Fellows will gain expertise in caring for children with diverse respiratory conditions in line with a large and diverse pediatric department and referral base. Conditions will range from common ones such as including asthma and pediatric sleep disorders to rarer types such as those related to transplantation, immunodeficiency, immunosuppression and neuromuscular weaknesses. Our clinical program has particular strengths in technology dependent conditions, sleep medicine, neuromuscular weakness and asthma.
While on the inpatient service, the fellow directs the day-to-day management of patients admitted to the hospital, answers inpatient consults, and performs bronchoscopy procedures under the supervision of Duke pediatric pulmonary faculty. In the outpatient setting, fellows see new and follow-up patients within several possible clinics (general pulmonary, severe asthma, cystic fibrosis, neuromuscular diseases, and sleep medicine), and will be responsible for interpreting pediatric and infant pulmonary function tests.
Fellows will also be able to help tailor their education and gain skills in the practice of pediatric pulmonary medicine including:
- Clinical leadership and quality improvement;
- Learning to interpret pediatric and infant pulmonary function tests, polysomnography studies, and sweat chloride tests;
- Learning to interpret pediatric airway imagining (radiographs, chest CT);
- Medical education, including teaching pulmonary physiology and respiratory care to trainees and allied health professionals;
- Performing flexible bronchoscopy, bronchoalveolar lavage and other airway procedures;
- Learning to interpret bronchial provocation testing (methacholine challenges);
- Understanding principles of cardio-pulmonary exercise testing;
- Learning to evaluate and manage ventilator-dependent children;
- Learning to administer and monitor non-invasive ventilation;
- Learning research skills including critical reading, research design, statistical analysis, data reduction, scientific writing, and presentation.