Surgical Critical Care Fellowship

SURGICAL CRITICAL CARE FELLOWSHIP

Overview

The University of Utah Surgical Critical Care (SCC) Fellowship program was established at the University of Utah in 2003 and has been continuously accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) since then.

The program focuses on the management of critically ill surgical patients, providing fellows with the expertise necessary to provide comprehensive care in intensive care settings. They learn to handle a wide range of conditions, such as severe trauma, organ failure, complex surgical infections, and postoperative complications. The fellowship emphasizes critical care principles, ventilator management, hemodynamic monitoring, and advanced resuscitation techniques, and equips doctors with the skills to navigate the complexities of managing life-threatening conditions, optimizing patient outcomes in critical situations.

Furthermore, fellows have the opportunity to not only acquire an in-depth knowledge of advanced skills in critical care and operative techniques, but also to develop both academically and professionally. The program is committed to delivering excellent clinical exposure, as well as directed, expert instruction, promoting autonomous education, and fostering the refinement of fellows' scientific and academic pursuits. The fellowship consists of a combination of mentorship with a gradual increase in clinical, administrative, and educational responsibilities; didactic instruction; hands-on experience; and self-directed learning.

Clinical rotations take place at University of Utah Health, Primary Children’s Medical Center, Intermountain Medical Center, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. During clinical rotations fellows evaluate new patients and manage patients under treatment, including the simulation and treatment planning, while under appropriate supervision. Fellow progress is evaluated on an individual basis following the completion of each clinical rotation and by the Program Director on a quarterly basis.

The year-long SCC fellowship can be completed independently or as part of a 2-year track in which the first year is focused on SCC and the second on acute care surgery (ACS). One (1) position per track (either the standalone 1-year track or the combined 2-year track), for a total of two (2) positions, are available every academic year.

Program Aims

The University of Utah Surgical Critical Care Fellowship Program Team aims to:

Develop Expert Critical Care Specialists - Train highly skilled and competent surgeons capable of providing comprehensive and specialized care to critically ill and injured patients.
Advance Patient Outcomes - Focus on refining fellows' abilities to provide timely and effective critical care interventions that lead to improved patient outcomes, reduced complications, and improved quality of life.
Promote Multidisciplinary Collaboration - Foster collaboration with various medical specialists, including intensivists, anesthesiologists, nurses, and allied healthcare professionals, to ensure holistic patient care.
Encourage Research and Evidence-Based Methods - Engage fellows in critical care research and evidence-based methods, contributing to the evolution of protocols, treatment strategies, and innovations in surgical critical care.
Cultivate Leadership Skills - Develop leadership skills that enable fellows to lead critical care teams, coordinate patient care, and manage complex clinical scenarios.
Foster Professional Growth - Provide a supportive environment for fellows' professional growth, encouraging their pursuit of academic roles, teaching opportunities, and contributions to the field of surgical critical care.
Empower Compassionate Care - Instill a patient-focused approach, emphasizing effective communication, empathy, and compassionate care to patients and their families during critical illness.
Champion Ethical Practice - Engender ethical values and principles, ensuring fellows prioritize patient well-being, respect patient autonomy, and maintain the highest standards of integrity in their practice.
Prepare for Certification and Practice - Equip fellows with the knowledge and expertise necessary to pursue board certification in surgical critical care, ensuring they meet the highest standards of competence and ethical practice in the field.

Program Team

Alexander Colonna, MD, MSCI, FACS

Program Director

Joanna Grudziak, MD, MPH

Associate Program Director

Anna Darelli-Anderson, MEd, BA, C-TAGME

Program Manager

Morgan Creamer, BS

Program Coordinator

Teaching Faculty

Alexander Colonna, MD, MSCI, FACS

Associate Professor, Surgery

Joanna Grudziak, MD, MPH

Assistant Professor, Surgery

Toby Enniss, MD, MBA, FACS

Associate Professor, Surgery

Jason Young, MD, PharmD, FACS

Associate Professor, Surgery

Marta McCrum, MD, MPH

Associate Professor, Surgery

Sarah Lombardo, MD, MSC

Assistant Professor, Surgery

Sudha Jayaraman, MD, MSc, FACS

Professor, Surgery

Sean Overton, MD

Associate Professor, Anesthesiology

Peter Liu, MD

Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology

John Skaggs, MD

Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology

Application Information

Eligibility

To be eligible for the one-year SCC Fellowship, an applicant must have completed at least three clinical years in an ACGME-accredited residency program, an American Osteopathic Association (AOA)-approved residency program, a program with ACGME International (ACGME-I) Advanced Specialty Accreditation, or a Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC)-accredited or College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)-accredited residency program located in Canada in one of the following specialties prior to their start date: anesthesiology, emergency medicine, neurological surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopaedic surgery, otolarnygology, plastic surgery, surgery, thoracic surgery, vascular surgery, or urology.

If applying for the two-year SCC/ACS Fellowship, an applicant must have completed an ACGME-accredited general surgery residency program in the United States or Canada.

Additionally, the fellow must meet all the requirements contained in the “Eligibility and Credentialing of Housestaff” Policy of the University of Utah Office of Graduate Medical Education (GME), including:

Being eligible for and obtaining a license to practice medicine in the state of Utah.
Completion of all United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) examinations.
Graduation from a U.S. or Canadian medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).

Graduation from a college of osteopathic medicine in the United States accredited by the AOA OR
Graduation from a medical school outside of the United States and meets one or more of the following qualifications:
1. Has a currently valid Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certificate OR
2. Has a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in U.S. licensing jurisdictions OR
3. Is a graduate of a medical school outside of the United States and has completed a Fifth Pathway program provided by an LCME-accredited medical school
Passing a criminal background check
Compliance with the Health Sciences Center Drug Testing

You can obtain more information regarding the GME policies and benefits, along with general information, at the GME website.

Application Process

Eligible applicants apply through the Surgical Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery Fellowship Application Service (SAFAS). Applications are screened and then reviewed by the Program Director and a diverse group of at least four faculty members and selected applicants are invited to interview. Candidates will then be evaluated on their standing within their residency program, educational qualifications, academic productivity (grants, publications, degrees, and experience), interviews, and letters of recommendation. Finally, selected fellows are matched via the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and are sent an offer letter.

REQUIRED INFORMATION

In addition to the standard SAFAS application, the following are required: