WVU launches first Sleep Fellowship program in West Virginia

West Virginia University School of Medicine will launch the first Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Sleep Fellowship program in the state.

The new program is housed within the Department of Medicine’s Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine.

The Sleep Fellowship program offers training opportunities in the full range of sleep disorders including obstructive and central sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, parasomnias, circadian rhythm disorders and many other sleep-related conditions.

“As a land-grant institution and a leader in academic medicine, we constantly evaluate positions that provide the biggest benefit to our state and our learners,” Arif Sarwari, M.D., chair of the Department of Medicine, said. “This much-needed program shows our continued commitment to training more sleep physicians to serve the needs of the people in West Virginia.”

The first fellow will begin July 2020 with additional recruitment efforts beginning this fall.

The year-long fellowship program accepts up to two fellows per year. Fellows train in a multi-disciplinary sleep disorder center with several specialties including pulmonary, pediatrics, ENT, neurology, psychology and dental.

They also participate in WVU Medicine’s newly launched hospital sleep program and complete research projects.

“We look forward to continuing to enhance and expand our educational opportunities for our current students and residents, as well as our future fellows,” Sunil Sharma, M.D., Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine section chief, said.

To learn more about the Department of Medicine, visit medicine.hsc.wvu.edu/medicine.