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Pulmonology Fellowship

Program Overview

The Pediatric Pulmonology Fellowship Program at the ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware, in affiliation with Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University (TJU), trains physicians in advanced skills in pediatric pulmonology. Our three-year program,accredited by the , provides diverse clinical and research-based experience that can lead to specialty certification.

You’ll have numerous opportunities to build your knowledge base and refine your clinical and research skills through regular contact with a diverse population of pediatric inpatients and outpatients.

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Our Fellowship Program

Our pediatric pulmonary fellowship program balances clinical experience with research training.

The program seeks to:

  • Train physicians in diagnostic and therapeutic methods for inpatient, outpatient and consultative pediatric pulmonary medicine
  • Provide strong clinical expertise in the care of children with a wide range of pulmonary disorders
  • Educate physician colleagues in pulmonary diseases
  • Advance medical research in the field of pulmonary medicine through clinical or laboratory-based research projects
  • Help physicians prepare for and develop their pulmonary professional careers

Clinical Experiences

The clinical experience includes a balance of inpatient and outpatient opportunities to refine your clinical skills.

Training in a Wide Range of Conditions:

  • Disorders of the upper airway
  • Neuromuscular diseases
  • Congenital disorders of the lower airways
  • Asthma
  • Tracheostomy
  • Mechanical-ventilator dependent patients
  • Bronchiolitis
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Interstitial lung disease
  • Pneumonia
  • Disorders of the chest wall, diaphragm and pleural space
  • Acute lung diseases of the newborn infant
  • Respiratory failure
  • Aspiration/inhalation injuries
  • Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
  • Pulmonary vascular diseases in childhood
  • Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
  • Pulmonary complications in immunocomprised/immunosuppressed patients
  • Control of breathing disorders (including sleep disorders)
  • Miscellaneous lung disease

Our inpatient pulmonary team serves as the primary care team for the inpatient pulmonary service. We also consult with the care teams for general pediatrics, physical medicine & rehabilitation, orthopedics, orthopedic surgery, and our intensive care units (pediatric, neonatal and cardiac). Additionally, elective time is available to individualize your clinical experience to align with your professional goals.


Our Pulmonology Facilities

Our division includes several pediatric pulmonologists, many of whom are dual-boarded physicians — with combined certification in pediatric pulmonology and sleep medicine, for example, or internal medicine and pediatrics.

Nursing staff and care coordinators round out the division, which typically performs, every year, more than 1,500 new outpatient evaluations and 250 bronchoscopic evaluations. Your inpatient experience includes a significant consultative role, 350-plus inpatient consults and at least 200 inpatient admissions annually.

Our 4-bed sleep laboratory performs more than 1,500 polysomnograms each year. Our intensive care units are equipped to provide Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) when necessary. Additionally, the division plays an active role in teaching residents, fellows, and medical students.

Research

Your research education begins with comprehensive training in biostatistics, lab research methodology, clinical research methodology, study design, grant preparation, and preparation of protocols for the institutional review board (IRB). These areas are covered during the first year of your fellowship.

In subsequent years, you’ll have access to our world-class laboratories, equipment, and resources, along with guidance from research professionals located on campus.

You’ll be encouraged to tailor the program’s research component to your interests and professional career plan. This may include laboratory research in our NIH-funded Lung Center, or clinical research with application for funding from both institutional and outside sources. While research funding is encouraged and supported, it is not a requirement to maintain the fellowship position during any year.

Learn More About Research at ֲý

Salary & Benefits

Salary

  • PGY1: $71,923
  • PGY2: $74,799
  • PGY3: $77,792
  • PGY 4: $80,904
  • PGY 5: $84,139
  • PGY 6: $87,505
  • PGY 7: $91,005
  • PGY 8: $94,646

Benefits

Our comprehensive benefits program allows you to choose a combination of benefits to best meet your — and your family's - needs:

  • Health Advocacy and Navigation Services
  • Medical
    • Additional features in our medical plans include:
      • Coverage for assisted fertility (two cycles)
      • Maternity and child-rearing support
      • Expert second opinion program
      • Surgical centers of excellence
      • Virtual excercise therapy for back and joint pain
      • Type 2 diabetes management program
      • ֲý-funded Health Reimbursement Accounts for eligible associates
  • Prescription
  • Vision
  • Dental
  • Voluntary Accident Insurance
  • Voluntary Critical Illness
  • Voluntary Hospital Indemnity Insurance
  • Retirement Benefits
    • 403(b) Plan
    • ֲý Matching Contribution
  • Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
  • Basic & Supplemental Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance
  • Supplemental Life Insurance
  • Paid Parental Leave
  • Short-Term Disability (STD)
  • Long-Term Disability (LTD)
  • Voluntary Long-Term Care (LTC)
  • Identity Theft Protection
  • MetLife® Legal Plan
  • Paid Time Off (PTO)
    • Residents and fellows receive a 160-hour block of PTO during each academic year, July 1-June 30. There is no PTO carryover.
    • Paid Holidays— Full-time and part-time associates receive six holidays per year. There is no waiting period for eligibility.
    • Volunteer Time Off— Full-time associates who have completed the 90-day evaluation period receive eight hours of paid Volunteer Time Off (VTO) each year to use for community service activities (four hours for part-time associates).
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Work Life Benefits
    • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
    • Financial Education
    • Adoption Assistance
    • Mortgage Loan Assistance Program

Wellness Benefits Include

  • Free fitness center membership at ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware, ֲý Children’s Hospital, Florida, and the Home Office
  • Access to group fitness classes and personal training (at select locations), at an additional cost
  • Reduced cost fitness center membership to more than 18,000 gyms nationwide through Active&Fit Direct program
  • Gym/fitness app reimbursement for benefits-eligible associates
  • Free health coaching for benefits-eligible associates, spouses, and dependents over age 18
  • Wellness challenges
  • Reduced cost membership to WeightWatchers for benefits-eligible associates, spouses, and dependents over 18
  • Resources for meditation and stress management
  • Rewards for participating in healthy activities

About Our Hospital in Delaware

The ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware is a multispecialty, tertiary care teaching institution located on a 300-acre estate in the scenic Brandywine Valley in Wilmington, Del.

Among the hospital’s amenities for all staff are:

  • Free parking
  • Park-like setting
  • Gym/fitness center
  • On-site child care center for children of staff

Living in Delaware Valley

Because of our location in the tri-state area of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, we offer unique living/working opportunities. For example, you can choose to live in the downtown Philadelphia area and easily commute to our park-like hospital campus in Wilmington.

Explore Wilmington

ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware is located in Wilmington, Del., about 30 minutes from center city Philadelphia, and an easy drive to Baltimore, Lancaster County, Pa. (“Amish Country”), and the beaches in Atlantic City and Delaware. There is much to do in and around the city, including mansion and garden tours, museums, breweries, wineries, fine restaurants and numerous state parks.

Learn More About Delaware:

Explore Philadelphia

Philadelphia is the sixth largest metropolitan area in the United States and offers a wealth of historical, cultural and recreational opportunities. From world-class museums to its professional sports teams to the colorful, bustling districts of South Street, Chinatown and the Italian Market, Philadelphia has something for everyone.

Learn More About the Philadelphia Area:

Train With Recognized Leaders

If you’re looking for a rewarding program built on academic excellence and family-centered care, ֲý Children's offers outstanding medical, surgical, pharmacy, nursing, therapy and psychology programs. Train with faculty who are respected leaders in their fields, a patient care model that stands apart and access to groundbreaking research.

Meet Our Clinical Leadership

Robert Heinle, MD

Pulmonology Fellowship Program

Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Department of Pediatrics, ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware

Learn More About Dr. Heinle


Aaron Chidekel, MD

Division Chief, Pulmonology

Learn More About Dr. Chidekel

Meet Our Participants

1st Year

  • Jeremy Cho, MD

Alumni

  • Elena Stekolchik, DO
  • Sarah Schaffer, MD
  • Lauren Greenwald, DO
  • Abigail Strang
  • Vandna Passi, MD
  • Kristel Holmblad, MD
  • Jason Bronstein, MD

Apply Today

Application Requirements

Accreditation ID: 3300912066

Accepting Applications: July 3 through September 1, 2024

Training Begins:July 1, 2025

Currently Accepting Applications. Please contact the program coordinator with any questions.

1.

2.All candidates must have completed or are completing an ACGME–accredited pediatric residency and are becoming board-eligible for general pediatrics.

3.Our program participates in the . All candidates must be registered for the NRMP Pediatric Specialties Fall Match and meet all associated deadlines.

4.Complete theand follow all instructions on the Association of American Medical Colleges website.

5.Our program requires a letter of recommendation (LOR) from the pediatric residency program director and two additional letters of recommendation.

6.For each letter of recommendation, please have letter-of-recommendation writers complete the, along with the written letter and submit them to the.

7.In addition to the LORs, a personal statement, transcript and Dean’s letter from a medical school, and USMLE or COMLEX transcripts are required.

8.Our program begins reviewing applications in August, and any applications that are incomplete or missing documents on October 1 will not be considered.

Questions About Roations or How to Apply?

April Aguilera
Fellowship Coordinator
(302) 577-0319
april.aguilera@nemours.org

Robert Heinle, MD
Program Director
(302) 651-6400
robert.heinle@nemours.org