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Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship

The Saint Louis University's pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) fellowship program is designed to train pediatricians and individuals trained in emergency medicine to be uniquely qualified to provide care and leadership in pediatric emergency medicine.

As a fellow, you will provide direct and supervisory care for critically ill patients, grow as an educator in pediatric emergency medicine and develop confidence in conducting research in an academic setting.

Learn More About SLU's Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Fellowship Training

The fellowship spans three years for those trained in pediatrics and two years for those trained in emergency medicine. The program is flexible and will be tailored to the needs of the individual.

SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital is the primary site for the training of the fellowship and is the major pediatric teaching program of the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

Located across the street from the medical school, the hospital is a free-standing 190-bed pediatric facility and a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center with ground and helicopter transport services for both pediatric and neonatal patients. The hospital is fully electronic, with an EMR system (Epic) shared between the emergency department, clinics and inpatient areas.

Curriculum

  • 14 months of direct patient care and supervision in a busy urban emergency department.
  • Seven months during training devoted to research. This time involves formulating a research idea, generating the IRB proposal and collecting and analyzing data.
  • Six months open for elective rotations.
  • Six months spent on the following required rotations: anesthesia, orthopedics, PICU, radiology, toxicology and administrative.
  • Three months spent taking care of patients in an adult emergency room under the supervision of the SLU EM residency faculty.

PEM Service Month

  • 12 to 13 emergency department shifts per month, three of which are on weekends
  • Transport call each of these days

Research and Administrative Months

  • Four emergency department shifts per month, two of which are on weekends
  • Total of 10 transport calls per month

Orthopedics, Radiology, Anesthesia, Elective and Toxicology Months

  • Two emergency department shifts per month, both of which are on weekends
  • Total of 10 transport calls per month

Pediatric ICU Month

  • No emergency department shifts
  • Total of 10 transport calls per month
  • No PICU overnight call

Adult EM Months

  • No pediatric ED shifts; approximately 14 adult emergency department shifts
  • No transport calls

Research Curriculum

The research curriculum includes an introduction to research in academics, biostatistics and epidemiology, research methodology and presentation/manuscript preparation and writing.

The Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine is actively engaged in research. We are a member of the Patient Outcomes In Simulation Education (POISE) network. There are currently over 20 active research projects within the division, including topics in:

  • Resident education
  • Ultrasound
  • Disaster medicine
  • Trauma medicine
  • Pulse oximetry and carboxyhemoglobin screening
  • Applications of simulation to pediatric emergency medicine
  • Hylenex
  • Asthma protocols
  • Effect of obesity on sedation outcomes
  • Laceration management with absorbable sutures

Resident Lecture Series

Each fellow is responsible for giving two hour-long noon conferences and two half-hour long morning report to the pediatrics residents each year on various topics in PEM.

Conferences

There are a number of conferences available for fellows to attend. They include:

Division Meeting
Held on the first Thursday of the month from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., this conference discusses the management of the division, including policies, practice guidelines, research, finances and patient flow issues.
Fellows Conference

Held every Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m, the first hour of this conference is dedicated to the fellows; the second hour is open to all PEM faculty.

Conferences include journal club, procedure lectures, case presentations, M and M, radiology findings and a board review series.

Trauma Conference
Held on the third Wednesday of the month from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., this conference discusses trauma topics in conjunction with the Department of Pediatric Surgery, in addition to a trauma M and M.
Emergency Management Committee Meeting
Held on the second Wednesday of the month from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., this meeting reviews all of the codes called in the hospital over the preceding months.

Application Process

Applicants must be in their final year of training in either pediatrics, internal medicine-pediatrics, or emergency medicine. The fellowship accepts two applicants per year. Three letters of recommendation are required.

Applications are accepted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS), and the fellowship program participates in the The Match, National Resident Matching Program.

  • Latest date for applications: September 15
  • Interview period: August 15 to October 30.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do your fellows function in the emergency department?
Fellows are expected to selectively see the more critically ill and educationally rewarding patients. First and second-year fellows do check out the patients to the ED attending, but are expected to independently establish the assessment and treatment plan, and perform all procedures.
The third year fellow functions as a junior faculty member and precepts patients seen by the residents working in the ER. This includes working night shifts as a single ED attending.
Is moonlighting allowed?
Moonlighting is allowed with the permission of the Dean of the School of Medicine and PEM Division Director, so long as it does not interfere with the academic and research progress of the fellow or lead to any work hours violations.
How many hours can I expect to work in a service month?
Service months consist of 12-hour shifts with fellows completing 12 to 13 shifts total. Research and administrative months consist of four 12-hour shifts. Electives will have two 12-hour shifts. Months with vacations will have the number of required shifts prorated.
What types of sedations are fellows allowed to perform?
Fellows are credentialed in moderate and deep sedation and are strongly encouraged to become experienced with multiple sedation techniques during training. This includes ketamine, propofol, ketofol, etomidate, fentanyl, midazolam, nitrous oxide and various nerve and hematoma blocks.
Will fellows be allowed time off to attend national meetings?
Attendance at national meetings and conferences is strongly encouraged, and the program will rearrange schedules and offer financial support to make this happen.
Do you accept non-US citizens as fellows?
At this time, we are able to accept US citizens, US permanent residents ("green card holders"), and H1B visa holders. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept other visas at this time.
Are fellows able to participate in international electives?
Though there isn't a formal international elective, there is a history of fellows participating in international disaster relief. 
What is involved in "transport call"?
Being on transport call involves the fellow being available within 30 minutes by his or her pager to go on a transport trip for a critically ill patient where a physician may be needed to assist the transport nurses. Among current fellows, none have been called in on transport call more than six times in a year.