Experts in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Mayo Clinic provide comprehensive consultative, diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients with illnesses related to pulmonary and critical care issues. The division is the largest of its kind in the United States and specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of the lung and chest as well as sleep and critical care issues.

Each year, members of the division perform a variety of procedures:

• Flexible bronchoscopy: >2500
• Endobronchial ultrasound: 700-900
• Thoracentesis: 1400
• Small bore chest tubes: 500
• Tunneled pleural catheters: 130
• Percutaneous tracheostomy: 50
• Rigid bronchoscopy: 130-150

The division is organized around interest groups oriented toward disease processes, organ systems, procedures, or patient groups. We offer various subspecialty clinics for training, including:

• Lung Cancer Clinic
• Interstitial Lung Disease Clinic
• Pulmonary Vasculitis Clinic
• Mycobacterial and Bronchiectasis Clinic
• Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic
• Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease Clinic (COPD)
• Asthma Clinic
• Cough clinic
• General pulmonary clinic
• Tuberculosis Clinic
• Pleural Disease Clinic
• Pulmonary Oncology Toxicity Clinic

Clinical expertise is integrated with the newest forms of established and experimental diagnostic and therapeutic methods.

Patient care is provided by teams of physicians and other health care staff with broad expertise in pulmonary and critical care diseases. Because we recognize that high-quality care depends upon scientific discovery, major research programs at the basic, applied and translational levels exist to generate new knowledge that ultimately improves patient care.

Physicians provide care for a broad range of common and rare respiratory and critical care conditions, including:

• Lung cancer diagnosis and treatment
• Chronic obstructive lung diseases, including asthma
• Interstitial lung diseases
• Pulmonary vascular disease, including pulmonary hypertension
• Sleep disorders
• Acute and chronic respiratory failure
• Various lung infections including tuberculosis and mycobacterial diseases
• Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
• Toxicology syndromes
• Various medical and surgical critical care disorders
• Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), cardiovascular medicine and surgical critical care disorders
• Neurological and neurosurgical disorders
• Chronic ventilator dependency issues
• Transplant disorders
• Electronic intensive care unit (eICU)

From the program director

Welcome! I want to thank you for your interest in the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (PCCM) Fellowship program at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Our vision is to provide you with an unparalleled educational experience related to patient care, cutting-edge research, education, and leadership development.

As a fellow in the program you will be exposed to an excellent blend of complex and common pulmonary and critical care disorders, combined with excellent teaching and supervision by world-renowned experts. There are plenty of research opportunities and resources, not only in clinical and basic sciences but also in the science of health care delivery, education research, professionalism and ethics, and global health.

The three shields of the Mayo Clinic emblem symbolize the three key areas of our focus—patient care, research, and education—and the fellowship's vision and mission clearly align with these principles. See our curriculum for additional information on the program structure, available opportunities, and training environment.

The Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine has been ranked among the top programs in the nation for respiratory disorders by the U.S. News & World Report. Those who visit our division quickly notice the dedication of our faculty and the spirit of our fellows; this is an extraordinary group of colleagues. I believe this is one of the best places to train and we hope you will consider joining us.

Darlene Nelson, M.D., M.H.P.E
Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Director

Faculty

In addition to caring for patients in clinical practice, Mayo Clinic's faculty is committed to teaching and facilitating the growth of medical knowledge. Many of our faculty members have published and lectured extensively and are highly regarded in their fields. You have direct access to the pulmonary and critical care faculty at Mayo Clinic throughout your training in the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship.

Mentorship

In addition to the program leadership support, you will create a mentorship team to help not only advance your academic skills but your career development. Program leadership will help you with finding the right mentors for you based on your passion and career goals. Trainees meet with their mentors periodically throughout training to review their progress and career goals to ensure that their educational needs are being met. Your mentor can also serve as a contact point for introducing you and your family to Rochester, Minnesota, and the Mayo Clinic system.

Visiting professors

Many prominent professors visit Mayo Clinic each year. They present their work during lectures, participate in hospital rounds and have informal discussions with trainees. You are encouraged to take full advantage of these educational opportunities.

Visiting professors in 2024-2025:

• Ms. Maria Smilios - Author of The Black Angels, Columbia University School of Public Health
• Dr. Scott S. Oh - UCLA Health
• Dr. Diego Mazzotti - University of Kansas Medical Center
• Dr. David Griffith - National Jewish Health
• Dr. Wes Ely - Vanderbilt University Medical Center
• Dr. Maximillan F. Konig - John Hopkins University School of Medicine