Saint Louis University offers a robust, one-year clinical and academic program designed for fellows who will train at SSM Health Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital under faculty from the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care in the School of Medicine.
An anesthesiologist who specializes in pediatric anesthesiology provides anesthetic care for neonates, infants, children and adolescents undergoing surgical, diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. This subspecialty also determines and provides appropriate pre- and post-operative care, advanced life support, and acute pain management for pediatric patients.
Curriculum on Pediatric Anesthesia
Fellowship Candidacy
SLU’s pediatric anesthesia fellowship is open to candidates who have completed or are near completion of an ACGME accredited residency in anesthesiology. It includes exposure to advanced cases in pediatric perioperative and critical care. Elective rotations in the pediatric intensive care unit, the neonatal intensive care unit and the emergency department are also available.
Application Process
SLU participates in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Specialties Matching Service and applications are accepted via the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).
Interviews are by invitation and will be offered only to those with complete application packets. Applicants must:
- Submit two letters of recommendation (on letterhead) to the fellowship program director, Naila A. Ahmad, M.D.
- Supply copies of their board scores (USMLE/COMLEX)
- Complete the Common Program application (include a passport-size photo if possible)
- Include a letter of intent
For more information contact Robin Wessels, program coordinator, at 314-678-3044.
Fellowship Goals and Objectives
Fellows in Saint Louis University’s pediatric anesthesia program:
- Attain the body of knowledge, skill set and clinical judgment expected of a consultant in pediatric anesthesiology.
- Are prepared to provide anesthetic care for children of all ages within the spectrum of acuity as seen in various practice settings, i.e. from major referral centers to small-town practices.
- Serve as a clinician-educator, assisting the faculty in clinical supervision and as an active participant in didactics for anesthesia residents, visiting physicians and other trainees.
- Become familiar with research principles and hone critical thinking skills with regards to study design and validity.
- Acquire the acumen necessary to achieve ABA Board Certification in pediatric anesthesia.
Performance Targets
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Milestone Project for this fellowship was devised in 2014 and provides a framework for the assessment of performance and competency in the subspecialty.
Fourteen domains are assessed, including the six competencies for residency training in anesthesiology. The ACGME assessment occurs as formal reports at mid-fellowship and at the completion of fellowship training. These reports are devised by the review committee and based on evaluations by the attending faculty, 360-degree evaluations by nurses, staff and families, and a performance review by the program director. There are five levels of performance, advancing from Level One, "incoming fellow expectations," to Level Five, "performance beyond graduate expectations."
The SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital Experience
The annual caseload of over 10,000 operations at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital consists of the full spectrum of surgical procedures from routine cases to craniofacial reconstructions, and heart and liver transplantation. Case logs and index cases have proven ample in every area required by the ACGME for satisfying the fellowship training in pediatric anesthesiology.
In addition to the division's didactics, SLU’s pediatric anesthesiology fellows participate in the Fellows Colloquium, a weekly advanced didactics series for all fellows in any pediatric subspecialty. Topics include, "Ethics, Well Being and Understanding Statistics." To ensure a well-rounded exposure, one-month rotations on a subspecialty service are planned. Each fellow has leeway to vary the number of rotations in a given area provided comprehensive exposure is not compromised.