About Our Program: Purpose. Process. Impact.
Why we do what we do
We believe that critically ill and injured children deserve not only the best available care, but the compassion, curiosity, and commitment of physicians who are deeply invested in both science and humanity. We train future leaders who will advocate fiercely for children, advance the field through inquiry, and elevate the standard of care through every bedside encounter.
How we do it
We create a dynamic learning environment that balances high-acuity clinical training with deliberate mentorship, structured scholarship, and leadership development. Our fellows learn from diverse patient populations across a high-volume quaternary center, engage in multidisciplinary collaboration, and grow through immersive education, simulation, and quality improvement experiences. We nurture a strong sense of community, psychological safety, and well-being — because we know that excellence is sustained by support.
What we do
We offer a rigorous, ACGME-accredited three-year pediatric critical care medicine fellowship that prepares physicians for board certification and careers in academic medicine, research, education, and clinical leadership.
Our program includes:
- Intensive training in a premier children’s hospital located in the Texas Medical Center
- A robust didactic and simulation curriculum
- Diverse opportunities and experiences for scholarship
- Longitudinal mentorship and career development
- A collaborative community
We accept applications from individuals completing or who have completed an ACGME-accredited, or equivalent, residency in pediatrics or medicine-pediatrics prior to the onset of their fellowship. We also accept applications from individuals who are completing or have completed an ACGME-accredited, or equivalent, fellowship program and are interested in pediatric critical care medicine as a secondary fellowship. Potential applicants should familiarize themselves with the requirements from the American Board of Pediatrics and may contact the program coordinator for more information. Graduates of foreign medical schools must be able to meet the ACGME requirements as well as the Health Professions Educational Assistance Act of 1976 (USPL 94-484) of the U.S. Immigration and National Act in order to be considered for our three-year fellowship program. Additionally, it is expected that applicants will be able to obtain full physician licensure from the Texas Medical Board (TMB) soon after matriculating into our program. A TMB Physician-In-Training Permit may be used to start the program, though a full license is preferred.
Our program participates in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) for Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. Hence, applicants are required to register with each organization.
An applicant to our program, should thoroughly review the ERAS section on “Training in a Residency or Fellowship”. In particular, applicants should familiarize themselves with the sections on Important Dates and ERAS Tools & Worksheets for Fellowship Applicants, especially the “ERAS Fellowship Applicant Checklist.” In addition to the contents on the checklist, we request at least three letters of recommendation and a recent curriculum vitae.
For more information go to the ERAS website or contact the ERAS help desk at 202-862-6264 or myeras@aamc.org.
Note: All documents should be transmitted through the ERAS system. Do not send any documents to our program.
Applicants to our program should also thoroughly review the information on “Intro to Fellowship Matches” located on the NRMP website, including the section pertaining to The Match Process and The Match Calendars for the Pediatric Specialties Match.
ERAS and NRMP are separate organizations and, thus, require separate registrations in order to participate in the services of each.
All interview invitations will be sent via e-mail through ERAS by the end of July, with the earliest interview starting in mid-August. Invited applicants can choose from the dates available on ERAS scheduler on a first come, first serve basis. Our interviews are scheduled on Thursdays and will be conducted virtually.
If selected to interview, we will reach out to you regarding the details of your virtual interview once you have selected a date in ERAS. If you wish to speak to someone regarding our fellowship program or our application process, feel free to contact our Program Coordinator, Breana Amburn at Breana.Amburn@bcm.edu or 832-826-6208.
The purpose of the interview is to permit the candidate to discuss the program and its philosophies with fellows and faculty. It also provides the candidate an opportunity to meet representative faculty and fellows at all levels of training. Please notify us in advance if there is a specific faculty member (either clinical or research based) that you have a particular interest in meeting. Also, please inform the program if there are any personal inquiries (e.g., your spouse’s employment, schools for children) that can be addressed during the interview day.
Information about stipends and benefits are available on the Graduate Medical Education website.
Maintaining your physical and emotional wellness is a prerequisite to professional success. Our fellows have access to a number of programs to support their well-being. Learn more about the BCM BeWell program and Resident/Fellows wellness.
Director's Message
Program director Danny Castro, D.O., M.Ed. talks about the program, division and city that are important for prospective trainees to know.