Developed in 2015 in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, the HUP Advanced Practice Fellowship Program offers an intensive post-graduate training experience with specialty tracks in Cardiology, Critical Care, and Emergency Medicine.
This clinically rigorous 12-month program is grounded by a strong educational mission fostering independent practice, critical thinking, and high-stakes decision making in a closely proctored, feedback rich, and safe environment. This structure ensures our graduates are exceptionally strong clinicians who are poised to develop into the next generation of Advanced Practice leaders.
This mission is supported by:
- Specialty focused clinical immersion supported by the world-renowned interdisciplinary teams of Penn Medicine
- A robust didactic curriculum administered by the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing; course content is delivered by experts in their field from across the Penn Medicine interdisciplinary community
- Course work including case presentations and, in collaboration with the Penn Center for Evidence Based Practice, an evidence-based practice project
- A feedback rich environment with frequent, in-the-moment feedback, monthly summary feedback, and performance appraisal leveraging high-stakes, high-fidelity simulation
Recruitment
Mirroring the ethos of the Office of Advanced Practice, the HUP Advanced Practice Fellowship recruits the highest qualified Acute Care Nurse Practitioners, Family Nurse Practitioners (Emergency Medicine only), and Physician Assistants. All graduates are rewarded three course units of post-graduate credit from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.
As Advanced Practice at Penn Medicine plays an integral role in the development of innovative models of care driving patient-centered outcomes and the actualization of Penn Medicine’s strategic goals and mission, the Advanced Practice Fellowship Program is looked to as a powerful workforce planning strategy. A benchmark of this program’s success is its proven ability to recruit exceptional talent, develop high-quality clinicians and clinical leaders, and retain them through post-fellowship job placement. The vast majority of our graduates are still employed with Penn Medicine, voted by US News & World Report as a top employer. Several of our graduates have advanced to formal leadership positions. To this end, our graduates are asked for a two-year post-fellowship commitment of employment to Penn Medicine.
Curriculum
The APP Fellowship Program offers a robust didactic curriculum tailored to the individual’s specialty and delivered by advanced practice and physician faculty at Penn Medicine.
The 12-month program leverages existing educational programs offered by physician fellowship and residency training program, and emphasizes:
- clinical immersion
- knowledgebase development
- critical thinking
- decision making
- inter-professional communication
- technical proficiency
- quality, cost-conscious care
High-fidelity simulation is used to reinforce didactic content and evaluate the fellows’ development in critical thinking, medical knowledge, and team leadership. Competency is supported through procedural simulation, trainings, and one-to-one proctoring.
The Advanced Practice Fellowship is governed by a committee involved in decisions surrounding the day-to-day operation of the fellowship, as well as program evaluation and improvement. Additionally, an advisory board comprised of service line and health system leadership provides input on strategic planning and program improvement.
For more information, please contact: officeofadvancedpractice-hup@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.