Cardiac Critical Care Fellowship
The Cardiac Critical Care fellowship at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta offers one year of clinical experience to individuals who are either board eligible or board certified in Pediatric Cardiology or Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. The Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) at Children's is one of the busiest in the world with 32 dedicated intensive care beds and over 1,000 admissions each year. The purpose of this additional year of training is to prepare physicians for a lifetime career in cardiac critical care medicine by improving critical thinking skills and attention to detail by being proactive, anticipatory, and vigilant in the management of critically ill infants, children, and young adult patients in the cardiac intensive care unit.
During their clinical time in the PICU, our trainees are exposed to preoperative and postoperative management in patients with congenital heart disease, use of ventricular assist devices, heart transplant, acute and chronic heart failure, acute and chronic respiratory failure, severe pulmonary hypertension, life threatening arrythmias, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and multiorgan failure through Children’s Heart Center. Fellows will also benefit by receiving training from a diverse group of cardiac intensivists, cardiac anesthesia, and cardiac surgery providers.
In addition, there are ample research opportunities within the program provided by Emory University and Georgia Tech faculty members. Fellows will be joining a pediatric department that in 2022 produced more than 2,200 publications in more than 1,100 journals. In addition, many Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) faculty have extensive involvement and leadership positions in PC4 and PCICS.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University: A historic partnership of pediatric excellence
In 1956, the Board of Trustees for both Emory University and Egleston Hospital signed an agreement to make Egleston a first-rate teaching hospital
Children’s is one of the largest freestanding healthcare systems in the country. Emory is one of the nation’s leading research universities. Together, the two share a passion for pediatric innovation and advancements. In 1956, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Egleston Hospital and Emory University first established a pediatric teaching relationship. This relationship has developed to facilitate leading-edge pediatric research, training and innovation.
Children’s and Emory University School of Medicine partner together on pediatric residency and fellowship training programs as well as the management and execution of clinical trials. Discoveries in Emory’s research laboratories are translated into lifesaving treatments at Children’s. Emory and Children’s share a unique employment agreement; more than 400 physicians hold titles at both independent institutions.
National Honors from U.S. News & World Report
Children’s ranks among the nation’s top pediatric hospitals on the U.S. News & World Report list of “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The report ranks hospitals for excellence in outcomes, program structure and national reputation in 10 pediatric specialty areas.
Our Awards
Why Atlanta?
In addition to our unique neighboring pediatric partners, Atlanta is full of diverse communities, walkable neighborhoods, a thriving arts and culture scene, and plenty of green spaces and sunny weather—it’s pretty easy to fall in love with our charming city.
Make Atlanta Home- Susan “Susi” Hupp, MD, Program Director
- Richard Garcia, MD, Recruiting Director
Why Children's?
We manage one million patient visits annually at three hospitals, Marcus Autism Center, the Center for Advanced Pediatrics, urgent care centers and neighborhood locations.
Learn moreWe have a curriculum that offers individualized training according to each individual trainee background. The proposed curriculum is as follows. In addition to our robust educational curriculum, fellows are provided mentoring in education, leadership, quality improvement, and research. The fellows are involved daily in the education of the bedside staff, APPs, and categorical fellows, both formally and informally.
CICU: 24 weeks
Anesthesia/Operating Room: 4 weeks
PICU: 4 weeks
Electives: 4-8 weeks
Total Clinical: 36-40 weeks
Non-clinical: 12 weeks (vacation, conferences, QI, research, extra electives, etc)
CICU: 24 weeks
Cardiac cath lab: 4 weeks
Imaging: 4 weeks
Anesthesia/Operating Room: 2-4 weeks
Electrophysiology: 2 weeks
Electives: 4-8 weeks
Total Clinical: 36-40 weeks
Non-clinical: 12 weeks (vacation, conferences, QI, research, extra electives, etc)
Elective offerings:
- EP
- Cath
- Advanced Cardiac Therapies
- Cardiac Anesthesia
- Palliative Care medicine
- Imaging
- ECMO
Monday:
7:40-8:30 AM: CICU Professor Rounds (bi-weekly)
Tuesday:
7:00-8:30 AM: Heart Center Surgical Case Discussion
12-2: Core PICU Content lectures
12:30-1:30 PM: Anatomy review (17 sessions/year)
Wednesday:
7:45-8:45 AM: CICU Faculty meeting and difficult patient review
12:30-1:30 PM: Cath hemodynamics review (monthly)
Thursday:
7:00-8:00 AM: Heart Center Meeting
Friday:
7:00-7:45 AM: ECG review
7:45-8:30 AM: Cardiology Core Conference
12:30-1:30 PM: Advanced imaging review or CICU lecture
Once Monthly:
PCICS Journal Club/Case Conference
ECMO M&M
ECMO Training Course: Attend a 4-day ECMO training course. The goal of this course is to understand the physiology and management of ECMO and certification for management of patients on ECMO.
Echo boot camp: Attend relevant portions of a two-week training course.
PALS certification to be maintained.
Attend a CME approved conference over the course of the fellowship. (Attendance will be reimbursed by the program).
Thank you for your interest in the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Fellowship. Required application documents are as follows:
- A completed PCICS common application form, CV, personal statement, and three letter of recommendation (one must be from the most recent or current program director).
- We follow the application deadlines proposed by PCICS. Typically, begin accepting applications in July of the preceding year. Interviews are offered between July and October and are made are made around the beginning of October. Exact dates can be found on the PCICS website.
- Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the United States and obtaining a Georgia medical license.
Send complete application to the Program Director, Susi Hupp, MD susan.hupp@emory.edu with copy to Recruiting Director, Richard Garcia, MD rugarci@emory.edu.
- Susan “Susi” Hupp, MD, Program Director, susan.hupp@emory.edu
- Richard Garcia, MD, Recruiting Director, rugarci@emory.edu