February 18, 2016
MEMORANDUM
TO:
RE:
Fellow Responsibility while on Service at Primary Children’s Medical
Center
FROM:
Robert H. Lane, M.D.
Associate Professor, Pediatrics, Neonatology
Director, Neonatology Fellowship Program
During your upcoming rotation at the Primary Children’s Medical Center, you will have a
fellow on service with you. This memo is to serve as a reminder of the specific
responsibilities the fellow has during that rotation. At the beginning of the rotation, you
should discuss these responsibilities with the fellow to ensure that no confusion exists
about what is expected and required. Also, review the Division of Neonatology’s
Standard of Performance and Evaluation.
First, the fellow's primary responsibility will be to gain experience in attending on a
Newborn Intensive Care Unit. To that end, you should allow the fellow as much
independence as you feel is consonant with good patient care. Not only should the
housestaff identify the fellow as the first line of supervision, but the fellow should be
expected to participate extensively in their training - both on rounds and in any didactic
sessions that you may wish to organize. In addition, the fellow will be on call every third
night. During such call nights the fellow is to be first call for all patients at Primary (that
is on both services). They should also be responsible for patients at the University of
Utah Medical Center - unless they are occupied with patient care responsibility at PCMC.
Finally, please be aware that there are other specific responsibilities that the fellow has
during the month on call at Primary Children's Medical Center. First, they are expected
to be identified with any infants who die and for whom we receive permission for
autopsy during the fellow's primary rotation. The fellows are then expected to follow
these infants through the autopsy process (i.e., gross section, microscopic evaluation,
preparation of summary and clinical correlation, and finally, presentation of the case
during CPC). Secondly, they are expected to participate in the triage and transport
process for infants requiring NICU care. This includes intake of initial call from the
referring institution and supervision of the transport, as you feel is consonant with good
patient care. Third, they are also expected to identify patients for their follow-up clinics
during their tenure at Primary. As you participate in discharge planning, please keep this
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in mind. Except in emergencies, these latter activities should take precedence over routine clinical
activity in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit.
It is both a privilege and obligation to be able to participate in the training of our fellows. I know
that each of us looks forward to this with enthusiasm. I wish you the best of luck in your teaching.
You will receive an evaluation form after the fellow's rotation that you are expected to discuss with
them before returning it to my office. They will receive a similar form evaluating your teaching
ability.