Training & Curriculum
The program currently has two tracks designed to meet the needs of our fellows' career paths.
Clinical track: This track is intended for those interested in careers in clinical education or as master clinicians. Our fellowship provides the opportunity for those interested in specific specialties to gain needed experience and expertise. Specialties include lung transplantation, pulmonary hypertension, interstitial lung disease and interventional pulmonology.
Research track: Fellows with aspirations for careers in academics can opt for our research track, in which fellows spend a substantial portion of their training time in basic or clinical research without sacrificing clinical training.
Medical Intensive Care Unit
Fellows in the Cedars-Sinai Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship supervise medical house staff members and students assigned to the units. Emphasis is placed on learning evidence-based principles of management and on highlighting the pathophysiologic aspects of conditions or treatment modalities.
Fellows will learn both the theoretical and practical aspects of all procedures relevant to the care of critically ill patients (including ICU ultrasounds) and will gain strong experience in neurological, trauma and general surgical ICU care. Participants can also rotate through a variety of other critical care units—including the Cardiac ICU, Cardiac-Surgical ICU, Anesthesiology, Pediatric ICU, Dialysis Unit, etc.
Procedures
Fiberoptic bronchoscopy is performed by the fellow under the supervision of one of the staff. Fellows perform more than 200 bronchoscopies during their fellowship. These procedures, as well as needle aspiration biopsies, are performed in the pulmonary/critical care division procedure rooms. In addition, Cedars-Sinai is a major center for yag laser resection therapy, insertion of stents, use of brachytherapy and other state-of-the-art devices, such as navigational bronchoscopy, EBUS and percutaneous tracheostomy.
Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit
This is an intense, 1-month rotation intended for second- and third-year fellows. During this rotation, fellows will be part of a multidisciplinary team consisting of faculty from anesthesia critical care, pulmonary and critical care, and cardiothoracic surgery. In addition to actively managing patients undergoing traditional cardiac surgery, fellows will gain exposure and experience in ECMO, heart/lung transplant, ventricular assist devices, total artificial heart, TAVR, Impella and intra-aortic balloon pumps.
Pulmonary Vascular Disease
Fellows on this rotation experience a well-rounded rotation encompassing both inpatient and outpatient management of patients with various types of pulmonary vascular disease. The inpatient component of the rotation involves the active management of newly diagnosed patients with pulmonary hypertension as well as adding consultative services for those with a known diagnosis. In addition to extensive exposure into the use of PH-specific medications, fellows gain experience with echo interpretation and placing right heart catheters. Fellows on this rotation will also run our pulmonary embolism response team (PERT) which provides urgent consultative and management support for patients with known or suspected pulmonary embolism. Fellows will gain experience and familiarity with various types of anticoagulation, thrombolytics, clot retrieval devices, ECMO and clinical trials.
Ambulatory Care
Our fellows work in a variety of outpatient clinical settings. These include a meaningful weekly continuity clinic held at the Southern California Kaiser Permanente location and through various Cedars-Sinai ambulatory facilities. Specialty clinics include lung transplant, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, interstitial lung disease and sleep clinics.
Consultation
Fellows provide pulmonary consultation for the Cedars-Sinai medical and surgical teaching services, as well as other participating hospitals when rotations are held there. During this period, our fellows will supervise medical house staff and students in the pulmonary elective.
Pulmonary Physiology Laboratory
Working in the Pulmonary Laboratory at participating institutions under the supervision of the full-time lab director, fellows learn performance, calculation and interpretation of pulmonary function tests. The physiologic evaluation of patients includes spirometry, lung volumes by dilution and plethysmographic techniques, diffusion, mechanics and blood-gas analysis. In addition, the lab is equipped for sophisticated exercise and other special studies.
Lung Transplantation
Fellows will see patients during the biweekly lung transplant clinic. Patients are evaluated as possible candidates for lung transplantation or treated for care following a lung transplant. Fellows are primarily responsible for transplant patients admitted to the medical center, and each fellow is trained in all aspects of pre-transplant, perioperative transplant and transplant management. They'll also be able to participate in procurement procedures.
Clinical Programs
- Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
- Asthma
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Cystic fibrosis
- Interstitial lung disease
- Interventional pulmonology
- Lung cancer
- Lung transplantation
- Pulmonary function and exercise testing
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Pulmonary rehabilitation
- Sleep medicine
- Thromboembolic disease
Standalone Critical Care Program
As of June 2014, we have rolled our critical care program into our combined pulmonary and critical care program.

While all fellows get dedicated research time, those interested in pursuing a career in basic or clinical research have several options for meeting these goals. Through the Cedars-Sinai Clinical Scholars Program and other internal funds, we provide interested fellows with the needed tools to apply and obtain funding for future research—including K08 or K23 awards.
In addition to dedicated research time, we have a T32 training grant available for qualified fellows as well as a combined Physician-Scientist Training Program (PSTP) with our Internal Medicine residency. Fellows interested in pursuing an MPH, may also have that opportunity during their second year
Fellows in our program have the opportunity to work in well-funded laboratories recognized for their groundbreaking work in lung pathologies. In addition to the following key areas of research, fellows may also study lung cancer, pulmonary hypertension and ventilator-induced lung injury.
- Arditi Laboratory
- Pneumonia
- Pneumonia
- Board of Governors
- Regenerative medicine
- Chen Laboratory
- Cystic fibrosis
- Influenza
- Lung repair
- Lung transplantation
- Hogaboam Laboratory
- Asthma
- Noble Laboratory
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
- Parks Laboratory
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Lung inflammation
Have Questions or Need Help?
Contact us if you have questions or would like to learn more about the Fellowship at Cedars-Sinai.
8700 Beverly Blvd., Room 6735
Los Angeles, CA 90048