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Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Fellowship

The Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Fellowship is based in the Division of Cardiology at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, an academic affiliate of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. This program has a rich history of training fellows in Cardiac Intensive Care since 1998. This one-year fellowship has openings for two trainees each year. The ideal candidates will be board-certified in pediatrics and board-certified/eligible in pediatric cardiology or pediatric critical care medicine.

Video: Meet Karl Migally, MD

 Education

Educational opportunities will include an involved didactic series with topics dedicated to cardiac intensive care issues and an in-situ simulation-based curriculum to rehearse management strategies as well as teamwork and communication. We also conduct weekly professor rounds, which is a facilitated small-group discussion on an interesting CICU service patient. In addition, there are weekly cardiovascular surgery care conferences, visiting professors and opportunities to attend national meetings.

 Diversity & Inclusion

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine seeks to attract inquisitive, motivated fellows and is committed to providing them with every opportunity for success. We encourage a diverse and inclusive work environment that allows each trainee to achieve their personal goals.

For more information on Northwestern’s commitment to diversity, please see the McGaw Diversity & Inclusion page, the Northwestern McGaw Underrepresented Residents & Fellows Forum and Feinberg School of Medicine Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Pediatrics Diversity & Inclusion

 Research

Participation in clinical research will be expected and supported. Clinical research interests of current CICU faculty are diverse and include bioinformatics, medical education and simulation, quality improvement and patient safety, perioperative clinical trials, quality of life, international health, neurodevelopmental outcomes and outcomes research in neonates with critical congenital heart disease.

 Clinical Experience

Training will include six months on our cardiac ICU service. For those with a critical care background, time will also be spent on rotations, including cardiac imaging/echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology and heart failure/transplant. For those from a cardiology background, additional time will be spent in the PICU and with anesthesia. Fellows on either track will also have elective time to tailor focus in an area of their choosing.

 Requirements & Eligibility

Applicants must be board-certified in pediatrics through the American Board of Pediatrics and must be board-certified/eligible in either pediatric cardiology or pediatric critical care medicine. Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the United States and obtain an Illinois medical license. International Medical Graduates are welcome to apply but must meet specific criteria, including a valid ECFMG certificate and documentation of U.S. citizenship, valid green card, or J-1 visa as per the requirements set forth by Northwestern McGaw Medical Center. Our program does not sponsor H-1B visas.

 Application Process

Thank you for your interest in advanced training in pediatric cardiac critical care. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) does not currently accredit this training pathway, however a national standard for training has been created and these advanced fellowships are accepted as the standard of care for new pediatric cardiac intensivists. The programs in the US and Canada have collaborated to create a common application and application cycle for positions starting July 2022. Please follow this link to the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society (PCICS) website for the most updated version of the common application and application cycle.

 

 Advocacy

Discover the many ways our faculty are impacting children's health beyond the hospital.

 Global Health

Each year, as many as 20 third-year pediatric residents travel to Bugando Medical Center in Mwanza, Tanzania, to participate in an educational initiative that provides exposure to the management of complex pediatric diseases in a low-resource setting. Learn more about this extraordinary opportunity.

 Testimonials

“During my pediatric cardiac critical care medicine fellowship at Lurie Children’s, I have had the opportunity to manage a significant number of critically ill medical and cardiothoracic surgical patients in our 44-bed unit. This experience has helped enhance my understanding of congenital heart anatomy, cardiac physiology, and cardiopulmonary interactions and has provided a breadth of clinical opportunities in cardiac critical care management.”  Candance Mannarino, former CICU fellow (2019 - 2020)

 Why Northwestern?

Why Northwestern?Housestaff training through McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University provides diverse and challenging clinical experiences and world-class education located in the heart of the beautiful city of Chicago. Learn more via the links to the McGaw website below.

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 Video Gallery

 

Cardiac Care Intensivist at Lurie Children's

Dr. McBride is a cardiac intensivist within the Regenstein Cardiac Care Unit at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Dr. McBride provides cardiac care to patients who have congenital heart defects or acquired heart defects. Her special interests include heart failure, heart transplantation, High Acuity Transition Clinic, medical education and pediatric cardiac critical care​

McBride's Video

Cardiac Intensivist, Heart Center at Lurie Children's

Dr. Conrad Epting, a cardiac intensivist in the Regenstein Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. He specializes in both cardiac critical care and critical care (Pediatric Intensive Care Unity).

Epting's Video

All for Sammy

Sammy’s parents brought her to a local hospital, thinking she was dehydrated from the flu. But within hours, her organs began to fail and she went into cardiac arrest. A rare infection had attacked Sammy’s heart. Her doctors transferred her to Lurie Children’s, home to a world-class Heart Center, ranked third in the nation.

Sammy's Video

All the Experts: The Heart Center at Lurie Children's

The Heart Center at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's hospital of Chicago is ranked #2 in the nation, and is the top program in Illinois. From prenatal to adult care, Lurie Children's team of cardiac experts are among the top in their field. Why would you go anywhere else?

Explore The Heart Center

Drake Surprises Girl Waiting for Heart Transplant at Lurie Children's

Today Lurie Children’s Hospital heart patient Sofia Sanchez, 11, had one of her birthday wishes come true– a surprise visit by Drake.

See Drake's Surprise

All for Opal

Opal went into heart failure and was air lifted to Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, where she waited 130 days for a new heart. Lurie Children's Heart Center is ranked #2 in the nation by US News & World Report.

Opal's Video

 

VISIT THE DIVISION OF CARDIOLOGY MEET OUR FELLOWS

Contact Us

Karl Migally, MD

Karl Migally, MD

Program Director, Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Fellowship
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Cardiology

kmigally( at )luriechildrens.org

View Faculty Profile

Brittany Dixon, C-TAGME

Brittany Dixon, C-TAGME

Manager, Medical Education and Academic Services, Advanced Pediatric Cardiac Interventional Fellowship
Manager, Medical Education and Academic Services, Non-Invasive Cardiac Imaging Fellowship
Manager, Medical Education and Academic Services, Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Fellowship
Manager, Medical Education and Academic Services, Pediatric Heart Failure/Heart Transplant Fellowship
Manager, Medical Education and Academic Services, Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship

Cardiology

bdixon( at )luriechildrens.org
312.227.5329

More Information

Further program details, including the housestaff manual and a sample training contract, are available on the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University site.

Physician-Scientist Training & Resources

We offer a wide range of resources, mentorship opportunities and formal training programs to help our residents and fellows excel as physician-scientists. Explore all of the resources and hear from housestaff who are making research a major part of their career development plans.

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