Pediatric pulmonology fellowship

Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is the only free-standing children’s hospital in West Michigan. In partnership with Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, we are proud to offer an ACGME-accredited pediatric pulmonology fellowship. Our comprehensive three-year program trains physician-leaders who will incorporate cutting edge research and technology into their practice, to help kids breath better.

Hello:

Thank you for visiting our web page! Our pediatric pulmonology fellowship has many exciting endeavors to offer. We love teaching, research, quality improvement and "helping kids breathe and sleep better." Helen DeVos Children's Hospital has several fellowships and a strong pediatric residency program. Michigan State University College of Human Medicine is our academic partner and provides excellent basic science and translational research right here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. If clinical research is your passion, we have a large team dedicated to research at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. For those whose interested in medical education research, that career path is also an option.

Our clinical program is busy, vibrant and creative. We use telemedicine in several ways to help patients and work with our primary care and subspecialty partners. Even though fellowship can be a whirlwind, my goal is to make sure every faculty member puts the well-being of our fellows at the top of their list every day. Training future physicians is an honor and I hope you consider an interview. I can't wait to meet you!

Sincerely,
Susie

Susan Millard, MD, FAAP, FCCP
Pediatric Pulmonology Fellowship Director
Section of Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Spectrum Health
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

Applications to the Spectrum Health/Michigan State University Pediatric Pulmonology Fellowship are accepted exclusively through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). All applicants must possess U.S. work authorization or be eligible for J-1 status. Applicants must have completed three years of United States postgraduate residency training in an ACGME or RCPSC-accredited program before entry into the fellowship program.

Please contact Jeffrey Denhof, program coordinator, with any questions.

Program aim is to train clinical scholars with a strong emphasis on: mastery of the knowledge base, excellence in patient care, acquiring skills in teaching and mentoring, procedural expertise and clinical research.

Our fellowship trains physicians to assume a leadership role in the field of pediatric pulmonology. During the three years, extensive clinical training (approximately 15 months, concentrated mostly in the first year, including both inpatient and outpatient experiences) will be combined with world-class training in research, teaching, quality improvement and safety (approximately 18 months), culminating in qualifying for American Board of Pediatrics eligibility in pediatric pulmonology.

Our fellows will develop expertise in caring for a wide range of children with pediatric pulmonary diseases and conditions, ensuring that even a “straight-forward” case is considered from multiple angles and a thorough differential diagnosis developed. The children we serve include (but are not limited to) those with:

Our fellows learn collaboratively in our several multi-disciplinary clinics. Additionally, special electives are available with our ENT, allergy, PICU, NICU and palliative care colleagues.

Flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy: Our fellows also spend extensive time learning flexible bronchoscopy technique, both in simulations as well as in the bronchoscopy suite, thus ensuring proficiency by the time they complete training. Of note, most of our bronchoscopies are done in collaboration with ENT and GI as part of our busy aerodigestive program.

Graduates of our fellowship program will be experts and leaders in the field of pediatric pulmonology, expected to guide the field in terms of care we provide and the clinical questions we study. Therefore, fellows will spend most of their time (approximately 18 months) involved in world-class training in research, teaching, quality improvement and safety. Fellows will be guided in their scholarly pursuit based upon their interests and available expertise at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital and Michigan State University, which includes basic and clinical / biomedical research expertise, medical education and outcomes research.

Some of the research interests currently being pursued by our pediatric pulmonary faculty include:

• Johanna Zea-Hernandez, MD: Interstitial lung disease, primary ciliary dyskinesia, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation quality improvement initiatives
• Susan Millard, MD: Cystic fibrosis - check out a recent publication about genomics and cystic fibrosis
• Robert Schoumacher, MD: Children who require chronic mechanical ventilation, insomnia and narcolepsy management
• John Schuen, MD: Cystic fibrosis and the care of children with sleep disorders, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation quality improvement initiatives

Spectrum Health provides a comprehensive and very competitive benefits package for our residents, staff and their families. In addition, our program provides educational monies to support your ongoing education. Download our salary and benefits document to learn more.