Critical Care Medicine is a dynamic and vital field in modern healthcare, offering medical professionals the opportunity to manage the most complex and life-threatening conditions. For those seeking to specialize and excel in this demanding area, fellowship programs are essential. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) offers outstanding fellowship training, including highly sought-after 1 Year Fellowship Programs In Critical Care Medicine, designed to cultivate expert intensivists.
Comprehensive Critical Care Medicine Fellowship at MSKCC
The Critical Care Medicine (CCM) Fellowship Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is dedicated to developing highly competent critical care practitioners. This program is distinguished by its commitment to training leaders in critical care, equipped to supervise intensive care units and contribute to clinical research. Accredited by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), the program ensures fellows receive rigorous and standardized training. For those seeking focused and accelerated training, the 1 year fellowship programs in critical care medicine at MSKCC provide an intensive pathway to expertise.
Education and Training Excellence
Education is at the heart of the CCM Service at MSKCC. The program is deeply invested in training not only fellows but also residents, medical students, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, fostering the growth of the critical care specialty. The curriculum for the 1 year fellowship programs in critical care medicine and the 2-year program is robust, featuring a core didactic lecture series, conferences with visiting professors, fellows’ grand rounds, and hands-on workshops focused on ventilator management and ultrasound techniques. Additional learning opportunities include journal clubs, simulation laboratory training, weekly board review sessions, and in-depth case review and morbidity and mortality conferences. Fellows are actively encouraged to engage in research, present their findings at local and national conferences, contribute to peer-reviewed publications, and participate in patient-safety and quality-improvement initiatives, ensuring a well-rounded and impactful fellowship experience.
Diverse Clinical Rotations
The clinical experience within the 1 year fellowship programs in critical care medicine is exceptionally diverse and comprehensive. Fellows complete 12 months of clinical rotations across three leading hospitals. The majority of this time, seven months, is spent at MSKCC, including a dedicated month in the operating room to refine airway management skills. To broaden their expertise, fellows rotate at New York-Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH) Cornell Medical Center for rotations in cardiothoracic surgery, surgical trauma, and neurocritical care, each lasting one month. A further month is spent at the New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens (NYHMCQ) gaining experience in a community-based medical ICU. This range of rotations ensures fellows in the 1 year fellowship programs in critical care medicine are exposed to a wide spectrum of critical care environments and patient populations, preparing them for diverse career settings.
Research and Scholarly Activity
Research is integral to the CCM service at MSKCC. Fellows in the 1 year fellowship programs in critical care medicine are presented with numerous opportunities to participate in cutting-edge clinical trials focusing on critical conditions such as sepsis/septic shock, pneumonia, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. The service is also involved in collaborative research with national and international critical care study networks. Furthermore, MSKCC encourages “homegrown” research projects, allowing fellows to explore novel biomarkers in critically ill patients, analyze outcomes of chemotherapy and ethics consultations in the oncologic ICU, and study patterns of hospital transports and rapid response teams. The faculty includes nationally recognized experts in sepsis, critical care organization, ICU design, and point-of-care testing, providing fellows with unparalleled mentorship and research guidance.
Clinical Care and Patient Focus
The CCM Service at MSKCC delivers state-of-the-art, life-saving care within a 20-bed adult intensive care unit to cancer patients facing critical illness. Beyond the ICU, the service operates a 24/7 consultation and rapid response service throughout Memorial Hospital. Clinical care is provided by a multidisciplinary team comprising faculty, fellows, advanced practice providers (nurse practitioners and physician assistants), and residents. Two teams, a traditional house staff team and an advanced-practitioner team, both supervised by board-certified intensivists, manage patients in the ICU. Additionally, a Consultation/Rapid Response Team addresses acutely ill inpatients hospital-wide, and a Critical Care Center Consult Team cares for patients in the Medical Stepdown Unit and consults in the Neurological Advanced Care Unit. In 2021, the CCM service managed approximately 1100 ICU admissions, over 2100 ICU consults, and over 2800 rapid response calls, highlighting the high volume and acuity of cases managed, offering fellows invaluable hands-on experience.
Faculty and Staff Expertise
The CCM faculty at MSKCC consists of 18 intensivists with diverse backgrounds, including training in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, anesthesiology, surgery, and palliative medicine. These faculty members hold appointments in the Departments of Medicine and Anesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medical College, further enhancing the academic rigor of the program. In addition to CCM fellows, the ICU is staffed by anesthesiology residents from NYPH-Cornell and medical students from Weill Cornell Medical College and other institutions, creating a rich learning environment. The advanced practice provider team includes 40 NPs and PAs, and the respiratory therapy team comprises 60 therapists. The service is also supported by dedicated professionals including a research nurse, nutritionist, social worker, patient care representative, computer programmer, and informatics specialist, ensuring comprehensive patient care and fellow support.
Postgraduate Success and Career Paths
Graduates of the MSKCC CCM fellowship program, including those completing the 1 year fellowship programs in critical care medicine, have achieved remarkable career success. Two-year internal medicine–CCM and internal medicine subspecialty-trained fellows have secured critical care positions in both community teaching and university-affiliated hospitals across the nation. Over 140 fellows have completed training since 2000, forming a strong alumni network. Pulmonary–CCM graduates have pursued additional fellowships in prestigious centers such as the Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins, and Mayo Clinic. MSKCC fellowship alumni have become ICU directors, associate program directors, departmental chairs, and leaders in large hospitals and private groups, demonstrating the program’s effectiveness in preparing future leaders in critical care medicine.
Program Details and Application Information
The CCM Service at MSKCC welcomes applications from candidates trained in internal medicine, medical subspecialties (pulmonary, renal, infectious disease), and emergency medicine. The faculty is dedicated to providing advanced subspecialty training to highly qualified candidates from across the United States. The program offers both 1 and 2-year fellowship options. There are twelve positions available annually. Eligibility requires a minimum of three years of ACGME residency training in internal medicine or emergency medicine. To apply for the fellowship, candidates should use the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Applications are accepted through ERAS starting July 15th, with interviews conducted from August through October. Required application materials include three letters of recommendation, USMLE exam results, a personal statement, and details of research experience and publications. All CCM trainees are selected through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Interested applicants are encouraged to apply and join the MSKCC critical care team. For further information, please contact the program coordinator.
