Clinical rotations during our fellowship are characterized by exposure to high severity of illness and heterogeneity of patients. Specific areas of faculty expertise in clinical practice include interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, COPD, sleep medicine, ECMO, ICU care of solid organ transplant recipients and obstetrical critical care, among others. Inpatient settings include Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix (BUMCP) and the Phoenix VA Medical Center (VAMC) inpatient wards and ICUs and the BUMCP sleep lab. Fellow clinics are located at hospital-based and private-practice settings. Electives occur at various preferred sites across the city as we are the only Pulmonary Critical Care fellowship in Phoenix.

Our philosophy during clinical rotations is that fellows need to be have reasonable patient service responsibilities to allow enough time for them to take advantage of unique learning opportunities and act as teachers to our residents and medical students. The fellowship balances progressive autonomy with supervision needed to ensure patient safety. We have no overnight in-house call, but fellows participate in a night-float ICU coverage approximately five days per year.

Core Rotations

  • Pulmonary inpatient consult service – BUMCP and Phoenix VAMC.
  • Intensive care unit – BUMCP and Phoenix VAMC.
  • Trauma intensive care unit – BUMCP.
  • Neuro-critical care unit – BUMCP.
  • Medical toxicology – BUMCP.
  • Ambulatory – BUMCP

Electives

  • Sleep medicine – Phoenix VAMC and BUMCP.
  • Radiology – BUMCP.
  • Infectious disease – Phoenix VAMC.
  • Palliative care – BUMCP.
  • Radiology – Mayo Clinic.
  • Anesthesia – BUMCP.

Rotation Schedule

July ICU BUMCP    
August Pulm VAMC Continuity Clinic  
September  Research Continuity Clinic  
October Pulm Path Continuity Clinic  
November ICU VAMC Continuity Clinic  
December Advanced Lung Disease Continuity Clinic  
January Rads Continuity Clinic  
February Pulm BUMCP Continuity Clinic  
March ICU BUMCP    
April Research Continuity Clinic 5 Days Night-Float
May Trauma Continuity Clinic  
June Sleep Continuity Clinic  

Procedures

Simulation and supervised patient-care are used to teach procedures. Fellows attain proficiency in:

  • ACLS direction.
  • Point of care ultrasonography.
  • Bag-masking.
  • Endotracheal intubation.
  • Central line placement.
  • Inhalational challenge (PFT).
  • Right-heart catheterization.
  • Diagnostic and therapeutic bronchoscopy.
  • Chest tube placement.
  • Percutaneous tracheostomy.
  • ECMO.
  • EBUS.
  • Navigational bronchoscopy.
  • Cariopulmonary exercise testing.
  • Pulmonary function testing.
  • Sleep studies.