Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship
Our NICU
As the region’s only top ranked Level IV NICU, we provide the highest level of care every day to more than 80 fragile newborns. We provide advanced treatments like ECMO and therapeutic whole-body cooling that only the leading programs can offer.
Your clinical experience
Fellows train at one Level IV NICU and three metro area Level III NICUs.
Inpatient
Fellows are exposed to a variety of pathophysiology including patients with extreme prematurity, congenital anomalies, surgical conditions, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
ECMO
Our ECMO program launched in 1987, making it one of the highest-volume of neonatal and pediatric programs in the country. The fellow provides primary care to the ECMO patients in the NICU. The neonatal home ventilator program allows fellows to participate in the care of these infants in the NICU and also in the home ventilator clinic as outpatient.
Fetal Health Center
The Fetal Health Center provides experience with fetal therapies and delivery room management of newborns with complex pathology.
Clinic
The Neonatal Follow-Up Clinics consist of extremely low birth weigh clinic; the NEON clinic includes care of patients with congenital heart disease, HIE, CDH and the home ventilator clinic.
More about your clinical experience and rotationsA three-year program
First year
- Inpatient = 5 months
- Research = 7 months
Second year
- Inpatient = 5 months
(includes 1 month MFM) - Research = 7 months
Third year
- Inpatient = 4 months
- Research = 7 months
- Elective = 1 month
(Several options based on individual goals)
Clinic during entire fellowship, two clinics per month.
Didactics series
Fellows participate in divisional conferences and didacts as well as hospital wide educational opportunities.
- Weekly NICU education conference
- Bi-monthly research
- Monthly board review
- Monthly case conference
- Monthly faculty and fellows conference
- Monthly journal club
- Monthly neonatology research meeting
- Monthly NICU M&M conference
- Monthly pathology conference
- Monthly perinatal conference
- Quarterly NICU/Neuro conference
- Quarterly special care conference
- Quarterly transport conference
- Annual fellow retreat
Simulation exercises
- First-year fellows participate in a multidisciplinary "Boot Camp" facilitated by the Children's Mercy simulation center on a wide range of skills.
- They also must complete a required, three-day ECMO course, followed by yearly simulations.
- Monthly simulations focus on communication and advanced resuscitation.
Salaries and benefits
2024-25 salaries
- PGY 4: $78,540.80
- PGY 5: $79,539.20
- PGY 6: $81,203.20
- PGY 7: $84,468.80
- PGY 8: $86,590.40
Benefits for fellows
- $1,500 Educational stipend per academic year for books, travel and other educational materials
- $2,250 Professional stipend for academic year to present scholarly activity
- Health and dental insurance for trainee and dependents with no premiums
- $800 a year Lifestyle Spending Account
- Hospital-issued Laptop/iPad
- Free parking
- Moving allowance
- 20 days of vacation
- Paid sick time
- Paid board exam
- Access to clinical and research librarians, statisticians, scientific writers and learning specialists
- Tuition allowance of $5,250 per year
- On-site fitness center and wellness center
Research opportunities
Each of our trainees is expected to complete a minimum of one scholarly project during the course of their fellowship, resulting in the submission of a manuscript to a peer-reviewed publication.
This is done through abundant exposure to clinical, basic science and translational research opportunities.
More about our researchApply for the program
The NPM fellowship participates in the Fall Pediatric Subspecialty Match through the NRMP. Applications are accepted via ERAS.
Special opportunities at Children's Mercy
For those interested in clinical pharmacology, global health and health care administration, learn more about our special opportunities.
Our NPM Fellowship leadership team
Jotishna Sharma, MD, DCH, MEd
Program Director
(816) 802-1177
Charisse Lachica, MD
Associate Program Director
(816) 802-1177
Sarah King, MS, C-TAGME
Program Coordinator
srking@cmh.edu