Objectives: To define the body of knowledge and practical skills required by a physician trained as a specialist in critical care medicine.
Data sources: Consensus opinion of adult and pediatric critical care physicians with multidisciplinary experience and expertise in the critical care teaching environment.
Data synthesis: Consensus was reached in an attempt to define a common area of knowledge and skills that could be expected of critical care physicians, regardless of primary specialty, to enable them to properly practice in a multidisciplinary environment.
Conclusion: A curriculum was developed that defines the core cognitive and procedural skills that practitioners of critical care should possess on completion of advanced training in this field. Additional cognitive skills required for advanced trainees in pediatric critical care were delineated.