First Year

The first fellowship year is almost exclusively focused on clinical training.  Fellows rotate (First Year Fellows' Rotation Schedule 2007-2008) through inpatient and outpatient oncology and hematology services, spend two weeks on the Stem Cell Transplant Service, and participate in a new patient and sub-specialty rotation.  Each fellow has 1 month of elective within the first 6 months to assist with the decision regarding his/her research project for years 2 and 3.  The new patient rotation is a wonderful opportunity to see new hematology and oncology patients before anyone else, allowing the fellow to develop differential diagnoses, appropriate workups, and treatment plans. The sub-specialty rotation allows dedicated time to focus on neuro-oncology, survivorship issues, and cancer genetics, as well as thrombosis and hemostasis.  During the first year the fellows are mentored by an advisory committee of 3 faculty to guide decision making regarding research project and mentors.

First Year - Clinical Campus

The majority of the first fellowship year is spent at the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCBD) at the Children's Medical Center Dallas.  The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCBD) is one of the nation's largest clinical programs in pediatric hematology-oncology: 200 new cancer patients annually; over 600 sickle cell patients actively followed; 300 children with hemorrhagic disorders seen annually; late effects program with over 1200 active patients, etc.

Second and Third Years

The second and third fellowship years are almost exclusively focused on research.  Fellows deciding to do clinical research are expected to enroll in the K-30 Funded, Clinical Science Training Curriculum at UT Southwestern.  Fellows doing basic science are encouraged to audit classes offered through this program as necessary for their project development and completion.  All fellows are assigned a Scholarship Oversight Committee for the second and third years as outlined in the American Board of Pediatrics document on sub-specialty training. Second and third year fellows continue to spend one day weekly in continuity outpatient clinic and remain on the schedule for periodic night and weekend call.

Curriculum

The department of Pediatrics has established a  departmental fellowship program that provides a forum for fellows to share research ideas with each other and develop both clinical and academic collaborations. The core curriculum, outlined in the  American Board of Pediatrics Guidelines for Sub-specialty Training, is provided by the departmental fellows lecture series, by the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Program Lecture Series, and by the support offered through the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Program to attend institutional and national courses, seminars, and scientific meetings. The disease specific curriculum also outlined by the ACGME and ABP are incorporated into the teaching syllabus and clinical exposure provided by the fellowship program.

Evaluation

First-year fellows are evaluated after each inpatient rotation by the faculty with whom they work.   These evaluations are written and submitted to the fellowship office.  Every six months the Program Director has a private meeting with each fellow to review progress and problems.  A similar mechanism is in place for second- and third-year fellows, and the latter also receive regular feedback from their research mentor (either clinical or laboratory).  At the end of each academic year the fellows have the opportunity to evaluate the hematology-oncology faculty and entire program by means of a process that maintains confidentiality. Incorporating the new ACGME core competencies requires us to also introduce new evaluation tools into the fellowship program. Current first year fellows are being evaluated every 6 months with a 360 degree evaluation. This includes a parent evaluation tool.

General Competencies

The Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Program offers competency-based education (Competency Goals & Objectives PHO Fellow) as outlined in multiple publications from the Accreditation for Continuing Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).  

Night and weekend call

For first-year fellows night call averages two nights each week when the fellow is on an inpatient rotation (with weekends off) and infrequent call during outpatient-based rotations.  Second- and third-year fellows night call is very infrequent during the week and involves every 10th weekend.  The program adheres to the ACGME guidelines regarding a maximum eighty-hour work week and one day off each week.