Pediatric critical care fellowship
Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU offers trainees a diverse education in clinical, administrative and research-based pediatric critical care medicine in a state-of-the-art facility.
For more than 28 years, our three-year fellowship program has trained physicians to:
- Practice in academic centers with expertise in multidisciplinary care and management of life-threatening illnesses in critically ill infants and children
- Address difficult ethical questions that arise in caring for critically ill and injured children
- Develop expertise in the organization, analysis, and preparation of scientific research
- Practice well-developed teaching skills for students at all levels
This fellowship program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and participates in the National Residency Match Program for pediatric critical care medicine.
Training, professional and educational opportunities
Clinical Training
Fellows coordinate care for patients from all medical and surgical pediatric subspecialties. Specifically, fellows actively participate in the care of patients on trauma, cardiovascular, neurosurgical and general surgical services.
Mandatory and Elective Rotations:
- Anesthesia Service
- Cardiology/Cardiac Intensive Care
- Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory
- Toxicology (Virginia Poison Control is attached to the Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU)
- Pediatric pulmonary disease and the pulmonary function laboratory
- Medical respiratory intensive care unit
- Pediatric transports (discretionary)
Research Training
The division and collaborating faculty have particular expertise in molecular biology and pathophysiology. Fellows are presented with ample opportunities to participate in research through VCU Reanimation Engineering Shock Center. In this rich research environment, fellows are encouraged to pursue a mentored laboratory or clinical research experience. Specifically, they learn how to develop a hypothesis oriented to the lab, methodologies for data collection and analysis, and how to present findings and prepare manuscripts for publication. In the past, our fellows have won the AAPs New Investigator Research Grant Awards two successive years for two independent projects.
Curriculum
Fellows attend and present at weekly conferences including journal clubs, chapter reviews, case conferences and research meetings. In addition, they participate in other instructional opportunities such as didactic sessions, directed readings, dedicated critical care board review and morbidity/mortality conferences. Fellows receive formal education in biostatistics and study design, ethical and legal aspects of critical illness, PICU administration, and scientific writing.
How to Apply
Applications should be submitted via the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). The Critical Care Fellowship Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and participates in the National Residency Match Program (NRMP).
Contact the pediatric critical care fellowship team
Fellowship Director Jesse Bain, DO Assistant Professor
Division of Pediatric Critical Care
Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU
Email: jesse.bain@vcuhealth.org
Associate Program Director
Kara Greenfield, DO
Division of Pediatric Critical Care
Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU
Email: Kara.greenfield@vcuhealth.org
Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine PO Box 980530
Richmond, VA 23298
Phone: 804-828-4080
Fax: 804-828-0645
Current fellows
Ashley Nyitray, MD
2nd year
Med school: Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Residency: Prisma Health/University of South Carolina - Pediatrics
Laura Mejia-Connolly, DO
3rd year
Med school: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: SUNY Upstate Medical University - Pediatrics
Lauren Irvin, DO
1st year
Med school: University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Brown University
Maggie Kent, MD
1st year
Med school: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Residency: Duke University
