Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship
The Pulmonary and Critical Care fellowship program at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina is a 3-year program designed to provide fellows opportunities in managing complex respiratory diseases and critically ill patients across diverse settings. The program emphasizes a strong foundation in pulmonary physiology, critical care procedures, and evidence-based medicine. With exposure to advanced diagnostic techniques and therapeutic interventions, fellows develop proficiency in areas like mechanical ventilation, bronchoscopy, and point-of-care ultrasound. The curriculum balances clinical rotations with didactic sessions, research opportunities, and quality improvement projects. Located in a vibrant city, the fellowship provides a supportive learning environment with access to a large patient population from both urban and rural settings.
Where you will train
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Carolinas Medical Center
Carolinas Medical Center is the region’s only Level I trauma center and is consistently rated among the nation’s best hospitals. With a commitment to every community we serve, Atrium Health seeks to improve health, elevate hope and advance healing – for all. Last year alone, Atrium Health provided more than $2.07 billion in free and uncompensated care and other community benefits. Inpatient training is done exclusively at Carolinas Medical Center's 874-bed main facility. Our hospital features state-of-the-art Medical Intensive Care, Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit and Cardiac Critical Care Units. A new ICU and Specialty care tower will be opening in 2027.
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Kenilworth Medical Office Building
Located less than two blocks from the hospital, the Jan and Ed Brown Center for Pulmonary Medicine located at the Kenilworth Medical Office Building serves as the main outpatient training site for our fellows. Our fellows conduct their weekly half day longitudinal ambulatory clinic. They also participate in subspecialty clinical care in Cystic Fibrosis, Interventional Pulmonology, and Pulmonary Hypertension.
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Wake Forest School of Medicine
New 4-Year Medical School in Fall 2025
Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center has developed a strategic partnership with Wake Forest School of Medicine to bring a 4-year medical school campus to Charlotte. The first class of students begin matriculating in August 2025.
Program Highlights
The Pulmonary and Critical Care Training Fellowship Program at Carolinas Medical Center is dedicated to cultivating the next generation of leaders in pulmonary and critical care medicine. Our mission is to provide comprehensive, hands-on training that integrates outstanding clinical exposure and excellence with compassionate patient care. We are committed to fostering an environment of continuous learning and professional growth, while promoting innovation and evidence-based practice.
Fellows have the opportunity to rotate through our Medical Intensive Care Unit as well as subspecialty intensive care units: Neurosurgical, Cardiac Critical Care, and Cardiothoracic Care. Our Pulmonary rotations include care of patients with a wide breadth of pulmonary pathology and a unique ICU stepdown experience in the Progressive Care Unit
Annual volume at CMC typically consists of more than:
- More than 1000 bronchoscopies including advanced diagnostic and therapeutic procedures such as EBUS, Navigational, Thoracentesis, Tunneled Pleural Catheters, and more
- More than 100 ECMO patients in our various ICUs including V-A and V-V ECMO
- More than 15,000 patients seen in the Jan and Ed Brown Center for Pulmonary Medicine
Program Curriculum
Year 1
| PCC Boot Camp | 1st month dedicated to didactics and procedural experience |
| MICU (2-3 months) | Team structure with attending, fellow, residents, and students |
| Pulmonary (2-3 months) | Consult rotation and care of patients in our Progressive Care Unit. Team structure with attending, APPs, and residents |
| Elective (1-2 months) | Opportunity to participate in research, Quality Improvement, or Scholarly Activity. Additional rotations in our many ICUs including NSICU, CTICU, CCU, and Surgical Trauma ICU or Ambulatory rotation through subspecialty clinics |
| Night Float (2 months) | Each fellow completing ~2 weeks of float per month |
| CCU (1 month) | Structure with ICU attending and APP co-rounding with the Cardiology team with primary and consultative responsibilities |
| Ambulatory (1 month) | Outpatient experience spent in subspecialty clinics including Cystic Fibrosis, Interventional Pulmonology, and Pulmonary Hypertension. Time spent with dedicated Interstitial Lung Disease faculty |
Year 2
| MICU (1-2 months) |
Pulmonary (2-3 months) |
Elective (4-5 months) |
Night Float (2 months) |
| NSICU | Paired with Neurointensivist and APPs with primary and consultative responsibilities | ||
| Interventional Pulmonology |
Dedicated month in the Endoscopy suite with exposure to wide breadth of procedures as well as outpatient IP clinics |
Year 3
| MICU (1-2 months) |
Pulmonary (2-3 months) |
Elective (4-5 months) |
Night Float (2 months) |
| CTICU | Paired with Intensivist and APPs with consultative responsibilities on post-operative cardiothoracic patients |
Conference Schedule
| Tuesday | PCC Educational Noon Conference, Interstitial Lung Disease (monthly) |
| Wednesday | Incidental Lung Nodule |
| Thursday | Multidisciplinary Thoracic Oncology |
| Friday | Fellows conference |
Our fellows conference on Friday is a combination of standard didactic lectures on core curriculum, case based and flipped classroom sessions directed by the fellows. Sessions cover topics considered required medical knowledge. We also have multiple sessions attended by faculty and fellows to prepare our trainees for board certification in Pulmonary and Critical Care.
Meet the Faculty
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“I have been waiting years for a Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship to come to Carolinas Medical Center. We have so much to offer with state-of-the-art facilities, a new medical school, and a wealth of expertise with the faculty in our division. I strive to create a culture where fellows receive a top-notch training and genuinely enjoy coming to work because of the people they get to work with every day.”
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"Working at Carolinas Medical Center has been a great opportunity. I get to participate in the cutting edge of medicine, while still being a pillar for the community. It is a growing system that gives you space to explore your interests. There are so many opportunities, I am excited that my career has room to evolve and grow. It really is an ideal place to work.”
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"Since 2007, I have been working at Carolinas Medical Center after completing my fellowship in pulmonary and critical care. It’s an excellent place for clinical training, where you can collaborate with outstanding teammates, see diverse pathology from across the region, and practice compassionately in a busy environment. Charlotte is also a wonderful place to live, with many opportunities to learn and grow. There is so much growth and excitement you cannot go wrong with our fellowship."
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“As a neurointensivist, training the next generation of pulmonary critical care fellows allows me to share my specific expertise within the broader landscape of critical care. Carolinas Medical Center offers a truly unique learning environment, where trainees benefit from the collective knowledge of a diverse group of intensivists from various backgrounds and specialties. This collaborative approach offers an opportunity to gain comprehensive insights and learn from a multitude of experts in the field within a leading medical center.”
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“Diversified clinical settings, breadth of pathology, ample opportunities for progressive responsibility and access to a large interdisciplinary group of physician mentors are some of the core components of a successful training program that exist at Carolinas Medical Center. I look forward to continued growth and evolution with every fellow we welcome.”
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“I came to work at CMC in 2016 and had previously been here from 2010-2013 as an Internal Medicine resident. CMC is a great place to work. The Pulmonary and Critical Care physicians are an outstanding group of people to practice alongside, and the group takes pride in providing excellent patient care. My wife and I love being in Charlotte and think it is a fantastic place to raise our family.”