Program Description

The Department of Acute Care Surgery at Regions Hospital offers a structured and comprehensive post-graduate program to Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners interested in advanced training in Trauma Surgery, Emergency General Surgery and Surgical Intensive Care. The program provides clinical and didactic experiences in a variety of supportive environments and specialties to foster critical thinking, interprofessional collaboration, competence and confidence, helping the APC fellow successfully transition into the role of an Acute Care Surgery APC at an accelerated rate.

Length of Program: 12 months

Class Size: 1 fellow per year

Start Date: May

Recruitment: Application will open late 2026 for a May 2027 start date

Licensures Accepted: PA | FNP (Must be licensed to care for pediatric patients)

Sites:

• Primary: Regions Hospital
• Rotations: Regions Hospital, Gillette Hospital

Program Curriculum

Clinical

The Acute Care Surgery APC fellow spends 9 months of their training in the core specialties of Trauma Surgery, Emergency General Surgery and Surgical Intensive Care at Regions Hospital, a Level 1 Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center. The other 3 months are spent in specialty rotations deemed essential for proficiency in Acute Care Surgery.

• Trauma Surgery
• Emergency General Surgery
• Surgical Intensive Care
• General Surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedics
• Perioperative Internal Medicine
• Wound Care
• Pain Medicine
• Palliative Care

 

Didactic

Building on ACGME Surgery Core Competencies Guided by program core competencies, APC fellows participate in weekly didactic sessions and weekly simulation training for both procedural skills and high-fidelity patient care scenarios. These experiences foster the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively assess, coordinate, and deliver evidence-based and cost-effective care to patients with traumatic injuries, surgical issues and/or critical conditions.

Schedule

Acute Care Surgery APC fellows work Monday-Friday day shifts with some evening and weekend shifts in the latter half of the program. APC fellows can expect to work approximately 40-50 hours per week with some variability depending on which rotation they are in.

Required Certifications: ACLS obtained prior to start date; ATLS and PALS obtained by end of program

Program Faculty:

Program Director: Dr. Fred Rogers

Medical Director: Benoit Blondeau, MD

Administrative Director: Kerri Thongvanh, RN, BSN, MBA