Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine Fellowship Program

Pulmonary/Critical Care Fellowship

The primary goal of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship Program is to train pulmonologists in clinical medicine, while providing the tools necessary to develop into independent clinical or basic science investigators. There are 3 positions each year for physicians who have satisfactorily completed a residency in Internal Medicine and desire fellowship training in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. The Division offers a three-year fellowship designed to provide training in the clinical and laboratory skills essential to the subspecialty practice of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in an academic setting. The fellow spends sufficient time in Critical Care Units both at Memorial Hermann Hospital and Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital to become clinically competent in Critical Care Medicine and eligible for the certifying examination in Critical Care Medicine. To develop broad expertise, pulmonary consultative training occurs at Memorial Hermann Hospital and Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. In addition, fellows rotate on the pulmonary consultative service at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Finally, clinical training and research opportunities are provided under the direction of Dr. Richard Castriotta in the Memorial Hermann Sleep Disorders Center and under the direction of Dr. Bela Patel and Dr. Sajid Haque in the LBJ Sleep Disorders Center.

The fellow spends 6-12 months participating in research activities of the Division, emphasizing either clinical or basic investigation. Research and scholarly projects are required activities for fellows and the Division’s fellows routinely present their research at national meetings. Research interests of the Division include the pathophysiologic basis of abnormal gas exchange in the lungs and peripheral tissues, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of sepsis, and factors involved in the activation of alveolar macrophages including a possible role for these cells in lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis. In addition, the Division is active in ongoing examination of derangements in sleep physiology.

Sleep Medicine Fellowship

The Fellowship in Sleep Medicine is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine as a comprehensive training program in all aspects of Sleep Medicine. This is a one year program which leads to proficiency in Clinical Sleep Medicine in all age groups with board eligibility. Training takes place in the AASM accredited Memorial Hermann Hospital Sleep Disorders Center with its 6-bed sleep laboratory, the University of Texas-Houston Sleep Clinic and LBJ Sleep Disorders Center with its 4-bed sleep laboratory and Sleep Clinic. Sleep Fellows will evaluate patients of all ages from premature neonates to the elderly and become experts in the interpretation of polysomnography, maintenance of wakefulness test and sleep latency test. Faculty include Board-certified sleep specialist, pulmonologist, neurologist and pediatric subspecialists.

For further information, please contact Bela Patel, M.D., Pulmonary/ Critical Care Fellowship Program Director, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, 6431 Fannin, Suite 1.276, Houston, Texas 77030; phone: (713)500-6833; fax (713)500-6829.