Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Perspective
  • Published:

Essentials of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine fellowship: an overview

Journal of Perinatology volume 42, pages 269–276 (2022)Cite this article

Subjects

A Correction to this article was published on 21 April 2021

This article has been updated

Abstract

Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine (NPM) fellowship programs have undergone constant evolution since their first appearance in the 1960s. This article is the first in a seven-part series (Table 1) that critically evaluates the essentials of neonatology fellowship clinical and research education, performance assessment, and administrative support necessary to support NPM fellowship programs. This overview article will provide background on the history of NPM fellowship programs and provide a framework for the article series.

Table 1 Essentials of NPM fellowship article series.
Full size table

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Number of NPM fellowship positions by AAP district.
Fig. 2: Child population and NPM fellowship positions by state.

Similar content being viewed by others

Change history

References

  1. Philip AGS. The evolution of neonatology. Pediatr Res. 2005;58:799–815.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. In pediatric subspecialties and general academic pediatric training. J Pediatr. 1969;75:534–78.

  3. Avroy Fanaroff M. Personal communication with Jennifer Wambach MD, MS. 11/6/2020.

  4. Phillip Sunshine M. Personal communication with Jennifer Wambach MD, MS. 10/26/2020.

  5. American Board of Pediatrics. Pediatric workforce: a look at Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Data from the American Board of Pediatrics. J Pediatr. 2006;148:727–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. American Board of Pediatrics. Data of subspecialty fellows by demographics and program traits. Chapel Hill, NC: American Board of Pediatrics; 2018.

    Google Scholar 

  7. American Board of Pediatrics. Pediatric physicians workforce data book. Chapel Hill, NC: American Board of Pediatrics; 2019.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Surdyk PM. The history of sponsoring institutions, 1982–2017. J Grad Med Educ. 2017;9:7–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Edgar L, McLean S, Hogan S, Hamstra S, Holmboe E. The milestones guidebook: accreditation council for graduate medical education. 2020. https://www.acgme.org/Portals/0/MilestonesGuidebook.pdf?ver=2020-06-11-100958-330.

  10. Carraccio C, Wolfsthal SD, Englander R, Ferentz K, Martin C. Shifting paradigms. Acad Med. 2002;77:361–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Crawford L, Cofie N, McEwen L, Dagnone D, Taylor SW. Perceptions and barriers to competency‐based education in Canadian Postgraduate Medical Education. J Eval Clin Pract. 2020;26:1124–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Nasca TJ, Philibert I, Brigham T, Flynn TC. The next GME accreditation system—rationale and benefits. N Engl J Med. 2012;366:1051–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Sklar DP. Competencies, milestones, and entrustable professional activities: what they are, what they could be. Acad Med. 2015;90:395–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Bell BM. Supervision, not regulation of hours, is the key to improving the quality of patient care. JAMA 1993;3:403–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Wagner MJ, Wolf S, Promes S, McGee D, Hobgood C, Doty C, et al. Duty hours in emergency medicine: balancing patient safety, resident wellness, and the resident training experience: a consensus response to the 2008 Institute of Medicine Resident Duty Hours Recommendations. Acad Emerg Med. 2010;17:1004–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. IOM (Institute of Medicine). Resident Duty Hours: Enhancing Sleep, Supervision, and Safety. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. 2009.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Backes CH, Bonachea EM, Rivera BK, Reynolds MM, Kovalchin CE, Reber KM, et al. Preparedness of pediatric residents for fellowship: a survey of US neonatal–perinatal fellowship program directors. J Perinatol. 2016;36:1132–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Whitfield JM, Peters BA, Shoemaker C. Conference summary: a celebration of a century of neonatal care. Bayl Univ Med Cent Proc. 2017;17:255–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Parker TA, Aucott SW, Bendel CM, Dammann CEL, Rice WR, Savich RD, et al. The new 6-unit individualized curriculum for pediatric residents: the perspective of neonatology fellowship program directors. J Perinatol. 2013;33:910–3.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Lee HC, Chitkara R, Halamek LP, Hintz SR. A national survey of pediatric residents and delivery room training experience. J Pediatr. 2010;157:158–61.e3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education). ACGME program requirements for graduate medical education in pediatrics. Chicago, IL: ACGME; 2020.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Freed GL, Dunham KM, Moran LM, Spera L. Resident work hour changes in children’s hospitals: impact on staffing patterns and workforce needs. Pediatrics. 2012;130:700–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Jawdeh EGA, Hardin-Fanning F, Kinnard TB, Cunningham MD. Neonatal postgraduate training program for physician assistants: meeting a need in neonatal care. J Perinatol. 2019;39:746–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. French H, Eichenwald E. The maturation of a proficient neonatologist: from the delivery room to independent practice. Pediatrics. 2020;146:e20200212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Finn KM, Metlay JP, Chang Y, Nagarur A, Yang S, Landrigan CP, et al. Effect of increased inpatient attending physician supervision on medical errors, patient safety, and resident education: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2018;178:952.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Cottrell D, Kilminster S, Jolly B, Grant J. What is effective supervision and how does it happen? A critical incident study. Med Educ. 2002;36:1042–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Farnan JM, Petty LA, Georgitis E, Martin S, Chiu E, Prochaska M, et al. A systematic review: the effect of clinical supervision on patient and residency education outcomes. Acad Med. 2012;87:428–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Kennedy TJT, Lingard L, Baker GR, Kitchen L, Regehr G. Clinical oversight: conceptualizing the relationship between supervision and safety. J Gen Intern Med. 2007;22:1080–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Kerlin MP, Small DS, Cooney E, Fuchs BD, Bellini LM, Mikkelsen ME, et al. A randomized trial of nighttime physician staffing in an intensive care unit. N Engl J Med. 2013;368:2201–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Kilminster SM, Jolly BC. Effective supervision in clinical practice settings: a literature review. Med Educ. 2000;34:827–40.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Reriani M, Biehl M, Sloan JA, Malinchoc M, Gajic O. Effect of 24-hour mandatory vs on-demand critical care specialist presence on long-term survival and quality of life of critically ill patients in the intensive care unit of a teaching hospital. J Crit Care. 2012;27:421.e1–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Kennedy T. Towards a tighter link between supervision and trainee ability. Med Educ. 2009;43:1126–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Kourembanas S, Steinhorn R. In-house neonatology: what are we waiting for? Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2010;182:9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Hinchey KT, Rothberg MB. Can residents learn to be good doctors without harming patients? J Gen Intern Med. 2010;25:760–1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Halpern SD, Detsky AS. Graded autonomy in medical education—managing things that go bump in the night. N Engl J Med. 2014;370:1086–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Kane SK, Lorant DE. The amount of supervision trainees receive during neonatal resuscitation is variable and often dependent on subjective criteria. J Perinatol. 2018;38:1081–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. American Board of Pediatrics. Training requirements for sub-specialty certification. Chapel Hill, NC: American Board of Pediatrics; 2004.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Patel RM, Rysavy MA, Bell EF, Tyson JE. Survival of infants born at periviable gestational ages. Clin Perinatol. 2017;44:287–303.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Tennant PWG, Pearce MS, Bythell M, Rankin J. 20-year survival of children born with congenital anomalies: a population-based study. Lancet. 2010;375:649–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Council on Pediatric Workforce. Financing graduate medical education to meet the needs of children and the future pediatrician workforce. Pediatrics. 2008;121:855–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Weiss P, Myers AL, McGann KA, Mason K, Kesselheim JC, Fleming G, et al. Funding Sources and Perceived Financial Insecurity in Pediatric Subspecialty Fellowship Programs. Academic Pediatrics 2019;19:815–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. National Resident Matching Program. Match result statistics 2020 Apppointment Year. Washington, DC: National Resident Matching Program; 2020.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

ONTPD Fellowship Directors Writing Group

Erin Cicalese10, Karena Lawrence11, Melissa Bauserman12, Misty Good4,5, Brittany Schwarz13, Allison Payne14, Melissa Carbajal15, Robert Angert10, Maria Gillam-Krakauer16, Jotishna Sharma17, Elizabeth Bonachea8,9, Jennifer Trzaski18,19, Lindsay Johnston20, Patricia Chess21,22, Rita Dadiz21, Josephine Enciso23, Alison Falck24, Mackenzie Frost1, Megan Gray25, Susan Izatt26, Sara Kane27, Autumn Kiefer28, Patrick Myers29, Jayasree Nair30, Deirdre O’Reilly31, Taylor Sawyer25, M. Cody Smith28, Kate Stanley32, Margarita Vasquez33, C. Lydia Wraight34

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Heather M. French & Mackenzie Frost

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Kristen T. Leeman

  3. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Kristen T. Leeman

  4. Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Jennifer A. Wambach & Misty Good

  5. St. Louis Children’s Hospital, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Jennifer A. Wambach & Misty Good

  6. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, Hackensack, NJ, USA

    Sabrina K. Malik

  7. Hackensack Meridian Health School of Medicine, Hackensack, NJ, USA

    Sabrina K. Malik

  8. Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA

    Elizabeth Bonachea & Kristina M. Reber

  9. The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA

    Elizabeth Bonachea & Kristina M. Reber

  10. Department of Pediatrics, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Erin Cicalese & Robert Angert

  11. Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Karena Lawrence

  12. Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Melissa Bauserman

  13. Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Brittany Schwarz

  14. Department of Pediatrics, UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Allison Payne

  15. Division of Neonatology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    Melissa Carbajal

  16. Division of Neonatology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA

    Maria Gillam-Krakauer

  17. Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Mercy Kansas City, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO, USA

    Jotishna Sharma

  18. Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA

    Jennifer Trzaski

  19. Division of Neonatology, Connecticut Children’s, Hartford, CT, USA

    Jennifer Trzaski

  20. Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Lindsay Johnston

  21. Departments of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA

    Patricia Chess & Rita Dadiz

  22. Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA

    Patricia Chess

  23. Division of Neonatology and Developmental Biology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Oakland, CA, USA

    Josephine Enciso

  24. Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Alison Falck

  25. Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA

    Megan Gray & Taylor Sawyer

  26. Division of Neonatology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    Susan Izatt

  27. Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Sara Kane

  28. Department of Pediatrics, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA

    Autumn Kiefer & M. Cody Smith

  29. Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA

    Patrick Myers

  30. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA

    Jayasree Nair

  31. Department of Pediatrics, Robert Larner, MD College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA

    Deirdre O’Reilly

  32. Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Kate Stanley

  33. Division of Neonatology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Margarita Vasquez

  34. Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA

    C. Lydia Wraight

Authors
  1. Heather M. French
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kristen T. Leeman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jennifer A. Wambach
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Sabrina K. Malik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Kristina M. Reber
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Consortia

ONTPD Fellowship Directors Writing Group

  • Erin Cicalese
  • , Karena Lawrence
  • , Melissa Bauserman
  • , Misty Good
  • , Brittany Schwarz
  • , Allison Payne
  • , Melissa Carbajal
  • , Robert Angert
  • , Maria Gillam-Krakauer
  • , Jotishna Sharma
  • , Elizabeth Bonachea
  • , Jennifer Trzaski
  • , Lindsay Johnston
  • , Patricia Chess
  • , Rita Dadiz
  • , Josephine Enciso
  • , Alison Falck
  • , Mackenzie Frost
  • , Megan Gray
  • , Susan Izatt
  • , Sara Kane
  • , Autumn Kiefer
  • , Patrick Myers
  • , Jayasree Nair
  • , Deirdre O’Reilly
  • , Taylor Sawyer
  • , M. Cody Smith
  • , Kate Stanley
  • , Margarita Vasquez
  •  & C. Lydia Wraight

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Heather M. French.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Members of the ONTPD Fellowship Directors Writing Group are listed above Compliance with ethical standards.

The original online version of this article was revised: Due to a processing error, the presentation of Figure 1 was incorrect.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

French, H.M., Leeman, K.T., Wambach, J.A. et al. Essentials of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine fellowship: an overview. J Perinatol 42, 269–276 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-021-00973-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-021-00973-3

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links