The Neurocritical Care Fellowship Program at Johns Hopkins pioneered the training of fellows in the 1980s and continues to be the leading program in this sub-specialty, aiming to develop Neurocritical Care Clinician Scientists. We have trained more than 50 physicians from a variety of fields who went on to work at leading institutions as directors of neurocritical care programs, chairs of departments, established research investigators, institute directors, and hold key positions in professional societies related to neurocritical care.

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Fellowship at a Glance

• Duration: two years (52 weeks of clinical work, and the rest academic work)
• Eligibility: current residents and board-eligible recent graduates from an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited residency program in neurology, neurosurgery, internal medicine, surgery, emergency medicine or anesthesiology/critical care medicine.
• How to apply: Please submit the following to the fellowship director:
  • Application form (email the director to request)
  • Curriculum vitae
  • A letter of good standing from your residency program director
  • A letter of intent or personal statement, and
  • Three letters of recommendation
• Match: matching is conducted through SF Match.

Program Features

The strength of this program is in collaboration between faculty from departments of neurosurgery, neurology and anesthesiology and critical care medicine.

Upon successful program completion, fellows are certified in advanced cardiac life support and advanced trauma life support. They are board-eligible for the United Council of Neurologic Subspecialties Neurocritical Care examination, and have accumulated a research and publication foundation for their academic career.

Expectations and Responsibilities

• Fellows spend their first year developing patient care skills, teaching ICU medical students and supervising house staff and nurses in the bedside care of patients.
• The second year adds responsibilities of:
  • Team management as a leader of the NCCU team (with the attending physician’s support)
  • Formal teaching of the concepts of neurophysiology and treatment for various neuropathologic processes and general critical care issues to residents and fellows.
  • Developing research activities in the critical care environment.

Procedural Training in the Simulation Center

Training for procedural competency begins immediately in July of the first year with a Simulation Center series focused on common critical care interventions. Before their clinical duties require performing these procedures for patients, fellows practice in the simulation environment:

• non-invasive ventilation
• direct laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation
• insertion of central and peripheral venous and arterial catheters
• lumbar puncture and insertion of lumbar drains

The Simulation Center also allows for structured exposure to emergency neurological life support (ENLS) events. Finally, fellows certify for advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS) in the simulation environment using complex, realistic scenarios that provide more problem-solving opportunities than the "megacodes" used in conventional ACLS certification testing.

Research

Research is mandatory.

• Fellows undertake 12 months of clinical, translational or laboratory-based research. Each fellow has the combined resources of major contributing departments at their disposal.
• Once an area of interest is identified, a formal mentorship is established with a faculty member.
• In January of their first year, fellows present research ideas to the division faculty for review. Based on this presentation and the input provided during discussion, fellows submit an application to the Human Investigational Review Board or the Animal Use Committee.
• In July and again in December of their second year, fellows present progress reports of their research.
• Most of the faculty in the program author reviews and book chapters and provide editorial review for journals. Trainees may collaborate on such projects. The program gives all fellows the chance to present projects at national conferences and publish a journal article by the end of their training.