Training of critical care physician managers

ICUs in the United States consume some 1% of the gross national product, 10% of hospital beds, and 30% of acute hospital costs. Critical care medicine is the only specialty fellowship which requires formal training in administrative, management, and economic skills by its certifying organizations. The nonclinical curriculum requirements of fellowship training have been defined. Increasing attention to this aspect of medicine is being paid by professional societies and medical institutions. In order for critical care medicine to continue to grow as an academic, as well as a successful institutional clinical service, it is important that the quality of training provided in this nonclinical part of the fellowship curriculum be at least comparable to the clinical aspects of training.