Neonatal Perinatal Medicine

Overview

The neonatologist in 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 faculty and fellows practice at two different NICUs (Level IIIB/IIIC) 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 using evidence-based medicine 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.

The fellowship training program in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine is a three-year program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). There is full salary support for all 3 years. Dr. Maria Delivoria-Papadopoulos is Chief of the Section of Neonatology and Dr. Alan Zubrow is the training program director. Our program accepts 2-3 first-year fellows each year.

Mission

The Fellowship Program's mission is to 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.  

Education

Our training program consists of 12-15 months of clinical service, 1 month of Maternal Fetal Medicine, 1 month of Cardiology/Cardiothoracic Surgery, 19 months for research, and time in the continuity clinic. Each year, the fellow has 4 weeks for vacation.

Clinical Opportunities

We have a high-risk inborn service at Hahnemann University Hospital (Level IIIB) 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 (Level IIIC) is a regional resource caring for babies referred for specialized treatment from hospitals throughout the tri-state region. All types of patients are accepted including those who require management of complex medical problems, surgical intervention, cardiovascular surgery, neurosurgery and ECMO.  

Educational Opportunities

There is a strong commitment to fellow education. There are daily attending teaching conferences and rounds with staff radiologists. One afternoon a week, there is dedicated time for fellow education that covers topics in clinical medicine, perinatal physiology and research. Monthly, there are two conferences with our obstetrical colleagues. The educational experience is augmented by participation in simulations that apply what is taught at other times. Similarly, material is reviewed using a Board Course format.

In addition, St. Christopher's Hospital offers a comprehensive Core Curriculum for education of the fellows. At these meetings, the Neonatal-Perinatal fellows are able to interact with their peers from all of the other disciplines. The faculty fully supports each fellow to meet all of the American Board of Pediatrics requirements for Scholarly Activity. By having joint educational meetings with fellows from other programs in Philadelphia, the fellow's experience is enriched. Fellows are encouraged to attend meetings of the Philadelphia Perinatal Society and present their research in the annual Boggs Award competition.

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 publication in competitive scientific journals.    

Research

Research is important for the future to improve care of newborns and understand disease processes that affect babies.  Members of our division are currently investigating:  

Brain injury induced by:

• Hypoxia
• Hyperoxia
• Drugs

Collaborative clinical projects to enhance clinical care:

• Impact of preterm formula on bone mineralization

Mechanisms of fetal programming of adult-onset diseases by investigating:

• Impact of maternal nutrition on modulating hypothalamic gene expression in offspring
• Interaction of maternal stress and diet on development of metabolic dysfunction in offspring   

Neonatal immune response to infection:

• Mechanisms that the neonate uses to fight influenza virus

Impact of Fetal Environmental Exposures

Simulation as an Educational Tool:

• Quantitatively Measure Critical Thinking Skills of Neonatology Fellows
• Needs Assessment to Determine Attending Neonatologist Procedural Competence
• Effectiveness of the Regional Neonatology Boot Camp (skill building experience)

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.  

Faculty

Maria Delivoria-Papadopoulos, MD, Section Chief, Professor
Fellowship Training: Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto

Alan Zubrow, MD, Program Director, Professor
Fellowship Training: Babies Hospital/ Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, Columbia University

Endla Anday, MD, Professor
Fellowship Training: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania

Alison Carey, MD, Assistant Professor
Fellowship Training: Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, Columbia University

Harbhajan Chawla, MD, Professor
Fellowship Training: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania

Heather French, MD, Assistant Professor
Fellowship Training: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania

Mackenzie Frost, MD, Assistant Professor
Fellowship Training: University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, University of Colorado

Jan Goplerud, MD, Associate Professor
Fellowship Training: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania

Folasade Kehinde, MD, Assistant Professor
Fellowship Training: University of Connecticut Health Center, University of Connecticut

Kirstie Marcello-Donnelly, MD, Assistant Professor
Fellowship Training: Thomas Jefferson University Medical Center, Thomas Jefferson University

Jane McGowan, MD, Professor
Fellowship Training: University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, University of Colorado

Ogechukwu Menkiti, MD, Assistant Professor
Fellowship Training: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania

Nicolas Obiri, MD
Fellowship Training: St. Christopher's Hospital for Children

Suzanne Touch, MD, Associate Professor
Fellowship Training: Thomas Jefferson University Medical Center, Thomas Jefferson University

Yanick Vibert, DO, Assistant Professor
Fellowship Training: St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, Drexel University

Fellows with Their Residency Training

Dimitrios Angelis, MD
Katie Durrwachter, MD - University of Minnesota Amplatz Children's Hospital
Tania Fontanez, MD
Lynn Fuchs, MD - St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
Meredith Monaco, MD - St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
Tina Phaire, MD - St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
Kirk Sallas, MD - Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters
Heidi Taylor, DO - Cooper University Hospital
Lindsay Tellefsen, MD

Recent Graduates and Present Employment

Nadege Brutus, MD - Virtua Health
Eddie Chang, MD - Abington Memorial Hospital
Aspa Fissikoudi, MD - The Hospital at Bowling Green
Kristie Hornick, DO
Purvi Jethva, MD - Onsite Neonatal Partners
Michelle Kelly, MD - Virtua Health
Manjula Mudduluru, MD - St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
Brandon Poterjoy, DO - St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
Subha Sangam, MD - St. Mary's Medical Center

How to Apply

Please use the ERAS application service (www.erasfellowshipdocuments.org/). An application must be completed before a candidate is invited for an interview.

If you have any questions, please contact:
Elizabeth Manetta
Practice Coordinator
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
3601 A Street
Philadelphia, Pa. 19134
(215) 427-5202
Elizabeth.manetta@tenethealth.com

Alan B. Zubrow, MD
Program Director, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
3601 A Street
Philadelphia, Pa. 19134
(215) 427-5202
alan.zubrow@drexelmed.edu

Eligibility

We are happy to accept applications for our Fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine from physicians who will have completed an ACGME approved residency program and are eligible for board certification. Three letters of recommendation from physicians familiar with the applicant's clinical work should be included with the application. (One of the letters of recommendation should be from the Pediatric Program Director.)

Copies of the scores of each step need to be provided with the application. Pennsylvania law requires all fellows to have successfully completed all three Steps of the USMLE prior to entering their fellowship. Therefore, to be placed on the NRMP (http://www.nrmp.org/fellow) match list, the applicant must have successfully passed all levels of the USMLE prior to the time the match list is to be submitted.

Foreign Medical Graduates who have satisfied the requirements listed above 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. (The Hospital supports visas other than H-visas.) After reviewing all of the information, the staff will contact competitive applicants to arrange an interview.