Post Doctoral Diploma in Critical Care Medicine

Applicants should have done MD/DNB in General Medicine/Anesthesia/Pulmonary Medicine.

Critical Care Medicine (also known as Intensive Care) is a relatively young specialty in Medicine. It is a hybrid specialty blending the knowledge and skills of internal medicine, respiratory medicine and anesthesiology. In critical care, patients with life threatening illness resulting in organ failure are supported by artificial means (oxygen, ventilator support, inotropes, and dialysis) till they recover or succumb to their illness. The demand for Critical Care has been rising and is likely to do so in the near future because of increasing age of the Indian population, multiple co-morbidities, increasing road trauma and the increase in invasive interventions. It is well documented that trained intensivists improve outcome of critically ill patients admitted in the ICU.

The Fellowship Course in Critical Care is designed to fill the need for Intensivists. It is a two year course with postings in Medical, Surgical, Neurology/Neurosurgery and Pediatric ICUs. In addition, there are postings in Radiology, Echocardiography, Dialysis and other areas, which are essential for the management of these patients.

The training programme ensures adequate exposure to all types of critical illness and their management. The skills needed in the care of critically ill patients are acquired during the training period. These skills include not only manual skills but also the 'soft skills' – the invaluable experience of communicating to grieving and anxious families and of working as a member of an intensive care team.