The Temple Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship program continues to grow, enhancing the educational experience and supporting the professional development of our fellows. This year, we’re excited to share several noteworthy updates.

Airway Program Expansion

Led by Dr. Aamir Ajmeri (Pulmonary) and Dr. Greg Hertel (Anesthesia), our Airway Program is expanding. Fellows receive comprehensive training in airway management, progressing through a structured pathway.

Early in their training, fellows focus on the basics of intubation and perioperative airway care in the bronchoscopy suite. As their skills advance, they perform more urgent intubations in the ICU under attending supervision.

At Temple University Hospital - Jeanes Campus, fellows who have completed the required training are now routinely performing ICU bedside intubations. This initiative has been highly successful, and we are planning to extend it to the main campus ICU in the near future.

Curriculum Enhancements

Our curriculum continues to evolve to meet the needs of our fellows and the demands of the field. Notable updates include:

• Lung Physiology and Ventilator Management:
  • Expanded lecture series guided by Drs. Ajmeri and Illipparambil.
  • Small-group, hands-on sessions where fellows apply theoretical knowledge to address real-world ventilator challenges.
• Simulation Training:
  • Practical airway management and endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) techniques.
  • Use of simulators to identify anatomical landmarks and practice with EBUS instruments in a controlled environment.
• Crash-Course Scenarios:
  • Fellows diagnose and address complex clinical situations, tackling high-stakes clinical challenges such as massive GI bleeding.
  • Training includes interventions like Blakemore tube placement and other life-saving techniques.

These curriculum enhancements ensure our fellows are well-prepared to manage complex clinical scenarios with confidence.

Scholarly Productivity

Our fellows remain highly productive in research, consistently contributing to the field with multiple first-author publications each year. This highlights the program’s ongoing commitment to advancing knowledge in pulmonary and critical care.

These updates reflect our commitment to providing a robust and dynamic learning environment for our fellows. We look forward to the continued growth and success of our program in the coming years.