The fellowship training program in Neonatal Perinatal Medicine is a three-year program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Dr. Maria Delivoria Papadopoulos is Director of the Division of Neonatology and Dr. Alan Zubrow is the training program director. Our program accepts 2 first year fellows each year. Our training program consists of a 12 months of clinical service, 1 month of Perinatology, 1 month of Cardiology/Cardiothoracic Surgery, 19 months for research, and time in continuity clinic. Each year, the fellow has 4 weeks for vacation. Within the program, the fellows attend courses on research design, presentations, and teaching techniques.

Overview

The neonatologist for the future needs to have a strong clinical foundation to continue learning and to practice medicine during the exciting changes that will occur during the 21st century. Our team practices at two different level III/IV NICUs where care is provided for all types of patients ranging from normal deliveries to critically ill newborns who are transferred to our hospital requiring cardiac surgery or ECMO. We believe that learning about and understanding research techniques and strategies will provide tools for the candidate to understand the medical literature and to develop approaches to answer new questions to advance the care of newborns. Research is important for the future improved care of newborns and understanding of disease processes that affect babies.  Members of our division are currently investigating:  

Brain injury induced by:      

• Hypoxia        
• Hyperoxia        
• Hypercarbia
• Drugs  

Mechanisms of immune competency by understanding:         

• Kinetics of T cell reconstitution after lymphopenia        
• Gene therapy for primary immunodeficiencies  

Collaborative clinical projects to enhance clinical care:          

• Tin-mesoporphyrin safety and efficacy        
• Anti-staphylococcal antibody prevention of staphylococcal disease in infants under 1250 gram

This research is supported in part by grants funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), March of Dimes, St. Christopher’s Foundation for Children, and the Newborn Resuscitation Program of the American Academy of Pediatrics.  

Mission

The Fellowship Program's mission is to a prepare trainees for a career in academic Neonatal Perinatal Medicine. We accomplish this goal by offering exposure to a large, diverse population of patients along with in depth training in research design, techniques, and hypothesis generated experiments. If interested, fellows are guided through the steps in preparing a grant.  

How to apply

If you have any questions or would like to request a hard copy application, please contact:

Alan B. Zubrow, MD
St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children
Front St. @ Erie Ave.
Philadelphia, Pa. 19134
215-427-5202
alan.zubrow@drexel.edu   

You can apply by downloading an application.

Eligibility

We are happy to accept applications for our Fellowship in Neonatal Perinatal Medicine from physicians who will have completed an American Board of Pediatrics approved residency training and are eligible for board certification. Pennsylvania law requires all fellows to have successfully completed all three Steps of the USMLE prior to entering their fellowship. Copies of the scores of each step need to be provided with the application. Three letters of recommendation from physicians familiar with the applicant’s clinical work should be sent directly to the Program Director. Foreign Medical graduates are invited to apply after they have successfully completed the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) process and have a valid certificate number; copies of these documents need to be provided with the application. Where applicable, the candidate needs to have a valid visa. All application materials must have been received by February of the year prior to their entry date. However, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit the material by the prior October. After reviewing all of the information, the staff will contact competitive applicants to arrange an interview.    

                                        First Year         Second Year         Third Year         Total

In Patient Service         5-6 months         4-5 months         3-4 months     12-15 months (usually 12-13) Research                      5-6 months         5-6 months         6-7 months      15-18 months
Perinatology                                                   1 month                                       1 month
Cardiology/CT
Surgery                                                                                        1 month             1 month

Vacation                         4 weeks             4 weeks                 4 weeks             12 weeks

Electives                                                         At the request of the fellow.    

Clinical Opportunities

We have a high risk inborn service at one of our hospitals that provides challenges in caring for all types of sick infants. Care starts with involvement in prenatal case conferences about difficult patients and perinatal consults. The team is available 24 hours a day for call to the delivery room. Care is provided in a recently renovated Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with up to date equipment and an excellent nursing staff.  

Our NICU at St. Christopher’s Hospital is regional resource caring for babies referred for specialized treatment of critically ill neonates from the tri-state region. All types of patients are excepted including those who require complex medical care, surgical intervention, cardiovascular surgery, neurosurgery, and ECMO.  

Research Opportunities

Ample time spread over three years is available to formulate a research project, collect data, write abstracts for national and international meetings and prepare manuscripts for competitive scientific journals.       Weekly

Conference Schedule