Residents interested in Pulmonology should seek out elective and procedure experiences that provide exposure to complex respiratory management, multidisciplinary care coordination, and the evaluation of airway, lung, and sleep-related disorders, including opportunities to participate in procedures such as bronchoscopy and pulmonary function testing.
Contact
Contact for Pulmonary Electives coordination or additional information:
- Cherie Torres-Silva MD, MPH, Med, Pulmonary Clerkship and Electives director – Cherie.torres-silva@cchmc.org
- Tiffiney Wunsch- Administrative assistant and coordinator for the , Pulmonary Clerkship and Electives – Tiffiney.wunsch@cchmc.org
- Pulmonary Office (513)636-6771
Essential Electives
Pulmonology
In this half or full block elective, residents will engage in the comprehensive care of children with a wide range of acute and chronic respiratory conditions through a mix of outpatient clinics, inpatient consultations, multidisciplinary care settings, and procedural exposure. Residents will attend subspecialty clinics (e.g., asthma, BPD, neuromuscular disease, trach/vent), participate in bronchoscopy sessions, and become familiar with pulmonary function testing and home respiratory technologies. This elective provides foundational clinical experience for those pursuing fellowship training in Pediatric Pulmonology.
Recommended Electives
Allergy & Immunology
In this half or full block elective, residents will gain a strong foundation in the evaluation and management of allergic and immunologic conditions that often overlap with pulmonary disease, including asthma, atopy, and immune deficiency syndromes. This experience supports deeper understanding of shared patient populations and helps delineate the immunologic contributors to chronic and recurrent lung disease.
PICU Elective
In this half or full block elective, residents will participate in the intensive care of critically ill children with advanced respiratory needs, including those requiring mechanical ventilation, high-frequency oscillation, and ECMO. This is a key experience for developing competence in the high-level management of complex pulmonary patients, including those with acute and chronic respiratory failure.
Complex Care
In this half or full block elective, residents will care for children with medical complexity, many of whom have chronic pulmonary diagnoses such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, restrictive lung disease, or technology dependence. This elective provides critical exposure to long-term respiratory management, interdisciplinary care coordination, and family-centered planning.
Other Electives
NICU Follow Up Clinic
In this half or full block elective, residents will follow premature infants and other high-risk newborns longitudinally to understand the trajectory of chronic lung diseases such as BPD. This clinic offers valuable exposure to neurodevelopmental outcomes and long-term respiratory support strategies.
Gastroenterology
In this half or full block elective, residents will explore the intersection of GI and pulmonary systems, focusing on reflux, aspiration, and motility issues that contribute to chronic respiratory symptoms. Recognizing and managing GI contributors to pulmonary disease is essential in comprehensive lung care.
Otolaryngology
In this half or full block elective, residents will gain insight into airway anomalies, vocal cord dysfunction, and upper airway obstruction—all common considerations in pediatric pulmonary patients. Collaboration with ENT is frequent in both inpatient and outpatient pulmonary care.
Cardiology
In this half or full block elective, residents will develop skills in interpreting echocardiograms and understanding cardiac contributors to pulmonary symptoms, including pulmonary hypertension and congenital heart disease. Pulmonary and cardiac systems are intricately linked, and this elective strengthens interdisciplinary diagnostic reasoning.
Radiology
In this half or full block elective, residents will improve their interpretation of pediatric chest imaging, including X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs. Radiographic assessment is essential in evaluating interstitial lung disease, airway abnormalities, and chronic changes in pulmonary patients.
Rheumatology
In this half or full block elective, residents will learn to evaluate systemic inflammatory and autoimmune disorders that involve the lungs, such as lupus, vasculitis, and interstitial lung disease. Understanding these rare but serious pulmonary manifestations adds breadth to a future pulmonologist’s differential diagnosis.
Individualized Elective in Pulmonology
In this half or full block individualized elective, residents can tailor their learning to a specific pulmonary area of interest, such as sleep-disordered breathing or procedural pulmonology. This allows for focused preparation aligned with future fellowship goals and mentorship opportunities.
Examples:
- Sleep Medicine
- Bronchoscopy
Recommended procedures
- Airway management (simulated or in real patients)
- Bag-mask ventilation
- Endotracheal Intubation
- Laryngeal mask airway
- Nasal trumpet and oral airway placement
- Tracheostomy tube changes (TCC, OR, or ICUs)
- Pulmonary function testing (observed)
- Flexible bronchoscopies (observed)
Optional procedures
None of the following procedures are recommended or required at the resident level. They are typically performed and recommended at the Pulmonary Fellow level, but observation of these procedures enriches your experience in advance of Fellowship.
- Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES)
- Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study (VSS)
- Sleep study clinical application and interpretation
- Rigid bronchoscopy
- Microlaryngoscopy and Bronchoscopy – MLB
- Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD)
- Airway surgeries (e.g., Tracheotomy, Laryngotracheal Reconstruction [LTP], Slide Tracheoplasty)
- Thoracoscopy, sternotomies, and cardiothoracic transplantation (heart/lung)
- Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)
Scholarly Activity
Most applicants pursuing Pulmonology participate in a scholarly project. The project does not have to be housed in the Division specifically, and a wide array of projects have been completed by residents matching into the field. The quality the mentoring and methodology are the most important criteria programs consider.
Professional Organizations & Other Experiences
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Residency Roundtable Award
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation offers a Residency Roundtable Award that supports pediatric residents interested in attending the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference (NACFC). This is an excellent opportunity to explore the latest in CF research, connect with leaders in the field, and gain valuable mentorship.
American Thoracic Society (ATS) Resident Opportunities
The American Thoracic Society offers multiple professional development opportunities for pediatric residents:
The ATS Resident Boot Camp is designed for third-year residents who have matched into a pulmonary fellowship, offering hands-on preparation and clinical skill-building.
The ATS Resident Development Scholarship is ideal for second-year residents with an interest in pulmonary medicine and provides support to attend the annual ATS International Conference, typically held in May.