Prerequisite:
Successful completion of third-year medical school clerkships.
Course Director
Course Description
The Critical Care Medicine Department invites PGY-2 or PGY-3 internal medicine residents to a 4-week clinical rotation in the intensive care unit at the NIH Clinical Center. The CC is the site of intramural clinical research for the NIH. People from all over the world participate in approximately 1,500 research protocols conducted by the various institutes and centers. Each year, about 6,000 patients are admitted to the CC.
The CCMD provides medical and surgical ICU services for critically ill adult and pediatric patients enrolled in intramural NIH research protocols. The ICU is equipped with state-of-the-art cardiovascular and respiratory support services and staffed by senior physicians and fellows with expertise in critical care medicine, pulmonary diseases, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases, and anesthesiology.
The student is expected to be an integral part of the ICU team. Workday starts at 6:30 am and rounds start at 8 am. There are daily afternoon sign-out rounds occurs at 6 pm.
Educational Conferences
There are daily conferences for fellows which students and residents are also expected to join.
Recurring Fellows Conferences
| Sample Schedule | Day | Time |
| Simulation Session | Monday | 11:30 am |
| DC5 Common Core Critical Care Conference | Tuesday | 1:00 pm |
| Departmental Conference | Wednesday | 11:30 am |
| Departmental Conference | Thursday | 11:30 am |
| Bedside Teaching | Friday | 11:30 am |
There are also seminars specifically for students and residents. These are highly interactive sessions, following an organized curriculum with reading assignments and clearly defined educational goals for each topic.
Student-Resident Seminars
| Sample Schedule | Day | Time |
| Orientation to the ICU | Monday - Week 1 | 1:00 pm |
| Mechanical Ventilation I - VALI | Tuesday - Week 1 | 10:00 am |
| Mechanical Ventilation II - Ventilation | Wednesday - Week 1 | 10:00 am |
| Mechanical Ventilation III - Oxygenation | Thursday - Week 1 | 10:00 am |
| ICU Radiology I - Chest Film | Friday - Week 1 | 10:00 am |
| Physiology - Carbon Dioxide | Monday - Week 2 | 10:00 am |
| Hypotension & Shock | Tuesday - Week 2 | 10:00 am |
| Sepsis | Wednesday - Week 2 | 10:00 am |
| Mechanical Ventilation IV – Modes & Breath Type | Thursday - Week 2 | 1:00 pm |
| Physiology - Oxygen | Friday - Week 2; | 10:00 am |
| Sodium | Monday - Week 3 | 10:00 am |
| ICU Radiology II - Ultrasound | Tuesday - Week 3 | 10:00 am |
| Physiology - Acid Base | Wednesday - Week 3 | 10:00 am |
| Physiology – Metabolic Acidosis | Thursday - Week 3 | 10:00 am |
| Debrief | Friday - Week 4 | 3:00 pm |
Course Objectives
- Gain clinical experience in providing thoughtful and expedient care for critically ill patients.
- Understand the basic pathophysiology and scientific literature relevant for caring of critically ill patients.
- Develop procedural and decision-making skills required for caring of critically ill patients.
- Develop skills to effectively communicate medical information to patients and their families, ancillary medical staff, and fellow physicians.
Available Dates for the Rotation
NIH ICU rotation is available September to May each academic year for residents. Generally, we accept one student per month for a 4-week rotation.
Selection of Applicants
The program can accommodate one student per month.
Application Procedure
If you are interested in the NIH ICU rotation:
- Please contact Kathy Arnold about availability and other details.
- If there is availability, a formal application can be submitted.