Internal Medicine

The Pulmonary Critical Care & Sleep Medicine fellowship program is three years in duration. The program is accredited by the The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The objective of the fellowship program is to provide (1) advanced education in pulmonary and critical care medicine, (2) comprehensive clinical training in pulmonary and critical care medicine, and (3) rigorous training in basic science or clinical research. At the conclusion of the fellowship, the trainee is expected to become a board-eligible specialist and an independent research scientist, who, preferentially, pursues a career in academic medicine.

Applications for fellowships are coordinated through the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) via the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Required documents that should be submitted thru ERAS include:

» More important information on the Pulmonary Critical Care & Sleep Medicine fellowship program.

» Official Website of The Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau

Amitesh Agarwal, MBBS
Bio
Curriculum Vitae

Cory Joseph Hicks, MD
Bio
Curriculum Vitae

Ragai T. Meena, MD
Bio
Curriculum Vitae

Gurinder Pal Singh, MBBS
Bio
Curriculum Vitae

Jordan Matthew Terasaki, MD
Bio
Curriculum Vitae

Jose Ruben Valle, MD
Bio
Curriculum Vitae

Handbook Overview

The main goal of this training program is to develop requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential to demonstrate competence in patient care, knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, systems-based practice, professionalism, and interpersonal and communication skills relevant to the combined discipline of pulmonary and critical care medicine. Evaluation of competencies is accomplished by a variety of instruments including global evaluations, direct observation, chart auditing, problem based learning and teaching, and multisource feed back using patient and other health care provider input.

Fellows are required to rotate through a variety of clinical services to obtain the breadth and depth of exposure to disease states needed to form the base of knowledge and experience for a subspecialist in these fields. In addition, during this three year training program, fellows are required to participate in meaningful research and in at least one QA/QI project. Consideration of academic careers is encouraged.

» View the complete PCCM Fellows Handbook.

Research

Manuscript Co-Authored By Fellows

2012

• Pillai RR, Divekar R, Brasier A, Bhavnani S, Calhoun WJ. Strategies for molecular classification of asthma using bipartite network analysis of cytokine expression. Curr Allergy Asthma rep. 2012 Oct:12(5):388-95. PMID 22777399
• Duarte AG, Thomas S, Safdar Z, Torres F, Pacheco LD, Feldman J, Deboisblanc B. Management of pulmonary arterial hypertension during pregnancy: a retrospective, multicenter experience. Chest. 2012 Oct 22. PMID 23100080
• Prys-Picard CO, Shah SK, Williams BD, Cardenas V Jr, Sharma G. Outcomes of Patients on Multiple Vasoactive Drugs for Shock. J Intensive Care Med. 2012 June 24. PMID 22733722

2011

• Bhavnani SK, Victor S, Calhoun WJ, Busse WW, Bleecker E, Castro M, Ju H, Pillai R, Oezguen N, Bellala G, Brasier AR. How cytokines co-occur across asthma patients: from bipartite network analysis to a molecular-based classification. J Biomed Inform. 2011 dec;44 Suppl 1:S24-30. Epub 2011 Oct 1. PMID: 21986291
• Shah SK, Cardenas V, Kuo YF, Sharma G.  Rapid Response Team in an Academic Institution-Does it make a Difference? Chest 2011:139;1361-1367. PMID20864618
• Pillai, R. Molecular Immunology of Asthma: Understanding the Respiratory Immune System. Respiratory Report: Selected Reports from the 75th Annual Meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians. Oct 2011 Vol. 6.1:11-16.

2010

• Boroumand N, Cooke R, Prys-Picard C, Palacio DM, Eltorky M. Idiopathic bronchiolitis with features of diffuse panbronchiolitis in an African-American patient with hepatitis C virus infection. Ann Diagn Pathol. 2010 Dec;14(6):443-6. PMID 21074694
• Shah S, Phan NB, Goyal G, Sharma G. Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis in a 67 year old women with Wegener's Granulomatosis. J Gen Int Med. 2010; 25(10):1105-1108.  PMID20623200   PMC2955465
• Nishi SP, Valentine VG, Duncan S. Emerging bacterial, fungal, and viral respiratory infections in transplantation. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2010 Sep; 24(3):541-55. PMID 20674791
• Cabada MM, Nishi SP, Lea AS, Schnadig V, Lombard GA, Lick SD, Valentine VG. Concomitant pulmonary infection with Nocardia transvalensis and Aspergillus ustus in lung transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2010 Aug; 29(8):900-3. Epub 2010 Jun 11. PMID 20541440

2009

• Martinez, JD, Babu R, Sharma, G. Case Report: Escherichia coli Septic Shock Masquerading as ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction. Postgrad Med 2009; 121(2): 102-105.  PMID19332967
• Murugan A, Prys-Picard C, Calhoun W. Biomarkers in asthma. Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2009 Jan;15(1):12-8. PMID 19077700

Presentations/Abstracts by Fellows

2012

• De Los Santos M, Shah SK, Valentine VG, Sharma G. Innocent Bystander or Partner in Crime. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 185: A6117, 2012. (ATS International Conference, May 2012, San Francisco)
• De Los Santos M, Shah SK, Hicks C, Valentine VG. Muddying the Water for a Clear Diagnosis. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 185: A6109, 2012. (ATS International Conference, May 2012, San Francisco)
• De Los Santos M, Shah S, Meena R. Lessons learned for the larva. Am J Resp Crit Care Med. (ATS International Conference, May 2012, San Francisco)
• Shah SK, Parham P, Lombard GA, James MA, Valentine VG. Phaeoacremonium parasiticum as a Cause of Cavitary Native Lung Nodules after Single Lung Transplantation. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 185: A5828, 2012. (ATS International Conference, May 2012, San Francisco)
• Shah SK, Farber A, Sharma G. The use of diagnostic tests in patients with community acquired pneumonia. Am J Resp Crit Care Med. 185:A1503, 2012 (ATS International Conference, May 2012, San Francisco)
• Shah SK, Pillai R, Sharma G. Improving central line competence - is a culture shift required? Am J Resp Crit care Med 185:A2895, 2012 (ATS International Conference, May 2012, San Francisco)
• Hicks C, Nishi S. Development of a Multi-Modality Education Course for Ultrasound-Guided Central Venous Catheterization (UG-CVC) at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Academy of Master Teachers and 3rd Annual Quality and Research Forum, May 2012.
• Nishi SP, Shah SK, Lombard GA, James MA, Beckles DL, Lick S, Valentine VG. Phaeoacremonium parasiticum as a Cause of Cavitary Native Lung Nodules after Single Lung Transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant 31(4S):S285, 2012. (ISHLT 32nd Annual Meeting, April 2012, Prague CZ)
• Divekar R, Pillai R, Calhoun W, Bhavnani S. Asthma Internet Searching: A Surveillance and Rapid Response Opportunity? 2012 AMIA Summit on Translational Bioinformatics
• Bhavnani S, Farroni J, Crowder J, McKinney E, Pillai R, Rose RM, Carter M. The Role of Method Intuition in Translational Ethics. 2012 AMIA Summit on Translational Bioinformatics.

2011

• Ubhayaker KM, G Garza, V Cardenas, Sharma G. The effectiveness of focused educational activities on reducing the use of routine chest radiographs in mechanically ventilated patients. Chest 2011
• Hoang-Edwards TQ, Sharma G. Surveillance following curative intent surgery for non-small cell lung cancer. A systematic review. Chest 2011
• E.L. Gregonis, G.R. White, A.G. Duarte, N. Boroumand, A. Haque. Prevalence of portopulmonary hypertension-a clinicopathologic assessment. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 183: A1922, 2011 (ATS International Conference, May 2011, Denver, CO)
• Pillai R, Pazdrak R, Nair P, Wong W, Efthimiadis A, Radford K, Jamaluddin M, Victor S, Ju H, Brasier A, Calhoun WJ. A Pilot Study to Investigate the Proteomics Profile of Asthmatic Patients with Varying Types of Bronchitis.(ATS International Conference, May 2011, Denver, CO)
• Broussard B, Valentine VG, Nishi S, Lick S, Lombard G, LaPlace S, Seoane L, Dhillon G, Rampolla R:  Analysis of Non-Cutaneous Cancer after Lung Transplantation.  J Heart Lung Transplant 30(4S):S149, 2011. (ISHLT 31st Annual Meeting, April 2011, San Diego CA)

2010

• Prys-Picard C, Williams B, Cardenas V, Sharma G. Outcomes of critically ill patients on multiple vasopressor therapy (ERS2010).
• Pillai R, Valentine VG, Lick SD, Lombard GA, LaPlace SG, McAnally KJ, Seoane L. Analysis of nontuberculous mycobacteria respiratory tract infections in lung transplantation. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 181;A2568, 2010 (ATS International Conference, May 2010, New Orleans)
• Nishi SP, Cabada MM, Lea AS, Lick SD, Valentine VG. Rare concomitant respiratory infection with Aspergillus ustus and Nocardia transvalensis in a lung recipient. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 181;A3854, 2010 (ATS International Conference, May 2010, New Orleans)
• Nishi SP, Valentine VG, Lombard GA, Lea AS, Lick SD. Lobectomy for focal bronchiectasis: A bridge to lung transplantation for a cystic fibrosis patient. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 181;A5895, 2010 (ATS International Conference, May 2010, New Orleans)
• Valentine VG, Nishi SP, Lick SD, Duarte AG, Lombard GA, LaPlace SG, McAnally KJ, Seoane L. Extending critical pathways into the operating room lengthens life for cystic fibrosis lung recipients. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 181;A4322, 2010 (ATS International Conference, May 2010, New Orleans)
• Pillai RR, Valentine VG, Lick SD, Lombard GA, LaPlace SG, McAnally KJ, Seoane L. Analysis of nontuberculous mycobacteria infections in lung transplant recipients. J Heart Lung Transplant 29(2S):S138, 2010. (ISHLT 30h Annual Meeting, April 2010, Chicago)

2009

• Garza-Gutierrez, Shah S, Sharma G. Risk factors for community acquired MRSA and outcomes. ACCP San Diego 2009. (oral presentation)
• Broussard BA, Nguyen AN, Nishi SP, Gupta MR, Lombard GA, LaPlace SG, Raper B, Seoane L, Dhillon GS, Valentine VG:  Effect of Fluoroquinolones on Development of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Infections In Lung Recipients.  Am J Resp Crit Care Med 179: A1740, 2009 (ATS International Conference May 2009, San Diego)
• Sharma G, Garza-Gutierrez G, Cardenas V, Baillargeon G, Murray O, Williams B, Baillargeon J. Use of Intensive Care during the End-of-Life among a State Prison Population.  ATS San Diego 2009.
• Nishi SP, Gupta MR, Lombard GA, LaPlace SG, Seoane L, Dhillon GS, Valentine VG:  Bone Mineral Density in Lung Transplantation.  Am J Resp Crit Care Med 179: A4601, 2009 (ATS International Conference May 2009, San Diego)
• Raza A, Nishi SP, Gupta MR, Lombard GA, LaPlace SG, Dhillon GS, Seoane L, Valentine VG:  Determinants of Best FEV1 after Lung Transplantation.  Am J Resp Crit Care Med 179; A4608, 2009 (ATS International Conference May 2009, San Diego)
• Thomas S, Duarte AG, Safdar Z, duBoisblanc B, Romaine C, Feldman J, Oeschlager K, Chin K, Torres F. Management of pulmonary hypertension during pregnancy; a multicenter experience. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 179;A3361, 2009. (ATS International Conference, May 2009, San Diego)
• Valentine VG, Raza A, Nishi SP, Gupta MR, Seoane L, Lombard GA, Dhillon GS:  Determinants of Time to Peak FEV1 after Lung Transplantation.  J Heart Lung Transplant 28(2S):S107, 2009. (ISHLT 29th Annual Meeting, April 2009, Paris)

Our Fellowship Alumni