Department of Internal Medicine Pulmonary, Critial Care, and
Occupational Medicine Fellowship Program

VA Pulmonary Service

(3 months during F 1 Year)

Faculty Responsible : Stephen McGowan, M.D. and faculty attending for the month

Goals:

1. Gain experience performing and interpreting static pulmonary function tests including spirometry, lung volumes, diffusing capacity, arterial blood gases, respiratory muscle strength, and inhalational challenge tests.
2. Gain experience managing critically ill patients including patients with respiratory failure, renal failure, acute MI, congestive heart failure, multiorgan system failure, acute and chronic intoxications, acute neurologic disease, hemodynamic compromise, sepsis, acute endocrine emergencies, and acute GI bleeding.
3. Gain experience with nutritional support in the critical care setting.
4. Gain experience managing ventilator-dependent patients.
5. Gain experience with invasive techniques including intubations, central line placement, pleural biopsy, thoracentesis, closed tube thoracostomy, transthoracic needle biopsy, and bronchoscopy.
6. Learn about ethical and legal issues related to critical care medicine.
7. Gain experience interacting with other specialists, subspecialists, and support personnel in caring for critically ill patients.
8. Gain experience in educating other physicians in pulmonary and critical care topics.
9. Gain experience managing clinical inpatient pulmonary problems including acute/chronic respiratory failure, obstructive airway exacerbations, acute and chronic pleuropulmonary infections, and pleural disease.
10. Gain experience performing inpatient and outpatient pulmonary and critical care consultations.
11. Learn about evaluating and treating pulmonary diseases in the outpatient setting.

Site of Instruction:

MICU, 8W, Outpatient Clinics, and Diagnostics Suite at the VAH

Evaluation:

Fellows are evaluated informally throughout the month by the staff attending, and they are evaluated formally at the end of each month by the medical students, medical residents, and attending staff.

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