Educational Program Goals and Objectives
The Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine training program at The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center is one of the oldest combined pulmonary and critical care programs in the country.
The training program is under the directorship of Dr. Tony Abdo, who is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine. Dr. Abdo has a track record of academic excellence and a deep and abiding commitment to graduate medical education.
The program aims to provide an intellectual environment that helps trainees acquire the knowledge, skills, clinical judgment, and attitudes essential for independent practice. We are able to tailor the program to the career aspirations of our fellows. We look for strong and dedicated candidates who will grow into practicing clinicians, clinician-educators, and clinician-scientists.
Trainees will acquire experience and expertise in the diagnosis and management of a diverse spectrum of patients with lung disease and critical illness, in primary and consultative roles, as well as inpatient and ambulatory settings. These clinical experiences occur under the close supervision of attending faculty and are supplemented by numerous conferences and didactic lectures. The trainee will acquire skills in basic science or clinical investigation by conducting research in a structured and supervised environment.
As one of the oldest combined pulmonary and critical care programs in the country, we have a well-developed structure of progressive responsibility. Our program is modeled around the fellow as a junior faculty member, supervised throughout the three years by faculty. The level of supervision is based on frequent assessments of proficiency in both procedural skills and medical decision making. Our fellows are expected to lead the ICU and consult teams, conduct family meetings, participate in teaching medical students and residents, and perform bedside procedures with attending supervision based on proficiency. Our fellows usually exceed procedural number and proficiency requirements for all ICU procedures by the end of the first year.
Accreditation
Our Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship is a three-year program administered through the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and operated by the Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Section of the Department of Medicine. The program is designed to be in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). We cover in-depth all of the didactics and provide extensive experience which exceeds the requirements for training in each area of the combined specialties. As an ACGME accredited program, all individuals completing the program will be eligible for board certification in both pulmonary disease and critical care medicine.