Curriculum

Year 1

  • NICU Service Fellow: Five months
  • High-Risk Obstetrical Service Required Rotation: Two weeks
  • Research/area of special focus: Five and a half months
  • Follow-up clinic weekly: two fellows scheduled each week when not on NICU service
  • Average on-call frequency: 1/6 nights for the entire year (varies by service month versus non-service month)
  • Vacation: 4 weeks

1. Clinical Knowledge: Be able to describe clinical symptoms and management alternatives for the more common problems seen in neonates:

  • Respiratory Distress Syndrome and its ramifications
  • Prematurity and its ramifications (e.g., IVH, PVL, PDA, ROP)
  • Early and late onset infection
  • Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn
  • Transitional Disorders (e.g. TTN, hypoglycemia, hyperbilirubinemia)
  • Congenital Heart Disease
  • Common surgical disorders (e.g. gastroschisis, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, NEC with perforation)
  • Nutritional and feeding problems
  • Asphyxia and its ramifications
  • Common genetic and developmental anomalies
  • Problems of infants of mothers with diabetes
  • Renal Failure and problems with fluid homeostasis
  • Complete 2-week rotation on High-risk Obstetrical Service
  • Achieve NRP Instructor status
  • Complete American Anesthesia Association sponsored online "conscious sedation" course.
  • Basic principles of biostatistics
  • Billing & Coding
  • Hospital and Personal finance
  • Begin review of selected topics in Fetal and Neonatal Physiology (Pollin and Fox textbook)

2. Procedures: Become proficient with the following procedures in neonates (through simulation and clinical practice):

  • Neonatal resuscitation (be qualified as at least an NRP instructor)
  • Endotracheal intubation
  • UAC/UVC placement
  • Read X-rays and EKGs  
  • Lumbar puncture
  • Percutaneous deep venous line placement (PICC)
  • Peripheral arterial line placement
  • Ventilator management
  • Developmental examination of former NICU patient
  • Chest tube placement

3. Teaching Skills & Presentation

  • Develop and give several lectures suitable for resident presentations on common topics in Neonatology
  • Adequate performance in OB/PEDS Conference
  • Adequate performance in Code Pink (NRP) Teaching Sessions 

4. Research Project

  • Complete all education and training to establish IRB account within first 3 months
  • Choose a mentor
  • Establish Scholarship Oversight Committee (SOC) with mentors help
  • Complete an IRB protocol for a clinical project or a similar background/planning paper for a basic science project

5. Patient safety and Quality

  • Complete basic training and educational modules
  • Participate in a Quality Improvement Project

6. Administration

  • Attend and participate in Division meetings
  • Member of one hospital or divisional committee

Year 2

  • NICU Service Fellow: Four months (two months at MHMC and two months at Akron Children's Hospital)
  • Pediatric Cardiology/Cardiothoracic Surgery Rotation: Two weeks block at Akron Children's Hospital (Required)
  • Research/area of special focus: Six months
  • Follow-up clinic weekly: two fellows scheduled each week by rotation when not on NICU service; a two-week rotation in NICHD Neonatal Network Research Clinic at Akron Children’s Hospital which includes participation in and gain knowledge on Bayley Scales of Infant Development.
  • Average on call frequency: 1/6 nights for the entire year (varies by service month versus non-service month) at MetroHealth NICU
  • Vacation: 4 weeks

Year 3

  • NICU Service Fellow: Three months
  • Acting NICU attending: One month
  • Research/Area of special focus: Seven months
  • Follow-up Clinic: two fellows scheduled each week when not on NICU service
  • Average on call frequency: 1/6 nights for the entire year. (varies by service month versus non-service month)
  • Vacation: 4 weeks

1. Clinical Knowledge

  • Understand medical, social, ethical, and interactional issues of neonates with any neonatal problem to the degree necessary to function as the NICU ward leader
  • Complete a two-year review of Fetal and Neonatal Physiology (Read Polin and Fox)
  • Complete a two-year reading program with one of the major textbooks of Neonatology
  • Billing & Coding
  • Hospital and Personal Finance

2. Procedures

  • Master and be a proficient teacher of all the Neonatology procedure from Years 1 and 2.

3. Teaching Skills & Presentations

  • Excellent teacher on Work Rounds
  • Can give resident-level talks on most common topics in Neonatology
  • Excellent OB/PEDS presentations
  • Lecture presentations during physiology lecture series
  • Regional and national presentations 

4. Research Project

  • Complete main project
  • Submit manuscript of main project to peer review journal
  • Present research results in platform or poster presentation format at local, regional, and national scientific meetings

5. Administration

  • Complete Acting Attending month
  • Serve as Chief Fellow 
  • Member divisional or hospital committee

6. Third Year Elective

  • Two-week elective rotation in a semiprivate level III community NICU - Program Director will coordinate.

7. Obtaining a Neonatology Faculty Job

  • Travel days set aside for graduating fellows to interview for jobs
  • Assistance with CV 
  • Coaching and Practice interviews
  • One-on-one counseling and coaching with Division Head/PD

8. Other

  • Customized teaching; Optional Electives: 2 weeks Elective in Hemodynamics, Neonatal neurology, Neonatal cardiology, etc.
  • ECMO-training
  • Basic Lab Research
  • Study time for Peds board exam in October: if you have board exam, you will be on research months in September and October.
  • Palliative care, end of life: Effective communication course
  • Cost of living is cheap: 2 room apartment’s rent is $1000 in average