General Surgery Advanced Practice Provider Fellowship

Mission

To provide an elective twelve-month postgraduate surgical training program for APPs that encourages retention and interprofessional relationships through a rigorous, standardized, carefully evaluated, and expertly mentored clinical and didactic curriculum.

By the completion of the program, the APP fellow will:

1. Develop entry-level solid skills, knowledge, and attitudes that allow for autonomous surgical patient care management in a collaborative team environment.
2. Establish basic proficiency in the evaluation of patients under routine and emergency circumstances, recognize surgical emergencies, perform a history and physical examination, order appropriate basic ancillary studies and effectively communicate findings to other clinicians
3. Establish basic preoperative and post-operative care proficiency, including writing pre-op and post-op orders for floor patients, responding to nursing calls, and managing most routine postoperative care.
4. Demonstrate appropriate use of perioperative and postoperative pain control, including use of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol, and tailor a pain regimen proper to each patient.
5. Develop a working knowledge of common problems in surgical services.
6. Be able to recognize and manage common postoperative complications.
7. Establish a working knowledge and familiarity with the standard procedures of the clinical rotations.
8. Acquire basic first assist skills necessary to support a variety of surgical procedures. (Please note, this is not an accredited first assist program. First assist certification through external organizations is not included in or required for this program).
9. Develop personal values and interpersonal skills appropriate for the APP fellow such as being available at required times and giving patient care needs the highest priority.
10. Learn the basics of scientific methodology.
11. Deliver quality patient care based on evidence.
12. Develop a working knowledge of the core competencies and complete the assigned curriculum for each area.
13. Develop life-long habits of self-assessment, self-directed learning, and reflection upon what has been learned to consciously change behaviors and practices that can improve patient care.
14. Improve the communication skills with different members of the health care team.
15. Examine the ethical underpinnings of clinical practice and address the ethical issues faced every day caring for patients.

The UNM APP postgraduate General Surgery Fellowship program, founded in 2019, aims to prepare APPs with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to manage patients pre-, intra-, and post-operatively. The twelve-month program focuses on the inpatient setting with some clinics and consists of approximately 75% patient management and 25% operative time. Fellows work about 60 hours per week, with at least eight days per month in the operating room during their surgical rotations. The inpatient rotations change each month. However, the fellow performs the same types of operative cases throughout the year to build on their surgical first assist skills. Please note this is not an RN first-assist certification program. 

The program is run by APPs at the University of New Mexico Hospital, New Mexico’s only level one trauma center, and Sandoval Regional Medical Center. Currently, there are 39 APPs within the eight divisions of the Surgery Department which also includes a full-time physician faculty of more than 100 members. In addition to clinical education, APP fellows attend dedicated didactics customized to their learning needs and also participate in grand rounds, surgical case presentations, surgical subspecialty conferences, morbidity and mortality conference, and surgery residency education. They also complete selected readings and attend meetings specific to each subspecialty rotation. APP fellows are encouraged to be self-motivated, lifelong learners. 

This program was founded by Leah LaRusch PA-C, Charles Dietl MD, Radha Denmark FNP-C, Gloria Doherty ACNP, and John Russell MD in October 2019 after many years of collaboration between the Department of Surgery and UNM Hospitals. 

Clinical rotations typically include 4 weeks rotations in the following. APP fellows also spend time with the Infectious Disease team and Interventional Radiology. 

1. Family Medicine
2. Elective General Surgery
3. Emergency General Surgery
4. Trauma 
5. Burns/Plastics
6. Night Float
7. Pediatric Surgery
8. Vascular Surgery
9. Surgical Oncology

Required Qualifications: APRN (FNP/ACNP/CNS) and PA students are welcome to apply. Must graduate by May 2023 and test by June 2023 to meet credentialing deadlines to start by January 2024.

TO APPLY: Read these instructions carefully and then APPLY HERE; incomplete applications will not be considered. There is no deadline, but the positions will be closed when they are filled. The start date is typically 4-6 months after accepting the position. Please look over the minimum qualifications before applying.

IN ADDITION TO YOUR CV/RESUME In this order, upload in just one PDF document:
1. One-page cover letter outlining your specific interest in pursuing the general surgery APP fellowship
2. Your CV/resume
3. An unofficial transcript from your APRN/PA program
4. A personal statement of 500 words or less: Why are you pursuing an APP fellowship in general surgery? What will you contribute to the program, team, and UNM Hospital? What do diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mean to you and how will your background, personal life experience, and unique perspective enrich the fellowship program and most importantly the patients served by UNM Hospital?
5. Three letters of recommendation that speak to why you are the ideal candidate for this program (Letters do not have to be the same people you list as references in your application).

Expectations

APP fellows work ~60 hours per week including some weekends. During the Night Float rotation, they will spend a month on the night shift. Like all UNMH employees, they are paid every 2 weeks and receive a standard benefits package. We encourage APP fellows to apply for permanent positions in the Department of Surgery or elsewhere in the UNM Health System. There is no guarantee of employment beyond the 12-month fellowship and graduates are not required to commit to positions at UNMH. There is a $10,000 sign-on bonus available for APP fellows who accept a permanent position at UNMH after they finish their 12-month program.  

Benefits

• $55,510- $92,300 DOE calculated by HR
• Health, dental, vision, life insurance
• Paid sick leave, holidays, vacation
• $1,100 continuing education stipend 
• See UNMH Employee Benefits for further details