitae, evidence of medical school graduation and medical licensure exam scores, anesthesia in-training examination scores, and a minimum of three letters of recommendation (one from the Residency Program Director).
Pediatric Fellowship Application (PDF)
For further information, please contact:
Franklyn P. Cladis, MD
Program Director
c/o Patricia Klein
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC
Department of Anesthesiology - Suite 5643
4401 Penn Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Phone (412) 692-7341
cladfp@upmc.edu
Regional Anesthesia Fellowship [top]
The Regional Anesthesia Fellowship Program consists of 12 months of subspecialty training for qualified physicians who have completed an accredited Anesthesiology residency. Preference is given to mature individuals with interest in regional anesthesia, a sub-specialty focused on the perioperative management of patients receiving neuraxial or peripheral neural blockade for anesthesia or analgesia. Fellowship training is concerned with the development of expertise in the practice and theory of regional anesthesiology and acute pain management techniques, and the understanding of the related physiology and pharmacology in the provision of patient care. Faculty of the Regional Anesthesia/Acute Pain Medicine division select fellows on the basis of written applications, academic records, documented performance and interviews. Further information is available upon request.
This fellowship listing should contain the following application information and a copy of the application form:
For consideration a completed application consisting of the following must be received:
- Completed Application Form
- Current CV
- USMLE Scores for Steps 1, 2, 3
- 3 Letters of Reference
- Copy of Dean's Letter and Medical Student Transcript
- Copy of most recent in-training examination
- Copy of ECFMG Certification (if applicable)
Materials may be addressed to Dr. Jacques Chelly as follows:
Jacques E. Chelly, MD, PhD, MBA
c/o Barb Chismar, Project Manager, Department of Anesthesiology University of Pittsburgh
3471 Fifth Avenue, Suite 910
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
chismarbn@upmc.edu
Fax: 412-692-4515
