Application Process

The UTHSC Surgical Critical Care Fellowship follows the SAFAS Application Process. Candidates must have completed General Surgery Board Certification or be Board Eligible.

A complete application consists of:

• Current Photograph
• Personal Statement
• Medical School Transcript
• USMLE or COMLEX Scores (passing scores are required for steps 1,2, and 3)
• Three Letters of Recommendation

During the one-year surgical critical care experience, the fellows will broaden their basic skills and fundamental knowledge about diseases, disorders and conditions; diagnosis and assessment methods; and surgical procedures that fall within the study of acute surgical problems and critical care. Not only will the fellow expand their fund of knowledge, but they will also gain experience interacting with patients and families; improving their patient care practices and correlating their practices within the health care system on a larger scale. Each fellow will be competent in each of the core competencies outlined by the ACGME. Patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication Skills, professionalism, and systems-based practice provide the foundation for the program’s goals and objectives.

After completion of the Surgery Critical Care Fellowship program, the fellows are expected to achieve the following goals to receive their certificate of completion:
• Diagnose and manage critically ill surgical patients, to include appropriate interventions and procedures.
• Create, design, implement, and analyze research projects.
• Expand and develop the ability to teach associates, fellows in training, and other critical care personnel.
• Learn to administer and manage a critical care unit with emphasis on allocation and utilization of resources and on ethical principles in the delivery of healthcare.

For those fellows who complete the two-year fellowship, he or she will obtain a certificate from The Association for the Surgery of Trauma. The fellow will participate in several vascular, cardiac, and transplant electives to augment their role as junior faculty within the Division of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care. The fellow has the opportunity to independently lead the trauma team at one of the nation’s busiest centers.

A senior faculty member is always available on back-up call for the fellow. The fellow runs the trauma activations, makes patient rounds in the intensive care unit and on the floor and performs any necessary procedures inside and outside the operating room. This year also allows more time for clinical research and professional development. The skills and knowledge obtained during the first year of fellowship are further polished during this second year so the surgeon can begin his or her career with the experience to confidently manage any critically injured patient.