Conferences

Core Conferences

Fellows attend a weekly core conference on key clinical or basic science/physiology topics in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine prepared and presented by either P/CCM faculty, fellow, or guest faculty from another division or department. Faculty mentor is assigned for fellows for each of these conferences.

Case Conferences

Each weekly case conference is based on several interesting clinical/Image cases from the faculty and fellows’ own patient experiences, including review of relevant chest radiographs, CT’s, pathology specimens, PFT’s and other clinical studies. The conference also includes a brief didactic about the case including evidence-based treatment, pathophysiology, and/or key literature. The conference is relatively informal, with lively discussions and diverse opinions.

Journal Club

Fellow’s review and critique relevant articles from the medical literature at the monthly Journal Club, which is attended by all division members. Typically, two fellows share the conference time. Senior fellows are responsible for one or more “expanded journal club” conferences, with increased emphasis on interpreting the medical literature, such as a more in-depth study critique, a didactic on selected statistical methods or design features, or a critique of several related studies.

Fellows’ Monthly Research Meeting

The fellows meet once in six months with the program director and selected other P/CCM faculty to discuss plans for research and related scholarly activities and review progress on active projects. Issues covered include ideas for studies, study design, navigating the IRB, and how to overcome roadblocks. For each meeting, the fellow completes a research update sheet describing work completed to date and specific goals for the coming month.

Fellows’ Monthly Meeting with Program Director

The fellows meet monthly with the Program Director to explore fellow concerns/feedback and review policies, procedures and administrative responsibilities.

Morbidity and Mortality Conference

Fellows and faculty attend the monthly Pulmonary and Critical Care M&M Conference aimed at improving quality of care, patient safety and system-based Practices.

Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILD) Conference

A multidisciplinary Interstitial lung diseases conference is organized once a month. Cases with suspected or diagnosed Interstitial lung disease are presented by fellow or faculty member. Imaging description is provided by the radiologist and histopathology is discussed by the pathologist. Diagnoses and management options are discussed by the participants and the patient care is followed-up in the future conferences.

Critical Care Core Conference

Topics specific for Critical care rotation including guidelines for ICU standard practices, interesting cases supported by ultrasound imaging, other subspeciality lectures closely related to ICU like renal replacement therapy, advanced liver, heart, kidney failure, infectious or immunological complications of malignancy, surgical complications, Neurocritical care issues are discussed in this monthly conference.

Pulmonary Hypertension Conference

Complicated pulmonary hypertension cases with a brief summary about evidence-based workup and management in outpatient and inpatients areas are discussed in the bimonthly (one in 2months) pulmonary hypertension conference.

PCCM Jeopardy Conference

An enjoyable and educational conference for the fellows. This bimonthly conference with pulmonary jeopardy questions which mimics Chest Challenge is loved by all fellows and faculty. The questions are based on the topics covered in the conferences in the last 2 months.

UAMS/VA Multidisciplinary Lung Cancer Tumor Board

Fellows on the Pulmonary Consult services attend the weekly lung cancer conference in UAMS and VA. The conference is chaired by Interventional Pulmonology specialists Dr. Thaddeus Bartter at VA, Dr. Nikhil Meena at UAMS and is attended by faculty and trainees in Pulmonary Medicine, Thoracic Surgery, Oncology, Radiology, Interventional Radiology, and Radiation Oncology to provide multidisciplinary care for patients with known or suspected lung cancer.

Internal Medicine Grand Rounds

The weekly Internal Medicine Grand Rounds features excellent presentations by a variety of distinguished UAMS faculty as well as invited guest speakers. A significant percentage of lectures are on topics within the P/CCM core curriculum.

New Fellow Orientation Month

We have instituted a new-fellow orientation week so that for the first week of July, a second- or third-year fellow serves as the “primary” fellow for each Consult service while the first-year fellow “shadows” the more senior fellow and Consult team, learning the ins and outs of the assigned hospital and participating in selected consultations and procedures. During this week, a daily agenda for new fellows includes one or more orientation sessions, including meeting with the Program Director to review key practices, policies and procedures as published in the Fellows’ Handbook; several core “survival” lectures; scheduled training in each institution’s Electronic Medical Record Systems; and bronchoscopy, airway simulation Practices. We provide an opportunity to participate in the southern regional PCCM orientation at MD Anderson Center, Houston. This orientation month proved very successful with new trainees, and we expect to continue and expand the offerings.