Critical Care Advanced Practice Provider Fellowship

Program Overview

The UMass Memorial Health Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Fellowship in Critical Care is a 12-month program focused on preparing Physician Assistants (PAs) and Acute Care Nurse Practitioners (ACNPs) for a successful career in critical care medicine. The fellowship includes clinical and didactic curricula designed to provide a solid foundation in the management of critically ill patients. Our rotations provide APP fellows with exposure to a wide variety of complex disease processes with rotations in the medical, surgical, trauma, and neurological critical care units. The curriculum includes protected academic time for didactics, simulation-based learning experiences, procedural training, and journal club. 

Our program provides the opportunity to: 

• Develop confidence caring for medically complex patients
• xperience a wide variety of disease processes and critical care procedures
• Attend Fundamental Critical Care Support (FCCS), Emergency Neurologic Life Support (ENLS), and Point of Care Ultrasound training
• Work and learn alongside colleagues devoted to training the next generation of health care providers
• Earn a competitive salary with full and comprehensive benefits

Curriculum Overview

Rotations

Following a 12-week orientation period, APP Fellows work alongside staff APPs, residents, fellows, and critical care attendings in our core ICUs at two UMass Memorial Health campuses:

University Campus:

• Medical ICU
• Neuro ICU
• Trauma / Transplant ICU
• Elective in Cardiovascular / Cardiothoracic surgery ICU
   

Memorial Campus:

• Medical ICU
• Surgical ICU

Duties include but are not limited to presentations during rounds, writing progress notes, calling consults, writing orders, updating patients and families, procedures, following up on labs and imaging, completing admissions as well as transfers and discharges.

Didactic Curriculum

APP Fellows meet every other week for a full day of didactic which includes:

• Lectures on core critical care topics
• Simulation training with high-fidelity mannequins
  • Problem based learning
  • Difficult conversation training including disclosure and apology and end of life communication
• Procedural training to include:  
  • POCUS training
  • Central Venous Catheter
  • Arterial Line
  • Hemodialysis Catheter
  • Introducer
  • Lumbar Puncture
  • Paracentesis
  • Thoracentesis
  • Cardiac Resuscitation 
     

Fellows will also attend Fundamental Critical Care Support (FCCS), Emergency Neurologic Life Support (ENLS), and a Point of Care Ultrasound Course.
 

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to the Critical Care APP Fellowship, an applicant must:

• Be a graduate of an accredited masters Physician Assistant (PA) program or an accredited Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) program
• Be eligible to obtain a PA or ACNP license in the state of MA
• Be eligible to pass or have passed the ANCC or NCCPA certification
• Have ANCC or NCCPA certification by start date
• Be eligible for Federal DEA registration and Massachusetts Controlled Substance Registration
• Be certified in American Heart Association BLS and ACLS
• Participate in formal interviews on a predetermined date

How to Apply

Our program starts two cohorts per year and accepts two fellows per cohort.

Fall Cohort:

• Applications open in April
• Virtual interviews are held in July
• Program starts mid-October

Spring Cohort:

• Applications open October
• Virtual interviews held in January
• Program starts early May

Applications can be found on the UMass Memorial Health Workday website and must include the following:

• General application form
• Curriculum Vitae
• Letter of Intent
   

If selected for an interview, you will be asked to provide a personal statement.

Stipend and Benefits

APP Fellows are considered temporary employees of UMass Memorial Health and earn a competitive salary and benefits, including medical, dental and life insurance, paid time off, and a practice allowance. Upon completion of the program, a certificate of completion is awarded.
For more information, please contact ccappfellowship@umassmemorial.org