title: Pediatric surgical critical care fellowship experience and career paths: Results of a survey of program graduates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine motivations, fellowship experiences, and careers of graduates of the 10 accredited pediatric surgical critical care fellowships (PSCCF).
  
  
  METHODS
  Queries to PSCCF directors yielded a list of 86 graduates (2003-2013), each of whom received a 23-question survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 86 graduates contacted, 82 (95.3%) replied. Among graduates who applied, 62 of 74 (83.8%) matched into pediatric surgery (PS) fellowships. On average, the respondents were 33 years old and PGY6 when beginning PSCCF. Half had failed initial attempts to match into PS fellowship. Of the matched respondents, 39 are pediatric surgeons and 21 PS fellows or residents awaiting fellowship. Two additional respondents did not complete fellowship. Among the pediatric surgeons, 13 identified their positions as heavily involved with critical care. The critical care boards pass rate was 94.4% (67/71). Rotations during fellowships were varied, with 74 fellows (90.2%) rotating in the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU), 71 (86.6%) in the neonatal ICU, 54 (65.9%) in the adult surgical ICU, and 36 (43.9%) on the pediatric surgical ward service.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Completion of a PSCCF is highly predictive of a successful PS match. Only a third of PSCCF graduates continue critical care work in a formal fashion after PS fellowship.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo, 219 Bryant Street, Buffalo, NY 14222; Department of Surgery, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA. Electronic address: drothstein@kaleidahealth.org.
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Rothstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D003422:Critical Care; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009518:New York; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Pediatric surgery match; Surgical critical care