EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR

FELLOWS IN GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY

For a complete list of the Gynecolgic Oncology Faculty, please refer to the UT Southwestern Gynecologic Oncology Faculty.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND OVERVIEW

The fellowship in gynecologic oncology is a four-year program designed to train obstetrician gynecologists for productive careers in academic gynecologic oncology. It is sponsored by the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.  Training is carried out at its main teaching facility, UT Southwestern Medical Center, and its affiliate institutions.

Two years of the fellowship are devoted to acquiring research skills in the Laboratory of Gynecologic Oncology within the Nancy B. and Jake L. Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research. The other two years of the fellowship involve clinical training which includes:

* 14 months at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Parkland Memorial Hospital;  UT Southwestern University Hospital, St. Paul building; and UT Southwestern University Hospital – Zale Lipshy,  

* 1 month of Pathology and Radiation Therapy,

* 2 months of Surgical Critical Care, and

* 7 months at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas and Medical City-Dallas Hospital.

In-Depth Information About This Program

For in-depth information regarding a fellowship in gynecologic oncology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, please review the attached document in PDF format,Gynecologic Oncology Fellows Program Description 2009.   For information regarding compensation and benefits available to fellows, please visit our fellows home page.  Highlights of the program are described below.

Goals of the Fellowship

The goal of this fellowship is the preparation of outstanding obstetrician-gynecologists for productive careers in academic gynecologic oncology. This program provides the clinical, instructional, and investigational foundation for such a pursuit. As is set forth in the "Guide to Learning in Gynecologic Oncology," training will be provided in the comprehensive screening, diagnosis, and treatment of cancers of the female genital tract and their complications. This includes radical pelvic and reconstructive surgery,  chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Emphasis

Particular emphasis is placed on surgical techniques, critical care, clinical trials and investigational agents. This training complies with the guidelines for certification as a subspecialist in gynecologic oncology as set forth by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.  It also permits the fellow to be recognized by patients and colleagues as a consultant in gynecologic oncology.  

The fellow will be actively involved in the didactic and clinical education of medical students and residents. Basic and clinical research experience will be provided to allow the fellow to design, develop and obtain support for their own studies as well as direct the efforts of others. It is expected that gynecologic oncologists completing this fellowship will be excellent candidates for NIH or other society-supported career development awards.

Program Strengths

The strengths of this fellowship program are both its research and clinical components. The research years provide dedicated time to acquiring basic investigational skills in a gynecologic oncology laboratory. Here, the fellow will learn the basics of hypothesis-driven research, grant preparation and peer-review presentations and publication skills.  During this time, the fellow has limited clinical assignments and has full-time to devote to this research effort and the graduate course work required by ABOG. The clinical aspect of the program is remarkable for its diversity, exposure to the care of indigent and private patients, as well as university-based and private-practice faculty. The strengths of the fellowship and its intent of academic preparation has been recognized by the NCI, the American Cancer Society and its Texas Division in the form of awarded Clinical Oncology Fellowships. 

CLINICAL FACILITIES

Outpatient

All outpatient areas are located on-campus and can be quickly and easily reached without driving.

Parkland Gynecology Clinic

This newly remodeled facility is used exclusively for seeing gynecologic patients. The Division of Gynecologic Oncology has 12 exam rooms available each Tuesday. The clinic is located on the 3^rd floor directly beneath the outpatient chemotherapy infusion area on the 4^th floor. Eighty to 100 patients are routinely scheduled and interpreter services are readily available in addition to chaperones, nurses, social services and office staff.

Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center

This modern outpatient facility is housed on the second floor of the NC Building on the North Campus, which is contiguous to the state-of-the–art laboratories used for basic and translational research. The Simmons Cancer Center houses 12 exam rooms and 17 individual chemotherapy infusion rooms.

Inpatient

Parkland Memorial and UT Southwestern University Hospital, St. Paul building, and UT Southwestern University Hospital – Zale/Lipshy are located on-campus and can be quickly and easily reached without driving.

Parkland Memorial Hospital

Parkland Memorial Hospital is Dallas County’s only public hospital that ensures that health care is available to all Dallas County residents. Parkland was the first and still remains the primary teaching hospital for UT Southwestern’s multifaceted educational programs. All of its physician services are provided under contract with UT Southwestern. Its facilities encompass 990 beds in 1.24 million square feet. The annual budget is $1.026 billion and it employs over 8,000 people. It is governed by the seven-member Dallas County Hospital District board of managers, appointed by the Dallas County Commissioners Court. Recently, Parkland was ranked 11 in the nation for its gynecologic care in U.S. News and World Reports.

Women’s Services delivers approximately 15,000 babies annually, making it the nation’s largest single-site delivery facility. Parkland is the main provider of care to underserved minorities where 50% of patients are African American, 40% Hispanic and 10% White. All the effective forms of cancer therapy are available and the cancer program is approved by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. There is a dedicated gynecologic oncology ward (4-West) and clinic that provide comprehensive care for patients receiving surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, pain control and palliative care under the guidance of the fellow and faculty.

UT Southwestern University Hospital, St. Paul Building

This was the first private hospital in Dallas founded in 1896 and was also the only Catholic hospital in North Texas. In 2005, the hospital merged with UT Southwestern Medical Center.  Approximately 100 UT Southwestern specialists and approximately 900 community physicians provide care for its patients.

The UT Southwestern University Hospital, St. Paul building currently holds 300 beds (licensed for 550) in its 600,000 square feet and employs 1,500 staff. The 12 operating rooms all have state-of-the-art equipment and all the effective forms of cancer therapy are available along with a tumor registry. The cancer program is approved by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. The gynecologic oncology service admits to the oncology floor (3-South).

UT Southwestern University Hospital-Zale Lipshy

This not-for-profit hospital was named in honor of the Zale and Lipshy families. In 1989, University Medical Center Inc. opened the hospital and began operating Zale Lipshy as the private referral hospital for patients of UT Southwestern physicians. In 2005, the hospital merged with UT Southwestern Medical Center.  Its facilities have 151 licensed and staffed beds in a total of 300,000 square feet. Zale Lipshy has an annual budget of $100 million and it employs 800 staff. 

Its facilities, which accommodate patients from around the world, include 12 operating suites for specialized surgical care in neurological surgery, orthopaedics, urology, gynecology, otorhinolaryngology, ophthalmology, general and oncological surgery, oral and maxillofacial surgery, vascular surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, and breast services. All the effective forms of cancer therapy are available and  includes a tumor registry. The cancer program is approved by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.  Gynecologic oncology service admits to the oncology floor (7th floor.)

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

This is an 897 bed non-profit hospital operated by Texas Health Resources with a long-standing affiliation with UT Southwestern Medical School that participates in the teaching of obstetrics and gynecology residents at the senior level. It has a comprehensive multi-disciplinary cancer center. There are more than 1,200 physicians on the medical staff. Presbyterian Hospital offers a full range of care including services for cancer, cardiovascular problems, neuroscience needs, orthopedics, senior care and women's services. The activities of the cancer center include weekly tumor board conferences and bi-monthly gynecologic oncology tumor boards. All the effective forms of cancer therapy are available. There is a tumor registry and the cancer program is approved by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.

Medical City-Dallas Hospital

This 598 bed facility was founded in 1974 and is affiliated with Southwestern Medical School. Senior obstetrics and gynecology residents rotate at this location. There are 1,250 physicians on the medical staff practicing 95 specialties. A broad range of sophisticated cancer therapies are available. There is a tumor registry and the cancer program is approved by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.

RESEARCH FACILITIES

Nancy B. and Jake L. Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research –The Center, located in the Simmons Biomedical Research Building on the North Campus (NB8.222), houses the Laboratory of Gynecologic Oncology. The lab has 500 square feet of space and an adjoining office for research activities. The lab is dedicated to the study of the molecular biology of gynecologic cancers under the guidance of division faculty. The laboratory is focused primarily on translational research, has the facilities for tissue culture, in vitro and in vivo tumor growth assays and also houses the IRB approved gynecologic oncology tumor bank. This lab evaluates the biologic effects of chemotherapy, genetic therapy, and immunotherapy on gynecologic malignancies.  The fellow will be involved in some of the many laboratory research projects and encouraged to develop their own projects with faculty supervision that will typically serve as the basis for their thesis.

SAMPLE ROTATION SCHEDULE

            SWMC               =  Southwestern Medical Center

            PMH.Pre-attend = Southwestern Medical Center/Pre-Attending

            Presby              =  Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

            RadOnc             =  Parkland Radiation Oncology

            Path                  =  Pathology

            Res                   =  Research

            SICU                 =  Parkland Surgical Intensive Care Unit

            MCD                  =  Medical City-Dallas

CONFERENCES, COURSES AND SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS

Gynecologic oncology fellows are encouraged to attend and actively participate in a variety of conferences, boards, grand rounds, courses, scientific meetings, and lectures.  Daily lectures and grand rounds are also given by different departments of the medical school and are published in a monthly calendar of events. 

The program also includes two university graduate-level courses, Biostatistics for Clinical Sciences I – DCS 5391/5491 and at least one course from the list under “Seminars and Lectures” listed on the attached PDF document, Conferences, Courses, and Scientific Meetings.

CURRENT AND FORMER FELLOWS

A list of our current and former fellows are listed on the attached PDF document, Current and Former Fellows List 2009-2010

PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS

Fellows are encouraged to present and publish the results of their research and clinical studies at conferences.

For a list of past presentations and publications in PDF format involving gynecology oncology fellows over the past 5 years, please refer to the attached PDF document, Presentations and Publications 2009-2010.