Surgical Critical Care Fellowship

65

Active Clinical Trials

$8.6M

Research Grants

140

Peer-Reviewed Publications in 2023

663

Transplants in 2023

About the Fellowship

Our Team

Message from the Program Director


Welcome to Houston Methodist Surgical Critical Care Fellowship. I am delighted you are interested in our program.

Our trainees benefit from the long academic tradition of the House of Debakey and the immense academic resources of this storied institution. For generations, physicians have pursued their fellowship training at Houston Methodist Hospital and have been incredibly successful in various fields of surgery.

Our Surgical Critical Care fellowship endeavors to train competent and compassionate surgeons who will be leaders in the management of the critically ill. As a major teaching, tertiary hospital, we provide comprehensive exposure to various aspects of critical care in high acuity patients. Throughout your fellowship rotations and electives, you will have broad exposure to neuro, cardiovascular, surgical, transplantation while developing thorough knowledge and skills. We see our fellow as leaders and incorporate them into governance and administration initiatives. Fellows also receive formal instruction in point of care ultrasound, invasive and noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring, and have the opportunity to operate with emergency general surgeons.

We are laser focused on providing you an environment of inquiry, state of the art facilities and care, up to date clinical exposure and research. Above all else, the faculty and the department are dedicated to your professional success – the completion of your fellowship is just the first step in a shared journey of growth and mentorship. We hope to have the privilege of joining you along this journey.

I look forward to visiting with you.


Sincerely,
Constance M. Mobley, MD, PhD, FACS
Associate Director of Liver Transplantation
J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center
Associate Surgical Director of Liver Transplantation
Medical Director, Surgical & Liver ICU
Program Director, Surgical Critical Care Fellowship
Houston Methodist Department of Surgery
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Weill Cornell Medical College
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Texas A&M College of Medicine



Program Director
Constance Mobley, MD, PhD, FACS

Acute Care Surgery
Young Chun, MD
Sylvia Martinez, MD, FACS
Nicole Tapia, MD, FACS

Surgical Critical Care
Hina Faisal, MD
Atiya Dhala, MD, FACM
Constance Mobley, MD, PhD, FACS
Nabil Tariq, MD, FACS
Robert Ochoa, Jr., MD, FACS
Carlos Palacio Lascano, MD, FACS

Eligibility and Application

Thank you for your interest in the Houston Methodist Hospital Surgical Critical Care Fellowship Program.
  • Houston Methodist participates in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Note: in NRMP we are listed under the name The Methodist Hospital (Houston).
  • Fellowship applications and required documentation must be submitted through the SCC and ACS Fellowship Application Service (SAFAS)
  • All applications are carefully reviewed. Selected applicants are notified electronically to interview through SAFAS.


Application Process

There will be two fellowship positions. All applicants for the SAFAS/NRMP slot must register with the National Resident Matching Program. The match is performed one year prior to the beginning of the fellowship, usually in June. Details of the match can be obtained at the NRMP website.

Applications will be accepted throughout the year. All applicants must have completed all of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) steps, including Step 3 in order to be eligible for consideration.

 

In accordance with the NRMP Match Rank List deadline, HMH Surgical Critical Care Fellowship Program interviews prospective fellow candidates in June, July, and August.

 


Application Requirements

  • Accredited Program: Have satisfactorily completed a one-year training program in surgical critical care or anesthesiology critical care accredited by the ACGME. The ABS will also accept completion of a two-year training program in adult critical care medicine accredited by the RCPSC.
  • Board certified or eligible in surgery or foreign equivalent.
  • Valid ECFMG certificate for all foreign medical graduates
  • JI Visa only (must be valid at time training starts and valid throughout 12 months of training)

The documentation listed below must be submitted with the application

  • Personal Statement (maximum 2 pages)
  • Valid ECFMG certificate/J-1 visa (if applicable)
  • 3 letters of recommendation (1 from current program director)

Houston Methodist is committed to improving the health of our patients, employees, and communities around us. As a health care provider, it’s our responsibility to promote a healthier environment for our employees.


Responsibility
  • Drug and Tobacco Screening- Job seekers will be tested for nicotine and drug usage during the post-offer physical. If a job seeker tests positive for nicotine use, including nicotine gum and patches, the offer will be rescinded, and individuals will be given the opportunity to participate in a free Houston Methodist-provided tobacco cessation program. Job seekers wishing to reapply after testing positive for nicotine may do so 90 days after the date the initial offer was rescinded. If the job seeker tests positive for drug use, the offer will be rescinded. Job seekers wishing to reapply after the drug screening is positive may do so one year after the date the initial offer was rescinded.
  • Background Check - Prior to employment start date, job seekers must complete a criminal background check.
Our Residents
Roderick Davis, MD
Roderick Davis, MD
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine & Science, Rochester
Jennifer Minneman, MD
Jennifer Minneman, MD
New York Presbyterian Hospital
Aaron Zuckerman, MD
Aaron Zuckerman, MD
NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Brooklyn
Our Alumni

Class of 2020

Oluwabukola "Bukky" Olatubosun, MD

General Surgeon, Gastroenterology of Southern West Virginia, Beckley, West Virginia

 

"I was the first fellow for Methodist Surgical Critical Care Program, and I must confess, I was a little nervous.  My goal going into fellowship was to learn how to manage the most complex patients.

 

After my first week of fellowship, I knew I had made the right choice.  The Houston Methodist SLICU offers a unique experience that is very hard to replicate.  The range of disease process and pathologies makes everyday a new learning experience.  The commitment required from Fellows is high, however, the learning opportunities are boundless.

 

At the end of my training, I was comfortable with many invasive procedures, including intubation, placement of PA catheters, placement of ECMO cannula, paracentesis, thoracentesis, nerve blocks, and many more.  After one year at Houston Methodist Surgical Critical Care program, you will be ready to manage pretty much any critically ill patient."

 

Class of 2021

Samantha Thomas, MD

Acute Care Surgeon/Surgical Intensivist, Albany Medical Center, Atlanta, GA

 

 

 

“The Surgical Critical Care fellowship at Houston Methodist Hospital provides a great balance between autonomous and guided learning, ensuring that fellows graduate feeling competent and ready to effectively care for the most critically ill patients. The complexity and variety of patients cared for in the SLICU allows for development of comfort managing a multitude of conditions that plague the critically ill and performing critical care procedures, from arterial and central line insertions, to intubations and even placement/use of Pulmonary Artery Catheters.

The environment is supportive, collegial and conducive to growth and graduated autonomy, with multiple opportunities to teach and be taught. Faculty originate from multiple critical care subspecialties bringing a wealth and diversity of knowledge and techniques for managing critically ill patients. Houston Methodist Hospital is a tertiary care facility with significant resources allowing for a well rounded, comprehensive, top notch fellowship experience. Supplemental rotations in Trauma and Emergency General Surgery allow for maintenance and fine tuning of surgical skills to ensure that fellows graduate feeling practice ready.”

 

Lissette Gomez, MD

Trauma Surgery, Long Beach Medical Center, Long Beach, CA

 

 

 

"My critical care training at Houston Methodist Hospital was exceptional! While working in a liver transplant unit you get to care for the most critical patients which is an advantage as it prepares you for anything. This hospital also offers state of the art equipment so you get to learn how to use different non-invasive cardiac monitoring techniques, in addition to learning how to float and interpret a Swan Ganz catheter. Another unique aspect of this program is that you are learning from multiple critical care specialties including surgery, pulmonary, and anesthesiology. While they all have the basics in common, they each offer their own spin on the areas of expertise ie- up to date pain management and advance ventilator management maneuvers and techniques. Overall, I feel like this program prepared me well for my career in surgical critical care and I highly recommend it." 

 

Class of 2022

Kermaan Mehta, MD

Surgical Critical Care, Northwell Health

 

"My time at Houston Methodist Hospital was both challenging and rewarding. The acuity of the critically ill patients allowed for optimal training. The faculty genuinely care about our education and go above and beyond to teach.  Overall, it was a great experience that more than prepared us to treat critically ill patients. I would highly recommend Houston Methodist Hospital for anyone who wants the best critical care fellowship training."

Konya Keeling-Johnson, MD

Houston Southwest Colon & Rectal Clinic, Sugar Land

Chief of Surgery, St. Luke''s Sugar Land Hospital

 

“Challenging, rewarding experience that enhances professional development.” 

 

Class of 2023

Stephanie Morris, MD

Trauma/Acute Care Surgeon, Extant Healthcare, Houston, TX

 

"The surgical critical care fellowship at Houston Methodist provides an excellent learning experience. You are exposed to many patients with end stage liver disease leading to multisystem organ failure. You will be given the unique opportunity to care for these sick patients prior to their liver and/or liver/multi-organ transplant and see them through the peri-operative period. It is quite rewarding to see these sick patients come through and to be a part of their care team while learning critical care management and concepts that are translatable to any ICU setting."

Joseph Nguyen-Lee, MD

General Surgery Specialist, Danville, PA

 

 "The surgery critical care fellowship at Houston Methodist will give you the knowledge, skill and confidence to take care of critically ill patients. Methodist  gives you a rare opportunity to learn and implement management in end stage liver patients.  You will learn the whole gambit from performing all of the critical care procedures, including placing blakemore tubes, intubations, Pulmonary artery catheters to having end of life discussions with family.  You will have general surgery rotations 3 months out of the year and rotations where you will have the opportunity to learn about VV and VA ECMO.   If you your goal is to be able to function as an independent Surgical Critical Care Intensivist by the end of your year, this is the fellowship for you."

Yifang Wang, DO

Department of Surgery, Mercy Hospital, Springfield, MO

 

"What makes the surgical critical care fellowship at Houston Methodist great is the opportunity to take care of some of the sickest patients you will ever encounter under some of the best mentors that truly care about your education and learning experience. You will have extensive opportunities to learn all the important critical care management and procedures skills while having level appropriate and constructive guidance from the attendings. This program will provide you with all the resources to become an independent and capable surgical intensivist."

 

Curriculum

SAMPLE ROTATION

Fellows are expected to spend a minimum of 9 months rotating through the surgical and liver intensive care unit. Electives are available and can be individualized to fellow's interest and career goals.

SICU: 9 months
Neuro ICU:  1 month
CVICU: 1 month
Elective: 1 month 

 

DIDACTIC PROGRAM


Surgical critical care fellows participate in a variety of conferences including all department-wide didactics:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Morning/Afternoon Conferences

 

12-1pm SLICU Didactics

TRISTAT (as needed)

7-8 a.m.
General Surgery M&M Conference

8-9 a.m.
General Surgery Grand Rounds
(September - June)

SLICU M&M (Quarterly)

 

Evening Conferences

 

 

6:30 p.m.
Journal Club
(Every other Month)

 

 

Get In Touch

Fellowship Coordinator

Tahitia Martin, BS
6550 Fannin St., Smith Tower 1661
Houston, TX 77030
Email: Tmartin@houstonmethodist.org

Program Director

Constance Mobley, MD, PhD, FACS
6550 Fannin St., Smith Tower 1661
Houston, TX 77030

Upcoming Academic Events

Grand rounds, tumor boards, regularly scheduled series and case presentations are offered in multiple clinical disciplines and Houston Methodist locations.
Baruch A. Brody Lecture in Bioethics - The Powerful and Perpetual Impact of Baruch Brody’s Work on the Current Field of Bioethics
Houston Methodist Research Institute

Feb 03 @ 12PM

See Details
Grants for Clinical Research
Dunn Tower

Trisha Roy, MD, PhD, RPVI, BASc

Feb 03 @ 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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