Pulmonology

Application Deadline 

October 1

Length of Program

3 years

Program Start Date

July

Number of Positions Available

1/year

Columbia University Pediatric Pulmonology Fellowship Program

 

Mission Statement

The Pediatric Pulmonology Fellowship at New York-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital and Columbia University is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and has been consistently ranked among the highest pediatric pulmonology programs in the tri-state area. The Pediatric Pulmonology Fellowship Program’s mission is to provide trainees with the most complete, up-to-date experience in the field of pediatric pulmonology and to foster a life-long commitment to children’s respiratory health. The setting at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Irving Medical Center (NYP/CUIMC) provides an exceptionally collaborative environment, with specialized multi-disciplinary teams caring for complex medical conditions.

Overview

This three-year fellowship is available to candidates who have completed a pediatric residency at an accredited program. Fellows generally spend 14 months acquiring clinical skills and the remaining 19 months pursuing academic research.

The main focus of the training program is to provide fellows with a balance of clinical training and research experience. Through our very active outpatient and inpatient services, fellows gain experience in diverse areas of pediatric pulmonary medicine, and through their research project fellows develop and hone their skills designing, conducting, and presenting a research project.

Curriculum

Clinical

Fellows see outpatients in weekly clinics throughout the training period and manage the inpatient service for half of the first year. While on the inpatient service, fellows supervise the care of patients admitted to the hospital with primary pulmonary illnesses, consult with other services about children who have respiratory complications, and perform flexible bronchoscopies under the direct supervision of faculty. The Pulmonary Division offers a range of clinical services and programs:

Fellows spend time rotating through these various clinics during their outpatient electives. Additional elective time is available in the second and/or third years during which fellows can gain greater familiarity in related fields including critical care, pediatric radiology, sleep medicine, lung transplant medicine, and anesthesiology.

Research

During their first year fellows choose a research track and mentor. CUIMC provides myriad clinical and basic scientists who are able and willing to serve as research mentors, and members of the division have existing collaborations with those in the microbiology, cellular biology, genetics and development, anesthesiology, and immunology laboratories. Our fellows have access to translational and epidemiological investigators and our existing collaborations involve investigators across the School of Medicine, School of Public Health, and School of Nursing. In addition, there are ample opportunities for participating in research projects within the Division of Pulmonology including areas such as cystic fibrosis, asthma, interstitial lung disease, neuromuscular disease, sleep medicine, and exercise physiology.

Fellows continue their research activities through the second and third years of fellowship, and are expected to present their work at a major national meeting, and submit a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal. Fellows can additionally take courses in study design and biostatistics at the Mailman School of Public Health. (Learn more about Mailman's Summer Research Institute and Patient Oriented Research programs.)

Our Past Graduates have taken on various academic positions and several have accomplished themselves in the fields of research, education, and clinical medicine. Some of our recent and current fellows’ projects include:

Clinical Sciences

  • Examining a predictive model of asthma; looking at autonomic nervous system dysregulation in infancy predicting future wheeze.
  • Understanding and addressing factors in the urban environment that contribute to pediatric asthma.

Basic and Translational Sciences

  • Investigating the role of the WNT signaling pathway in alveolar macrophage differentiation using cell culture and murine models of allergic asthma.
  • Airway smooth muscle contractility via flavonol-mediated inhibition of
phospholipase-Cβ.

Quality Improvement

  • Pulmonary exacerbations in cystic fibrosis: developing consensus and clinical practice guidelines for management.
  • Food insecurity in cystic fibrosis and impact on nutrition: identifying areas for intervention.
  • Novel educational tools for learning.

Education

Fellows participate in a variety of weekly pulmonology conferences including:

  • A conference attended by all members of the interdisciplinary cystic fibrosis team
  • A core curriculum lecture in which fellows and faculty present various topics in pulmonary physiology and pathophysiology
  • A clinical case conference where fellows and faculty members present interesting inpatient and outpatient cases for discussion
  • A sleep conference where fellows learn to read and interpret sleep studies. 
  • Periodic journal clubs and board review presentations
  • Radiology rounds with the Division of Radiology where imaging studies are reviewed every week with a radiologist

Our fellows participate in teaching rounds with the residents and medical students as well as resident lectures and conferences.

Why Columbia?

Columbia University Irving Medical Center offers care to a high volume patient population with complex care needs along the full spectrum of pediatric pulmonology disorders and we have the capacity to train future pulmonologists in all aspects of pulmonology. We are consistently ranked the highest pediatric pulmonology program in the tri-state area. We have the full range of subspecialty services available for consultation and collaboration to meet patient care needs. We have several multi-disciplinary clinics, which offers fellows the opportunity to train within a paradigm of holistic and comprehensive care. In addition to clinical care, we have a phenomenal faculty committed and dedicated to education and training of our students, residents and fellows. CUIMC is an internationally recognized leader in the creation of new knowledge and therapies to improve health in individuals and populations. With sponsored research totaling hundreds of millions annually, our faculty pursue research that encompasses all areas of contemporary biomedical investigation and public health. For more information, visit https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/research.

Benefits

Residents are employees of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and affiliated with Columbia University Irving Medical Center. With these affiliations come many benefits!

Current Fellows

  • Mahrukh Shah, MD, MBBS

  • James Kimpo, DO, MPH

  • Tiwa Sam-Odusina, MD, MPH

  • Prabhjot Sekhon, MD

    photo of Prabhjot Sekhon

How to Apply

Applications to our fellowship are processed through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) system. Materials are accepted starting in July for fellowship positions beginning the following year. Those who wish to apply must be board eligible or board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. Please note that a completed application includes:

  • Completed ERAS forms
  • Three letters of recommendation, including one letter from the applicant's department chairman or residency director
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Personal statement
  • Additional information, such as USMLE transcript and photo, are recommended

Acceptances to the fellowship are made through the Pediatric Specialties Fall Match of the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). Please refer to the NRMP website for details about the match submission deadline.

Columbia University and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital are equal opportunity employers; applications from women and minorities are encouraged. Please note that Columbia University and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital do not sponsor H1B visa trainees.

Contact

Yvonne Diaz Cruz
Fellowship Coordinator
212-305-7559
yd63@cumc.columbia.edu