PHM Fellowship Programs

Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM)

Pediatric Hospital Medicine is a branch of Pediatrics focused on the care of children who are admitted to hospitals. Pediatric hospitalists may care for children in all areas of the hospital, including acute care, newborn nurseries, and occasionally in emergency departments, intensive care units, or labor and delivery units just after birth. They also can co-manage care with primary care pediatricians, surgeons. and other pediatric subspecialists. Specializing in Pediatric Hospital Medicine means learning safe, effective, evidence-based, equitable, high-value and family-centered care of a wide variety of patients during a time that is stressful and scary for patients and their families. Pediatric Hospitalists may also be involved in a large breadth of academic and administrative endeavors, such as quality and safety work, health systems development and leadership, education, advocacy, and a variety of different types of research.

PHM Fellowship

Description

Pediatric Hospital Medicine fellowships are advanced training programs designed to prepare pediatricians for careers as leaders in inpatient care, education, research, and healthcare systems. Most fellowships are two years in duration with a focus on clinical excellence and academic development.

Fellowship training provides structured opportunities to deepen expertise in:

• Management of complex and high-acuity hospitalized patients
• Evidence-based clinical decision-making
• Teaching and curriculum development
• Quality improvement and patient safety science
• Health systems operations and leadership
• Scholarly work tailored to individual career goals

Fellows work closely with experienced hospitalist faculty mentors and are supported in developing a focused area of scholarly work aligned with their interests—whether that be education, research, advocacy, or systems improvement.

Curricular Structure

PHM fellowship curricula are all structured around ACGME requirements, but each program is unique in the way that it addresses these requirements. Fellowships are divided into three equal parts: clinical core, individualized curriculum, and scholarship. Experiential learning is supplemented by educational and administrative conferences.

Clinical Core:
These are rotations that are required within your fellowship and include—at minimum—PHM service at a tertiary care center, PHM service at a community site, and newborn medicine. Other programs may require additional core rotations, such as emergency medicine, pediatric critical care, sedation, and complex care.

Individualized Curriculum
The structure of this curriculum varies by program but typically includes electives in many different areas. Some programs may require certain rotations as part of their curriculum. Electives may be clinical or non-clinical.

Scholarship
This time covers completion of a scholarly project, which a fellow must see from start to finish by the completion of fellowship. Scholarship can typically come in many different domains, and can include, but is not limited to, clinical research, medical education, quality improvement and patient safety, health systems, advocacy, and more.

Advantages to Fellowship Training

Expanded Career Opportunities
Fellowship training prepares graduates for a wide range of careers, including academic medicine, hospital leadership, quality and safety roles, and specialized clinical programs such as sedation services.

Advanced Clinical Expertise
Fellows develop deeper clinical and procedural experience while managing complex patients and navigating high-acuity clinical situations with confidence and independence.

Academic and Scholarly Development
Fellowship provides protected time, mentorship, and infrastructure to develop meaningful scholarly work and build a strong academic portfolio.

Leadership Preparation
Graduates are well-positioned for leadership roles in hospital medicine, including program development, education, operations, and systems improvement.

National Networking & Mentorship
Fellowship connects trainees to a broad network of mentors and peers across institutions, fostering collaboration and long-term professional relationships.

Subspecialty Board Certification  
Completion of an accredited fellowship is required for eligibility for subspecialty certification in Pediatric Hospital Medicine through the American Board of Pediatrics.
Reference: Rassbach CE, Fiore D; COUNCIL OF PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL MEDICINE FELLOWSHIP DIRECTORS. Research and Career Outcomes for Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship Graduates. Hosp Pediatr. 2021 Oct;11(10):1082-1114. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2021-005938. PMID: 34561241.

Applying to PHM Fellowship

Important Dates

Application Requirements

• Full ERAS Application
• Three (3) Letters of Recommendation only
  • 1 letter from your Residency Program Director if you are within 1 year of your residency program graduation or one 1 letter from your clinical director if not.
  • Recommend at least 1 letter from a Pediatric Hospitalist who you worked with clinically
• Personal Statement following the specific prompt here.

Important Websites

ERAS Homepage

Application Tips

Take time to carefully review the application prompts before you begin your application. Strong applications are thoughtful, specific, and clearly reflect your interest in Pediatric Hospital Medicine.

A few quick tips:

• Clearly explain your “Why PHM?” and long-term career goals
• Use your personal statement to tell your story and answer the prompts
• Highlight leadership, QI, education, advocacy, and scholarly work
• Choose letter writers who know you well and can speak to your growth
• Be authentic—programs value clarity, purpose, and fit over perfection
• Most importantly, show who you are and what kind of PHM leader you hope to become.

Program List