Pulmonary Disease & Critical Care Fellowship

322

Peer-Reviewed Publications in 2023

64K+

Patient Encounters

92

Active Clinical Trials

About Our Fellowship

PCCM Current Class
Our Program Faculty
Deepa Gotur, MD, FCCP
Program Director, Pulmonary Disease & Critical Care Fellowship
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Academic Institute
Associate Clinical Member, Research Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College
Christopher Cortes Headshot
Christopher Cortes, MD
Associate Program Director, Pulmonary Disease & Critical Care Fellowship
Clinical Service Chief, Critical Care Medicine
Medical Director, Medical Intensive Care Unit 
Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
Department of Medicine
Weill Cornell Medical College
Houston Methodist Hospital
Mena Botros Headshot
Mena Botros, MD
Associate Program Director, Pulmonary Disease & Critical Care Fellowship
Transplant Medicine
Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
Department of Medicine
Weill Cornell Medical College
Houston Methodist Hospital
Lauryn Morrison Headshot
Lauryn N. Morrison, MHA
Senior Program Coordinator, Pulmonary Disease & Critical Care Fellowship
Rodney Folz Headshot
Rodney Folz, MD, PhD, ATSF
Chief, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
Department of Medicine
Jerald B. Katz Academy and Katz Investigator Endowment
Houston Methodist Research Institute and Weill Cornell Medical College
Daniela Moran Headshot
Daniela Moran, MD, FCCP
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Weill Cornell Medical College
MICU Intensivist
Department of Medicine
Houston Methodist Hospital
Sandeep Sahay Headhsot
Sandeep Sahay, MD, MSc, ATSF
Co-Director, Pulmonary Hypertension and CTEPH Programs
Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
Department of Medicine
Weill Cornell Medical College
Houston Methodist Hospital
Faisal Zahiruddin
Faisal Zahiruddin, DO
Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine
Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
Department of Medicine
Houston Methodist Hospital
Tarek Dammad
Tarek Dammad, MD
Clinical Director of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Division
Interventional Pulmonology
Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
Department of Medicine
Houston Methodist Hospital
Max Adelman
Max Adelman, MD, MSc
MICU, Intensivist 
Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
Division of Infectious Diseases
Department of Medicine
Weill Cornell Medical College
Houston Methodist Hospital
Zeenat Safdar Headshot
Zeenat Safdar, MD, MS
Pulmonary Hypertension
Interim Director, Houston Lung Center
Director, Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic and 
Pulmonary Fibrosis Care Network
Professor of Medicine
Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
Department of Medicine
Weill Cornell Medical College
Houston Methodist Hospital
Umai Ashraf Headshot
Umar Ashraf, MBBS
Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Academic Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College
Ahmad Goodarzi Headshot
Ahmad Goodarzi, MD
Transplant Medicine
Pulmonary, Critical Care, & Transplant Medicine
Department of Medicine
Houston Methodist Lung Transplant Center
Jihad Youssef Headshot
J. Georges Youssef, MD
Transplant Medicine
Pulmonary, Critical Care, & Transplant Medicine
Houston Methodist J. C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center
Medical Director, Houston Methodist J. C. Walter Jr. Advanced Lung Diseases Program
Medical Director, Houston Methodist Cardiopulmonary Lab
Medical Director, Houston Methodist Pulmonary Rehab
Raul Sanchez Headshot
Raul Sanchez Leon, MD
Weill Cornell Medical College
MICU Intensivist
Department of Medicine
Houston Methodist Hospital
Howard Huang Headshot
Howard Huang, MD
Transplant Medicine
Pulmonary, Critical Care, & Transplant Medicine
Department of Medicine
Houston Methodist Lung Transplant Center
Simon Yau Headshot
Simon Yau, MD
Transplant Medicine
Pulmonary, Critical Care, & Transplant Medicine
Department of Medicine
Houston Methodist Lung Transplant Center
 
Matt Khoshnevis Headshot
Matt Khoshnevis, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Weill Cornell Medical College
MICU Intensivist
Department of Medicine
Houston Methodist Hospital
Fernando Santacruz Headshot
J. Fernando Santacruz, MD, FCCP, DAABIP
Program Director, Pulmonary Disease & Critical Care Fellowship
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Academic Institute
Associate Clinical Member, Research Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College
Message from the Program Director

Welcome, and thank you for visiting the website of the Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Fellowship program at Houston Methodist Hospital.

Our faculty members engaged in teaching and training fellows are seasoned educators and clinicians dedicated to the success of the program. The fellowship program enjoys a wealth of diverse clinical expertise and patient variety for pulmonary conditions, including pulmonary hypertension, lung transplantation, lung cancer and chronic pulmonary diseases. Four ICU's (medical, surgical-liver, cardiovascular surgery, neurology/neurosurgery) offer experience in the entire range of care for critically ill patients, including heart, liver and lung transplant, ECMO, LVADs, hypothermia, neuromuscular disease, and innovative procedures. Fellows will also follow a panel of patients in outpatient clinics at Houston Methodist Hospital and Hope Clinic (a federally qualified health center) as a valuable complement to the clinical experience in the hospital.

Houston Methodist has its own Research Institute, and its location in the Texas Medical Center − the largest medical center in the world with two medical schools, multiple nursing schools, a pharmacy school, the largest cancer hospital in the world, and Rice University across the street, provides endless opportunities for those interested in pursuing scientific and clinical research.

Should you have any additional questions, or need further clarification about the program, please do not hesitate to contact me or the fellowship coordinator.

Thank you for your interest in our program. We wish you every success in your future career.

Deepa Gotur, MD
Director, Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Fellowship

Eligibility and Application

Houston Methodist Hospital participates in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). All PGY4 positions are offered through the NRMP.

Applications must be processed through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Paper applications are not accepted. All applications are carefully reviewed, and selected applicants are notified electronically through ERAS if an interview is requested. "Pre-Match" positions are not offered.

Houston Methodist Hospital no longer hires employees who use tobacco products. Our new tobacco-free hiring policy supports our mission to improve the health of our patients, our employees and the community around us. As a health care provider, we believe we should promote a healthy environment for our own employees and the communities where we work and live.

Mission & Goals

Commitment

We cultivate a learning and working environment grounded in respect, accountability, and the ICARE values of Houston Methodist Hospital. Our commitment is to provide equitable access to training and to foster an inclusive environment for all trainees, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or religion.

Goals

  • Ensure fellows achieve competency in Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, preparing them for ABIM board certification in these specialties.
  • Provide advanced training in pulmonary care to enhance fellows' expertise.
  • Offer mentorship in clinical medical research for fellows pursuing careers in academic medicine.
  • Support fellows with career goals of becoming clinician-educators.
  • Develop leadership and administrative skills for fellows aiming to excel in clinical leadership roles.


Mission

Our mission is to deliver exceptional training for the next generation of leaders in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. We achieve this through excellence in clinical practice, research, and educational experiences within our tertiary care academic and research center, which serves a diverse patient population and provides world-class patient care.

Vision

To be an unparalleled, world-class fellowship training program that continuously optimizes the learning environment through fellow and faculty feedback, while producing leaders, visionaries, and innovators in the field of pulmonary and critical care medicine. We are committed to advancing medical education, fostering clinical excellence, and shaping the future of healthcare.

FAQs

How do I contact my interviewers after the interview day, if I’d like to follow up?

All applicants will receive an email via ERAS after the interview containing the contact information for all faculty members who participated in interviews on the respective interview day.

Can I change my interview date once I have been scheduled?

We kindly request a 7-day advance notice to allow for necessary schedule adjustments. Whenever possible, we will offer an alternative date, if any are available.

I am driving my own car to the interview. Where do I park?

For in-person interviews, applicants are encouraged to park in the Smith Tower garage, where parking will be validated.

How long does the interview day last?

A typical interview day runs from 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Our Fellows
Jonathan Munoz Headshot
Jonathan Munoz, MD - Chief Fellow
Medical School: Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara Facultad de Medicina
Internal Medicine Residency: Creighton University School of Medicine (Phoenix)

 
Chidinma Ejikeme Headshot
Chidinma Ejikeme, MD - PGY6
Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine
Internal Medicine Residency: Rutgers Health/Trinitas Regional Medical Center 
Neha Rao
Neha Rao, MD - PGY5
Medical School: Texas A&M University System Health Science Center College of Medicine 
Internal Medicine Residency: Houston Methodist Hospital 
Athony Vaccarello Headshot
Anthony Vaccarello, MD - PGY5
Medical School: Trinity School of Medicine
Internal Medicine Residency: Creighton University School of Medicine (Phoenix)
Eunice Headshot
Eunwoo "Eunice" Park, MD - PGY5
Medical School: Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Internal Medicine Residency: Loma Linda University Health Education Consortium

Ashish Jain Headshot
Ashish Jain, MD - PGY4
Medical School: School of Medical Sciences and Research, Greater Noida
Internal Medicine Residency: Temple University Hospital

James Yang Headshot
James Yang, MD - PGY4
Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine 
Internal Medicine Residency: UMass Chan - Baystate Program
Chris Tanabe Headshot
Christopher Tanabe, MD - PGY4
Medical School: John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Internal Medicine Residency: Houston Methodist Hospital 
 
Our Alumni
Class of 2024

Minoru Taitano, DO
Yuanchen Vincent Wang, DO
        Class of 2023

Mohi Syed, MD
Mohammad Bitar, MD

Class of 2022

Ryan Logue, MD
Andrea Fekete, MD
Maj. Joseph Kelly, DO
        Class of 2021

Sarah Beshay, MD
Sai Katta, MD

Class of 2020

Nishal Brahmbhatt, MD
Jared Lee, MD 
        Class of 2019

Mudassar Ahmed, MD
Andres Reyes, MD
Zafirah Salman, MD


Class of 2018

Atif Siddiqui, MD
Faisal Zahiruddin, DO

Get In Touch

Program Contact

Lauryn N. Morrison
6550 Fannin, Suite 1001
Houston, TX 77030
Tel: 713.441.4431
Email: lnmorrison@houstonmethodist.org

Program Director

Deepa Gotur, MD
Program Director
6550 Fannin, Suite 1001
Houston, TX 77030
Tel: 713.441.4431
Email: dgotur@houstonmethodist.org

Upcoming Academic Events

Grand rounds, tumor boards, regularly scheduled series and case presentations are offered in multiple clinical disciplines and Houston Methodist locations.
NIH Research Performance Progress Reports

Dorothy Lewis, PhD, and Israel Ramirez, MS

Dec 03 @ 11AM

See Details
Institutional Review Board Seminar
Houston Methodist Research Institute

Bevin Lopez, MS, CEP, CCRP

Dec 04 @ 12PM

See Details

55

Grand Rounds conducted in 2023
These educational events are held according to varying schedules by departments and divisions within the Houston Methodist Academic Institute

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