Advance your skills with the University of Iowa’s Critical Care Fellowship for Advanced Practice Providers (APPs). The fellowship is a one-year, postgraduate, multidisciplinary program for Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants. As a combined medical and surgical program, graduates gain skills and knowledge from a range of medical disciplines.

APP fellows work together with the critical care physician teams at the University of Iowa and receive instruction alongside physician critical care fellows—medical, surgical and anesthesia programs. Educational opportunities include rounding on patients that you follow as part of the critical care team, educational lectures, workshops, and critical care specific certificate courses.

During your training, you will receive advanced training and perform procedures typically performed as part of a critical care multidisciplinary team, including:

• Central line insertion
• Arterial line insertion
• Endotracheal intubation
• Bedside ultrasound for hemodynamic assessment
• Bronchoscopy for airway evaluation
• Chest tube insertion

Rotations Include:

• Medical Intensive Care Unit
• Surgical and Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit
• Medical Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit
• Surgical Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit
• 6 weeks of electives of your choice
• Ultrasound workshop

Start Date: February 2026

Requirements:

Physician Assistant (PA): Must meet Iowa Board of Physician Assistant Examiners requirements, including graduation from an accredited PA program and/or NCCPA certification.

Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP): Must hold either a Doctoral or Master’s degree in Nursing. Degrees in related fields are not accepted. Must be eligible for an Iowa nursing license, certification in specialty area, and ARNP licensure in the state of Iowa.

• A short letter sharing why you’re interested in the fellowship and your understanding of critical care
• Your updated Resume
• 3–4 professional references who’ve worked directly with you in the last couple of years and are at the same level or higher.