Program Overview

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The Pediatric Surgery Fellowship Program at UT Southwestern

The educational mission of the Pediatric Surgery Fellowship Program at UT Southwestern is to teach pediatric surgical fellows the specialized knowledge and skills needed to manage surgical diseases in children and become competent, thoughtful leaders in academic pediatric surgery.

Program Overview

The program offers a two-year fellowship training program with a new fellow accepted every year. Fellows spend the majority of their time at Children's Health - Children's Medical Center of Dallas, the seventh-largest pediatric health care provider in the country, and consistently recognized among the top children's hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

Keys to Training

Keys to this training include:

• Robust Multi-disciplinary Clinical Programs:
  • Surgical Oncology
  • Fetal Evaluation and Treatment Alliance Center
    eonatal surgery
  • Pediatric Intestinal Rehabilitation Program
  • Surgical Endocrine Program
  • Center for the Pectus and Chest Wall Anomalies
  • ACS Level 1 accredited Trauma Program
  • ECMO program (non-cardiac ECMO)
  • Robotic Surgery
  • Adolescent Weight Loss Program (including Bariatric Surgery)
  • Transplantation
• Outstanding array of over 50 pediatric specialty and subspecialty programs including national experts in:
  • Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
  • Neonatology
  • Cardiology
  • Cardiac Surgery including transplant
  • Endocrinology
  • GI (ERCP, endoscopic intervention, and endoscopic US)
  • Nephrology
  • Intervention Radiology
  • Pathology
  • Neurology
  • Neurosurgery
  • Orthopedics
  • Pulmonology
  • Urology
• One of the busiest pediatric emergency medicine programs in the country with an annual volume of ~170,000 patients with 20-40% of all hospital admissions coming through the ED.
• Robust Educational Curriculum:
  • Learn from experts in surgery and other disciplines at regularly scheduled conferences
  • Grand rounds
  • Mortality and Morbidity Conference
  • Journal Club
  • Pediatric Surgery in Review (utilizing Score curriculum and NAT)
  • SurgRadPath Conference
  • Oncology Review
  • Fetal conference
  • Fetal Journal Club
  • Professor Rounds
  • Multidisciplinary Combo Conferences (fetal, NICU, PICU, ECMO, GI, urology)
  • Pediatric tumor boards (solid tumor, thyroid, musculoskeletal tumor board)
• Surgical Simulation Center:
  • Utilize fresh tissue and inanimate models to teach advanced minimally invasive neonatal surgical techniques with faculty proctors.
• Mentorship:
  • Coach fellows to identify specific career goals and encourage clinical, educational, research, and leadership opportunities to further develop unique expertise.
• Research Opportunities:
  • Faculty are involved in clinical, translation, and basic science research including multi-center national trials, drug/device trials, local clinical trials, prospective registries, retrospective/prospective reviews, and bench research.
  • Fellows participate in research most fitting with their career goals and clinic interest.

Program Structure

The first year includes rotations in the neonatal intensive care unit and pediatric intensive care unit. The entire second year is spent on the pediatric surgery service. During the second year, the fellow will run the pediatric surgery service, teach the general surgery residents and medical students, and will participate in the organization of the formal teaching conferences. The fellow will also act as the teaching assistant for progressively more complex procedures.

Educational Experience

The Pediatric Surgery Fellowship Program offers a wide range of educational experiences. Training includes the operating room, bedside, outpatient clinic experiences, and the Simulation Center. The Program offers conferences throughout UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children's Health. UT Southwestern conferences are held on Wednesday and Children's Health conferences are held every Thursday; topics are rotated over the length of the program to provide a thorough coverage of diagnoses and management options.

Training Sites

• Children's Health - Children's Medical Center of Dallas, Dallas, TX, United States (free-standing children's hospital)
• Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas, TX, United States

Faculty Information

• Diana L. Diesen, M.D.: Program Director, Pediatric Surgery Fellowship Program
• Samir Pandya, M.D.: Associate Program Director, Pediatric Surgery Fellowship Program
• Faisal G. Qureshi MD, MBA: Program Director, Pediatric Surgical Critical Care Fellowship

Fellow Information

The Pediatric Surgery Fellowship Program accepts one fellow per year.

Requirements

To enter the program as a trainee, you must have completed a general surgery residency and meet the requirements for certification by the American Board of Surgery. You also, at minimum, must have:

• Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS)
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certifications at the provider level

Why UT Southwestern?

The program offers a unique blend of clinical experience, educational opportunities, and research possibilities, making it an ideal choice for those seeking a comprehensive pediatric surgery fellowship. The faculty are dedicated to fostering an environment that promotes learning, innovation, and professional growth. The program's location in Dallas, Texas, provides access to a diverse patient population and a wide range of clinical cases, making it an excellent choice for fellows looking to gain a broad range of experiences.