Fellow: Physician Assistant ONLY - Emergency Medicine, Full-time, Rotating

At Northwestern Medicine, every patient interaction makes a difference in cultivating a positive workplace. This patient-first approach is what sets us apart as a leader in the healthcare industry. As an integral part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to join our quest for better healthcare, no matter where you work within the Northwestern Medicine system. At Northwestern Medicine, we pride ourselves on providing competitive benefits: from tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness to 401(k) matching and lifecycle benefits, we take care of our employees. Ready to join our quest for better?

Northwestern Medicine has an exciting opportunity for a Physician Assistant to work as a fellow in Emergency Medicine. This is an intensive 12-month training program that uses a multidisciplinary approach to prepare clinicians to step into the challenging and fast paced role of an Emergency Medicine  position. Fellows will start with a bootcamp to review fundamentals as well as develop skills needed to act as a primary service provider. You will work directly with APPs as well as physicians in caring for patients admitted for a variety of medical conditions. There will be dedicated didactic teaching as well as case-based presentations. Fellows will learn to master conducting comprehensive histories, performing physical exams as well as diagnostics and creating treatment plans. Oral presentations and note writing skills will be reviewed weekly. There will be a strong focus on evidenced based medicine and developing critical reasoning skills when interpreting new research. Following the fellowship, preference is given to high-performing fellows for open positions within Northwestern.   

Schedule: Rotating days, nights, weekends, schedule will vary. No on-call

Locations: Lake Forest and Grayslake Emergency Departments

Compensation: $90,000.00 salary for 12-months plus benefits

The Physician Assistant (PA) in the Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Fellow role reflects the mission, vision, and values of Northwestern Medicine, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics, Corporate Compliance Program and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all regulatory and accreditation standards.

The Advanced Practice Fellowship will provide leading-edge post-graduate, on-the-job training to prepare APP fellows for successful practice in a designated specialty, such as cardiology or hematology oncology. Exposed to a variety of clinical rotations, APP Fellows will refine critical thinking, diagnostic, and clinical skills necessary for managing complex medical situations and for providing safe, efficient and effective care to adult hospitalized patients in designated specialty.

The APP fellowship provides an opportunity for licensed advanced practice providers to receive 6 months of intensive clinical training and preparation for the acute care setting. Grounded in a rigorous didactic curriculum, this intensive training program will offer hands-on clinical care through structured clinical rotations in hospital medicine and designated specialty, as well as rotations in designated specialty ambulatory setting. The program places an emphasis on multi-disciplinary learning and communication.

All fellows will work under the direct guidance of APP preceptors and attending physicians.  Upon completion, advanced practice fellows will have acquired enhanced skills in hospital medicine and designated specialty area, preparing them for APP acute care positions or ambulatory positions.

Responsibilities:

• Complete all requirements for credentialing and privileging at NMH for inpatient core privileges
• Attend all didactic lectures and educational opportunities scheduled for APP fellows
• Provide direct care to patients as assigned by clinical preceptors  
• Collaborate and consult with physicians and other health care professionals as appropriate
• Develop organizational skills to manage a patient caseload
• Develop effective communication and presentation skills with the interdisciplinary team
• Develop a deep and broad knowledge base of the common disease processes for which patients are hospitalized through fellowship training and home study as appropriate
• Identify individual professional development needs and work w/APP preceptors/mentors to create opportunities for learning and practice
• Participate in APP Transition into Practice Program and monthly APP grand rounds.
• Clinical:
  • Conducts comprehensive assessments of patients’ health status by taking health histories and performing advanced physical examinations in specialty area.
  • Provides direct clinical care to patients as needed.
  • Orders and interprets laboratory and diagnostic tests to establish diagnoses and develop a comprehensive treatment plan.
  • Orders/prescribes medications, therapies, interventions and procedures according to clinical privileges.
  • Documents in the medical record all care provided and/or procedures performed for which the Advanced Practice Provider Fellow is responsible. Collaborates with all members of the multidisciplinary team to develop and direct an individualized and comprehensive treatment plan.
  • Coordinates the discharge planning process with patients, families and all members of the multidisciplinary team.
  • Consults with other specialties and disciplines as appropriate to meet all health care needs of patients.
• Leadership:
  • Participates in unit/departmental/divisional or hospital committees/task forces and professional organizations.
  • Advocates for patients, families, nursing staff and other members of the healthcare community.
  • Consults with NM leadership in the identification, evaluation and problem solving of clinical system and process issues.
• Education:
  • Teaches and counsels patients and families in preventive care, medical conditions, plan of care, anticipated outcomes, and the use of prescribed treatments and drugs.
  • Develops and participates in programs to meet personal educational needs, and needs of the clinical team
  • Provides formal and informal educational programs to healthcare professionals pertinent to APP fellow role.
• Research/Quality/Outcomes:
  • Participate in/review evidence-based research/guidelines and apply to clinical practice.
  • Participate in service-line specific quality initiatives and development of outcome metrics.

Required

• Master's degree from an accredited Physician Assistant school
• PA (IL) license
• DEA license registered in the state of Illinois  
• IL Controlled Substance License (if required by department)
• All required to hold and maintain: Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (American Heart Association) certification

Preferred:

• Current or past NM employee

Additional Requirements:

• All full or part-time nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and PAs caring for children in the emergency department shall successfully complete and maintain current recognition in one of the following courses: the AHA-AAP PALS, the ACEP-AAP APLS, or the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course (ENPC).  PALS, APLS and ENPC shall include both cognitive and practical skills evaluation.
• All full- or part-time physician assistants who care for children in the emergency department and fast track/urgent care area shall have documentation of a minimum of 16 hours of continuing education in pediatric emergency topics every two years that are approved by an accrediting agency.

Northwestern Medicine is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Please visit our Benefits section to learn more.