Development of a Multidisciplinary Pediatric Surgery Fellowship
Ryan Krasnosky1, Jesse D Meaike, Jordan L McAndrews
1Ryan Krasnosky, MPAS, PA-C, is the director of the Pediatric Surgery Physician Assistant Fellowship Program in the Michael DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas. Jesse D. Meaike, BS, is a medical student at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. Jordan L. McAndrews, BS, Fellowship Coordinator in the Department of Surgery at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas. Charles H. Hyman, BA, is a medical student at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. Larry H. Hollier Jr, MD, is the chair in plastic surgery and medical director of the Pediatric Surgery Physician Assistant Fellowship Program in the Michael DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas.
Physician Assistant (PA) postgraduate education, including residencies and fellowships, is expanding to meet the demand for specialized clinical skills beyond standard PA training. This article outlines developing a PA surgery fellowship program.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Surgical Physician Assistants
Background:
- Physician Assistants (PAs) are increasingly taking on leadership roles in specialized medical fields.
- Standard PA education may not cover the advanced skills required for these specialized roles.
- There is a growing demand for postgraduate PA education to supplement foundational training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss the development of the Texas Children's Hospital Surgery Physician Assistant Fellowship Program.
- To provide a framework for establishing similar PA fellowship programs nationwide.
Main Methods:
- The article details the process of program conception and development.
- Key aspects covered include curriculum design, applicant recruitment strategies, and identified challenges.
- The framework is based on the practical experience of creating a specialized surgical PA fellowship.
Main Results:
- Postgraduate PA programs offer specialized, supervised clinical training and advanced didactic teaching.
- These programs provide advantages over traditional on-the-job training.
- The development process highlights the need for structured approaches to specialized PA training.
Conclusions:
- Specialized postgraduate PA education is crucial for meeting the evolving needs of medicine.
- The framework presented can guide the creation of new PA fellowship programs.
- Investing in structured PA fellowship programs enhances clinical expertise and patient care.
