Contact us
For any additional questions, please contact our program administrator.
Mission statement
As part of HCA Healthcare, our mission is to care for and improve human life. The HCA Healthcare/Mercer University School of Medicine/Grand Strand Medical Center Surgical Critical Care Fellowship Program aims to train future leaders in Surgical Critical Care by providing a comprehensive training experience that produces skilled intensivists dedicated to delivering high-quality, evidence-based care to critically ill surgical patients. We foster a culture of excellence, innovation, and compassion, ensuring fellows are prepared to meet the evolving challenges in patient care, research, and education.
Welcome from our program director
As the Program Director, it is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to what promises to be a transformative year of advanced training and professional growth.
Program overview
The Surgical Critical Care Fellowship Program at Grand Strand Medical Center, a Level 1 Trauma Center, is designed to provide comprehensive training in the management of critically ill surgical patients. The program emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach, integrating advanced clinical practice, research, and quality improvement initiatives.
Fellows in this program will gain extensive experience in managing high-acuity patients in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU), with a focus on trauma, emergency general surgery, and complex surgical cases. The curriculum includes rotations in various subspecialty areas, ensuring a well-rounded exposure to different aspects of surgical critical care.
A key component of the fellowship is the fellow-led Morbidity and Mortality Conferences (MMCs), which address patient safety, quality improvement, and interprofessional cooperation. These conferences are instrumental in meeting the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) core competencies and specialty-specific milestones.
The program also incorporates hands-on operative experience, with fellows participating in surgeries related to trauma and emergency general surgery. This operative experience is crucial for developing the technical skills and clinical judgment necessary for a career in surgical critical care.
Overall, the fellowship aims to produce highly skilled, knowledgeable, and compassionate surgical intensivists who are prepared to lead in both clinical and academic settings.
Get to know the team
Curriculum highlights
Our curriculum is designed to complement fellows' rotations. Residents will have protected educational time to attend weekly didactic conferences.
Salary and benefits information
| Year | Salary | Meals | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| PGY-6 | $74,984 | $950 | $75,934 |
| PGY-7 | $78,728 | $950 | $79,678 |
Benefits
Benefits include, but are not limited to:
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Short-term disability
- Long-term disability
- Life insurance
- Flexible spending accounts for medical, child, and elder care
- CorePlus voluntary benefits
- HCA Healthcare 401(k) plan
- Employee assistance program (EAP)
- Employee stock purchase plan
- Work cell phone to use during fellowship training
- Work laptop to use during residency training
- On-call meal stipend of $950 paid out in two payments
Frequently asked questions
Fellowship positions are filled through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Specialty Matching Services. Interested applicants should submit their application through the Surgical Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery Fellowship Application Service (SAFAS).
Applicant Prerequisites:
- Completion of, or current enrollment in, an ACGME-accredited General Surgery residency program
- Board eligibility or board certification by the American Board of Surgery
- Eligibility to obtain a medical license in the state of South Carolina
Required Application Materials:
- Satisfactory completion of USMLE Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3
- Three letters of recommendation, including one from the applicant's Residency Program Director
- Personal statement outlining career goals and interest in Surgical Critical Care
- Copy of medical school diploma
ACGME #: 4424544001
NRMP #: 1761442F0
Please contact AJ Pillow, GME Surgical Critical Care Fellowship Program Administrator at (854) 894-1195.