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Hematology/Oncology

Education

Yale Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program

The Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program is an ACGME accredited pediatric subspecialty training program within Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Yale University School of Medicine. The Fellowship Program gratefully acknowledges generous support from the Tommy Fund for Childhood Cancer.

Overview

The purpose of this fellowship program is to prepare trainees for successful careers in academic pediatric hematology/oncology. The three-year training program will prepare graduates to diagnose, treat, and follow children with a full range of hematologic and oncologic diseases. Fellows also prepare to advance the field of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology through scholarly contributions that result from clinical investigation or bench research. Successful completion of the program will qualify fellows for the certification examination by the pediatric hematology/oncology subspecialty board.

Program Director:
Diana Beardsley, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Pediatrics & Internal Medicine
203-785-4640 (phone)
203-737-2228 (fax)

Program Coordinator:
Susan Marino
203-785-4011 (phone)
203-737-2228 (fax)

Current Fellows:

Year 1: Salley G. Pels, M.D.

Year 2: Stephanie Massaro, M.D., M.P.H.

Year 3: Robert J. Brown, M.D.

Fellowship Selection Process

• One first year position is offered for each academic year.
• The application and interview process begins approximately 18 months before the anticipated start date for the fellowship.
• The program participates in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) for selection of fellows. The deadline for enrollment and submission of listings as well as the match date for the current application year may be found on the NRMP web site.
• Applicants must complete an ACGME-accredited pediatric residency program prior to the anticipated appointment date.
• Application materials may be requested by contacting the Program Director, Dr. Diana Beardsley by email, phone (203-785-4640), or fax (203-737-2228).

Clinical Focus (Year 1 of fellowship with further development during Years 2 & 3)

The first year of the fellowship program includes 12 four-week clinical rotations aimed to develop a foundation of clinical experience that the fellow will build upon during the remainder of the fellowship and throughout his/her future career in pediatric hematology and oncology. All of the clinical activities of the fellows are performed under the supervision of an attending physician who is a faculty member in the Hematology and Oncology Section of the Department of Pediatrics. The rotations include seven months on the hematology/oncology service (inpatient and outpatient) and five rotations outside the division that cover a range of topics important to becoming an independent hematology/oncology clinician. In addition, a didactic curriculum covers clinical topics in the subspecialty area through required clinical and educational conferences.

The goals of the rotations during the first year are as follows:

Pediatric Hematology/Oncology - Seven four-week rotations

• To be able to diagnose and manage patients with pediatric hematology/oncology diagnoses.
• To learn how Children's Oncology Group protocols are employed to treat patients with cancer and to advance the field of pediatric oncology.
• To become knowledgeable about chemotherapy drugs and develop expertise in ordering chemotherapy.
• To become capable of managing complications of chemotherapy.
• To develop effective communication skills for delivering important medical information to patients and families.
• To become capable of coordinating the medical care of patients with complex hematologic and oncologic diagnoses.
• To become capable of providing valuable consultative assessment and recommendations regarding hematologic and oncologic issues.
• To become familiar with the model of comprehensive care for patients with sickle cell anemia and hemophilia.
• To provide effective teaching in the clinical setting.
• To develop skills for the preparation and delivery of oral presentations including clinical overviews, literature reviews, clinical cases, and journal clubs.

During the five additional rotations it is not expected that the fellow will acquire independent expertise in these areas. Rather, the goals are to become familiar with the content and functioning of other specialists and thereby to enhance the fellow's clinical effectiveness.

1. Radiation Oncology (two weeks - elective)

• To learn how various tumors are treated with radiation therapy.
• To become familiar with treatment planning by the radiation oncologist.
• To understand the basic principles of radiation damage to tissues.
• To become familiar with the short- and long-term side effects of radiation therapy.

2. Laboratory Medicine (four to six weeks - elective)

• To learn to recognize and manage transfusion reactions.
• To become familiar with blood product supply including blood typing, antibody screening, crossmatching, and TTD testing.
• To become familiar with immunophenotyping of blood and marrow.
• To understand special coagulation laboratory techniques, interpretation, and limitations.
• To learn how to utilize and interpret special hematology laboratory testing.

3. Adult Hematology Consult Service (four weeks - required)

• To have an exposure to complex hematology problems that affect hospitalized adults.
• To learn to diagnose and manage heparin induced thrombocytopenia.
• To understand how nutritional anemias may present during adulthood.
• To gain a broader appreciation of hematologic complications of systemic disease.

4. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT) (eight weeks - required)

• N.B. This training for the fellows currently occurs at an active SCT program. The goals are to become familiar with the evaluation, education, and management of stem cell transplant patients as well as issues of toxicity and long-term complications.

The fellows' clinical education continues during years 2 and 3 of the program during which time the fellows follow their own patients in a weekly continuity clinic and take call for the clinical service one weekend per month. In addition, the didactic program and weekly conferences enhance the fellows' knowledge, skills, and clinical expertise toward becoming an independent clinician.

Research Focus (Years 2 & 3 of Fellowship)

The second and third year of the fellowship program will focus upon a research project - either laboratory or clinical investigation. During the first year of the fellowship, the fellow will define an area of investigation, identify a mentor, and outline a project to pursue during the second and third years of the fellowship with the guidance of the Program Director. The goal of this phase of fellowship training is to acquire the skills necessary to launch the investigative component of a future career in academic medicine.

By the end of the first year, a Scholarship Oversight Committee (SOC) will be appointed to oversee the fellow's progress in the research project. The SOC will meet at least twice per year to evaluate the fellow's progress and to advise the fellow. It is expected that the fellow's research project will progress sufficiently during these two years to result in publication of original work and application for funding continuation of the project.