Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Fellowship
The PCCSM Fellowship Program is designed to provide each trainee with a range of exposure to the diagnosis and management of pulmonary diseases, the experience and skills required of an intensivist and the opportunity to develop research interests. Seven new fellows are currently admitted to the program every year. Clinical and teaching responsibilities encompass most of the first and second years, with a significant part of the third year devoted to research activities. During the clinical phase of training, fellows devote their time to evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of patients admitted to Los Angeles General Medical Center, KH and Norris. Fellows assess problems, make appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations and perform specialized procedures, including fiberoptic and advanced bronchoscopy, percutaneous needle biopsy of the lung and pleura, thoracentesis and pleurodesis. Trainees receive instruction in pulmonary function testing, thoracic and critical care ultrasonography and x-ray interpretation, including high-resolution computerized tomography (HRCT), the principles and techniques of mechanical ventilation and inhalation therapy, and all aspects of tertiary pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine.
Fellows are also exposed to a wide spectrum and volume of procedural skills training as part of their patient care duties, and have both fresh tissue and simulation skills sessions throughout their fellowship. All fellows are scheduled to attend bi-annual half-day skills workshops in which they practice such key procedures as central lines, chest tube insertion, intubation, percutaneous tracheostomy, intraosseus access, thoracentesis and management of difficult airways.
The Division has also been committed to providing essential teaching for the education of second-year medical students. Both current and former faculty members participate in lectures and small group discussions on various topics in respiratory medicine.
Fellows
Samridhi Amba, MD
Abigail Beggs. MD
Rami El-Yousef, MD
Kelly Fan, MD
Aaron Glucksman, MD
John Kern, DO
Reza Ronaghi, MD
Udit Chaddha, MD
Rahul Chillapa, MD
Niusha Dimaghi, MD
Sean Dooley, MD
Jamie Kagahara, MD
Darren Mahera, MD
Mircea Pucas, DO
Kavitha Bagavathy, MD
Walter Chou, MD
Jordan Lee, MD
Andrew Morado, MD
Raju Reddy, MD
Yashaswini Yeragunta, MD
Kelly Walsma, MD
Brian Belluci, MD
Khadir Kakal, MD
Kriti Lonial, MD
Van Derick Mangulabnan, MD
Jaymica Patel, MD
Linh Truong, MD
Ravi Paul Singh Virdi, MD
Division Teaching Conferences
Our strong commitment to teaching is evident in an extensive daily conference schedule, starting at 8:30 am and consisting of didactic lectures, multidisciplinary case conferences, grand rounds, morbidity and mortality conferences, and research seminars on various aspects of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine and related sciences. Combined thoracic surgery and thoracic oncology conferences (Tumor Board) are held every Wednesday from 5:00-6:00pm.
Monthly Journal Clubs stress the importance of evaluating, analyzing and presenting medical research literature. Guest lectures and both clinical and basic research seminars featuring nationally and internationally known physician-scientists are held bi-monthly. Daily rounds conducted in all the USC hospitals form the cornerstone of our clinical teaching program. These in-depth sessions ensure the highest quality patient care. Full-time faculty conduct bedside rounds as well as clinical discussions. House staff, medical students, fellows and attending physicians participate in these daily rounds.