TRAUMA FELLOWSHIPS

Speciality		Surgical Critical Care
Institution		University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Country		United States
Length (years)		1
Number of posts		3
Trauma Director		Ronald Stewart, MD
The Unit
Full time faculty		8
Description		University Hospital has approximately 425 staffed beds and functions as the primary teaching hospital for the UTHSCSA residency programs. The department of surgery has active trauma service as well as busy elective general surgery, vascular surgery and neurosurgery services that contribute patients to the surgical trauma intensive care unit. University Hospital also functions as the principal children's trauma and transplant facility in South Texas. Approximately 3,500 patients are admitted yearly with approximately 600 critically ill trauma patients admitted to the STICU. In addition, the transplant program performed well over 100 liver transplants in the past year. Wilford Hall Medical Center (WHMC) is the lead medical center for the United States Air Force. WHMC is the primary tertiary referral center for the United States Air Force. Additionally, over 1,100 trauma patients were admitted there in the past year. Since 1998, WHMC and UTHSCSA general surgery residencies have combined to form a single integrated civilian-military general surgery residency. Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) and the US Army Institute of Surgical Research (USAISR) have a separately accredited surgical residency. The USAISR site serves as the sole regional burn unit serving both the civilian population of South Texas and the Department of Defense. The USAISR admits more than 400 critically burned patients annually.
Research activities		Trauma faculty research focuses on new and innovative ways to improve the management and treatment of trauma and critically ill patients. The division participates in industry-sponsored studies as well as investigator-driven studies in areas such as acute lung injury, ARDS, blood utilization, blood substitutes, intra-abdominal infections, surgical infection and surgical nutrition. The one-year fellowship can be extended for an additional year of trauma surgery and critical care research. Fellows also have the opportunity to earn the degree of Master of Science in Clinical Investigation from UTHSCSA during the fellowship.
Fellowship Program
Clinical responsibilities		Clinical fellows will be expected to round daily in the ICU and assume a leadership roll in the management of all critically ill surgical patients. Their role as a consultant will require extensive interaction with the other primary services in development of a daily plan. In addition fellows will be expected to be involved in protocol development and process improvement.
Research opportunities		Trauma faculty research focuses on new and innovative ways to improve the management and treatment of trauma and critically ill patients. The division participates in industry-sponsored studies as well as investigator-driven studies in areas such as acute lung injury, ARDS, blood utilization, blood substitutes, intra-abdominal infections, surgical infection and surgical nutrition. The one-year fellowship can be extended for an additional year of trauma surgery and critical care research. Fellows also have the opportunity to earn the degree of Master of Science in Clinical Investigation from UTHSCSA during the fellowship.
Teaching resposibilities		The SCC fellow assumes a leadership role of the critical care journal club, where recent literature is systematically and critically reviewed. The goal is to achieve both expansion and development of personal learning abilities while increasing the ability to teach associates, residents and other critical care personnel. The fellow is encouraged to develop a broad-based fund of knowledge and an academic interest in a given topic area in surgical critical care. The fellow is responsible for the twice weekly TRISAT critical care conferences/journal clubs and delivers and prepares one of these conferences each month.
Certifications
Salary		$43,500 per year
Applicant requirements		*Completion of 5 yr Residency Program *Completion of USLME Step 3 *Board Eligible Surgeon
Contact
Contact Name		Patti Ruffin
Address		7703 Floyd Curl Drive - Trauma
City		San Antonio
State		Texas
Postcode		78229
Telephone		210-567-2247
Fax		210-567-0003
Email		Ruffin@uthscsa.edu
WebPage		http://surgery.uthscsa.edu/education/fellowships/criticalcare/index.asp
Updated		03.02.2006