The Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Program is structured to ensure our fellows are trained to become excellent clinicians, skilled researchers, and effective educators.

Clinical experience over three years occurs at Tampa General Hospital, which is the primary teaching site. This teaching hospital is designated Regional Perinatal Intensive Care Center with over 7,000 deliveries a year. USF Neonatologist staff the Jennifer Leigh Muma Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with its 82 private rooms. Fellows are expected to be team leaders in the Level IV NICU, where teams are composed of residents, neonatal nurse practitioners, dietitians, pharmacists, and pediatric hospitalists.

The Division of Neonatology works in partnership with the Maternal-Fetal-Medicine Program, surgical subspecialties, and Pediatric Cardiology to provide the best antenatal and postnatal care for patients at the USF Fetal Care Center of Tampa Bay.

Outpatient experiences in the NICU Follow-Up Clinic and the Neurodevelopmental Clinic provide valuable insight into neonatal outcomes. Simulation training is offered to fellows at the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) located in downtown Tampa. CAMLS is an active site for monthly NRP simulation education.

Fellows are expected to complete both - a QI and a scholarly research project during their fellowship. They are also encouraged to develop a clinical, translational, or basic science research project based on their unique interests and career goals. Structured guidance on study design, regulatory compliance, statistical analysis, and scientific writing/presentation is built into the three-year curriculum. In addition, our trainees have the opportunity to participate in the many ongoing clinical trials and quality improvement initiatives in our NICU. Each fellow is matched with one or more faculty mentors actively involved in an area of research that is of mutual interest. Although most fellows are mentored by faculty within the Division of Neonatology, the program encourages fellows to consider mentors outside of the division when appropriate.

Ongoing collaborations with faculty at various USF's colleges (Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health) ensures that needed expertise is readily available. Active areas of research within our division include neonatal anemia and the developing intestinal microbiome, infant nutrition, congenital infections, and neonatal abstinence syndrome. In addition, the division has a laboratory-based research program that uses animal models and tissue culture to explore the mechanisms by which the bacteria colonize the maternal genital tract, which contributes to adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. All fellows have an opportunity to present their research at various forums and at national scientific meetings.

Karen Wickline, MD
Professor of Pediatrics
Program Director, Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship Program
kmwickline@usf.edu