In addition to the core programs in Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care, fellows have the option of pursuing specialized training in a conventional or innovative area of special clinical interest. Several of these tracks are described below.
Interventional pulmonology
The University of Pennsylvania has one of the oldest and most established interventional pulmonology fellowships in the country and is a national leader in research, education, and clinical care. The Interventional Pulmonology Medicine fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania is an ACGME-accredited 1 year fellowship dedicated to development and mastery of advanced bronchoscopic and pleuroscopic procedures.
Fellows are active participants in multidisciplinary teams in the management of patients with complex thoracic cancers, lung transplant, airway obstruction/stenosis, COPD, and pleural disease. Clinical training experiences occur across three sites (Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and Pennsylvania Hospital), in collaboration with national leaders in oncology, thoracic surgery, radiation oncology, radiology, and pulmonary medicine. Fellows will become experts in diagnostic bronchoscopy, robotic navigation bronchoscopy, rigid bronchoscopy, tumor debulking, airway dilation, airway stenting, endobronchial valve placement, medical thoracoscopy, chest tube placement, and percutaneous tracheostomy insertion.
In addition to clinical experiences, fellows lead weekly academic conferences including journal club, morbidity and mortality conference, and case conference. All fellows are expected to participate in scholarly activity such as design and conduct of original research projects, with opportunities to write book chapters, invited reviews, and editorials. Fellows with an interest in advanced research training or other academic niches can enroll in Penn courses and training programs, including biostatistics, research methodology, hospital operations, and medical education.
Applicants need to have completed an ACGME accredited fellowship in Pulmonary, and Critical Care Medicine. All interested applicants should review program requirements and submission guidelines on the FREIDA[CC1.1]. We participate in the National Residency Matching Program and accept applications through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).
Program Director: David DiBardino, MD
Associate Program Director: Kevin Ma, MD
Advanced lung disease and lung transplantation
Fellows interested in careers in lung transplant can participate in a specialized pathway to develop the skills and experiences in transplant medicine, including comprehensive outpatient experiences in advanced lung disease and lung transplant subspecialty clinics, additional inpatient transplant rotations, and scholarly work in lung transplantation or advanced lung disease. Typically, this is completed as an additional year of training after the completion of PCCM fellowship. However, Penn PCCM fellows may be able to develop individualized training pathways to condense this timeline.
Fellows will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of surgeons and transplant-trained advanced practice providers, nurse coordinators, pharmacists, physical therapists, speech pathologists, social workers, and nutritionists in the inpatient outpatient setting. Fellows play an active role in the clinical services of one of the busiest and well-established lung transplant programs in the country.
SRTR Penn Lung Transplant Program Information
The fellow will have opportunities including:
- Training in the Penn outpatient advanced lung disease centers: interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, cystic fibrosis, and COPD
- Understanding patient selection criteria through participation in lung selection meetings
- Pre- and post-operative ICU management of the lung transplant candidate and recipient, including patients requiring ECMO
- Post-transplant bronchoscopy, including exposure to advanced bronchoscopic techniques
- Completing OPTN requirements for future medical directors of lung transplant programs
- Outpatient care of long-term transplant recipients
The fellowship runs from July to June yearly. Applicants are expected to be finishing or to have completed a pulmonary and critical care fellowship in an accredited program.
To apply, please submit a CV and a brief cover letter to the Fellowship Program Director. Qualified applicants will be required to submit letters of recommendation for interviews to be scheduled in August/September each year. For more information, please contact:
Susanna Leonard
Susanna.Leonard@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Pulmonary hypertension/pulmonary vascular disease
The Pulmonary Hypertension/Pulmonary Vascular Disease Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania is a 1-year non-ACGME accredited fellowship opportunity at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. Our PH/PVD program was established in the 1980’s and is a PHA-accredited Center of Comprehensive Care, based in the Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care and Cardiovascular Medicine Divisions.
In this program, fellows will gain extensive experience in the diagnosis, assessment and management across the spectrum of PH/PVD. Fellows will become proficient in the interpretation of diagnostic data including imaging modalities (CT, echo, VQ scan, cardiac MRI), pulmonary function testing, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, and performance of right heart catheterization and interpretation of cardiopulmonary hemodynamics. Fellows will also become proficient in the treatment of PH in the acute and chronic settings, as well as participate in rotations across relevant subspecialties including rheumatology, adult congenital heart disease, advanced heart failure/transplantation, advanced lung disease and lung transplantation, and advanced liver disease, among others. Fellows will be involved in scholarly activity including case-conferences, CTEPH conference, journal club and will be provided mentorship in the analysis and execution of PH/PVD-related research.
Physicians who have completed an ACGME accredited fellowship in Cardiology or Pulmonary and Critical Care are eligible. Interested applicants should submit their CV, a cover letter explaining their career goals and interest in the program and 3 letters of recommendation to Melissa Englehardt at Melissa.Englehardt@pennmedicine.upenn.edu by July 10, 2026.
Please feel free to reach out to us directly if you or anyone you know may be interested in learning more about the program.