Overview * Clinical Activities * Research Activities
Philosophy of Research Training at Columbia
Select Publications from Division Members
How to Apply

Overview
This three-year program, which is administered by the Division of Neonatology, is designed to prepare pediatricians for careers in clinical and academic neonatal medicine and research.

The fellowship program consists of clinical experiences and formalized instruction, including weekly research conferences, perinatal physiology conference, clinical case conferences and perinatology conferences with faculty from the Division Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

Our Fellows are expected to participate actively, very early in their training, in some of the ongoing research programs and are encouraged to develop individual research projects of their own design. For individuals interested in continuing their research beyond three years, there will be an opportunity to remain at Babies and Children's Hospital of New York one or two additional years as junior faculty.

Summary of Clinical Activities
The clinical experience during the three-year training program at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center is intense and extensive. The first year is comprised of six months clinical experience, five months of research and one month's vacation. Clinical service is divided between two separate rotations. The first rotation is the management of the entire 33-bed NICU and the second is the management of the delivery service, transitional nursery, transport service and consultation service. During the first year, fellows learn the bulk of their clinical skills. By participating in daily work rounds and the didactic lecture series for the residents, the fellows acquire experience in teaching and lecturing.

The second and third years are much like the first, but with only four and two months of clinical service, respectively. The fellow, in conjunction with the attending physician, is the primary director of clinical care. Although many major therapeutic decisions are discussed with the attending, the fellows operate with substantial independence. Fellows acquire an enormous amount of clinical experience because of their in-house call and the extremely high-risk population. We are an ECMO center which yields a continuous flow of gravely ill infants. The fellows are fully competent to manage infants, using the newest forms of mechanical ventilation, surfactant therapy, percuntaneous central lines, etc. Our cardiac, neurologic and surgical services are very active and provide a full range of clinical challenges. We are extremely confident that the three years of clinical work at Babies & Children's Hospital will prepare our fellows for virtually all possible practice contingencies.

Summary of Research Activities
The American Board of Pediatrics has issued criteria for certification in neonatal/perinatal medicine. Of major concern to the Board is that potential diplomats demonstrate competence in clinical or basic science research.

Philosophy of Research Training at Columbia
When fellows come to Columbia with specific research questions or interests, every effort is made to assist the fellow in reaching his/her goals. This situation is, in fact, rather unusual. More commonly, trainees are uncommitted and prefer to examine the options at the institution before making their choice of a research objective. We believe there is a sufficiently wide range of choices at Columbia to insure first-rate research experience for all serious candidates.

Fellows frequently choose to do research with faculty members outside of our division. The most frequently chosen areas include obstetrics, pharmacology, development psychobiology, neurology, computer science, hematology and pulmonology. We encourage fellows to follow their interests and we have generally been able to find faculty advisors and other resources to assist the fellow in whatever area is appealing to them. Advice regarding experimental design and statistical analysis is available from many sources within the institution.

Select Recent Publications from Members of Our Division
Kashyap S, Schulze KF, Ramakrishnan R, Dell RB, Heird WC: Evaluation of a mathematical model for predicting the relationship between protein and energy intakes of low birth weight infants and the rate and composition of weight gain. Pediatr Res 35:704-712, 1994.

Hillier SL, Nugent RP, Eschenbach DA, Krohn MA, Gibbs RS, Martin DA, Regan JA: The association of bacterial vaginosis, becteriodes and mycoplasma hominis with pre-term low birth weight delivery. New England Journal of Medicine, 333:1737-1742, 1995.

Sahni R,Schulze K, Stefanski M, Meyers M, Fifer W:Methodological issues in coding sleep states in immature infants. J Dev Psychobiology 28:85-101, 1995.

Daniel SS, Stark RI, Meyers MM, Tropper PJ, Kim Y-I: Blood pressure and heart rate in the fetal lamb: Relationship to hypoglycemia, hypoxemia and growth restriction. Am J Physiol 271:R1415-R1421, 1996.

Regan JA, Klebanoff MA, Nugent RP, Blackwelder WC, Eschenbach DA, et al: Is colonization with group B Streptococci in pregnancy associated with adverse outcome? Results of the vaginal infections and prematurity study. Am J of Obstet Gynecol. 174:1618-1621, 1996.

Schulze K, Kashyap S, Sahni R, Fifer W, Meyers M: Diet, sleep and the developing autonomic nervous system. Selected Proceedings of the Third European Congress of the European Society for the Study and Prevention of Infants Deaths, P. Johnson Ed Holywell Press, Oxford 1996.

Datta-Bhutada S, Johnson HL, Rosen TS: Intrauterine cocaine/crack exposure. Neonatal Outcome. J Perinatology, 1997.

Leviton A, Paneth N, Susser M, Reuss ML, Allred EN, Kuban K, Sanocka UM, Hegyi T, Hiatt M, Shahrivar F,Van Marter L: Maternal receipt of magnesium sulfate does not seem to reduce the risk of neonatal white matter damage. Pediatrics 99(4):1-5, April 1997.

Nielsen HC, Martin A, Volpe, MA, Hatzis D and Vosatka, RJ: Growth factor control of growth and epithelial differentiation in embryonic lungs. Biochemical and Molecular Medicine, 60:38-48, 1997.

Polin RA and Fox, editors: Fetal and Neonatal Physiology, 2nd Edition. WB. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, PA, 1997.

Sahni R, and Schulze KF: Pre- and postoperative sleep state, cardiorespiratory and electrocortical activity in infants with transposition of great vessels. Neuropediatrics 28(3): 162-167, 1997.

Stark RI, Garland M, Daniel SS, Leung K, Meyers MM, Tropper PJ: Fetal cardiorespiratory and neurobehavioral response to zidovudine (AZT) in the baboon. J Soc Gynecol Invest 4:183-190, 1997.

Towers, HM, Schulze KF, Kashyap S, Ramakrishnan R: Energy expended by low birth weight infants in the deposition of protein and fat. Pediatric Research 41:584-589, 1997.

Salzman N, Polin RA, Harris MC, Ruchelli E, Hebra A, Zirin-Butler S, Jawad A, Bevins C: Enteric defensin expression in necrotizing enterocolitis. Pediatric Research 1998.

Vosatka R: Genetic Resources, in Schaeffer and Avery's Diseases of the Newborn, 7th Edition, Edited by H.W. Taeusch, R.A. Ballard and M.E. Avery, W.B. Saunders Company. 1998.

How to Apply
In order to request an application you may contact us via:
email: fao4@columbia.edu
fax: 212-305-8796
or write us at the following address:

Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship Training Program
Division of Neonatology
Children's Hospital of New York
3959 Broadway - CHN 1201
New York, NY 10032-3748