Rheumatology Fellowship

The rheumatology fellowship program is designed to provide a comprehensive experience for persons interested in careers in academic and clinical rheumatology. We provide clinical training in outpatient clinics and inpatient consultation services at William P. Clements University Hospital, Parkland Health & Hospital System, Zale Lipshy Pavilion—William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, and the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center. These sites provide fellows-in-training with exposure to both a diverse patient population and a vast array of rheumatic diseases.

Program by the Numbers

Year Program

Major Training Sites

Fellow Positions Accepted Annually

Program Aims

Training in musculoskeletal ultrasound
Patient-oriented research and in-depth research in molecular biology and cellular immunology
Formal mentoring program for fellows that includes an individualized approach to identifying personal goals, career trajectory, and career development opportunities

Application Process

To begin your application for a fellowship in rheumatic diseases, please complete the necessary online documents at Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).

Application requirements include medical school transcripts, USMLE/COMLEX scores, 3 letters of recommendation including one from program director, current photo, CV, and a personal statement. We participate in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). UT Southwestern Medical Center will not allow postgraduate medical education training programs to sponsor H1B Visa applicants.
Curriculum & Conferences
Division Conferences
- Grand Rounds – Weekly presentations from national and local speakers spanning clinical and research fields of rheumatology
- Case Presentations – Interactive presentations of complex interesting cases from all training sites, with feedback from audience
- Journal Club – Studies published in the literature are critically appraised, followed by discussion of how the research may shape the practice of rheumatology
- Morbidity, Mortality, and Improvement – Case reviewed to stimulate learning and identify areas of practice improvement to deliver optimal patient care. Allows for opportunities to discuss medical ethics and opportunity for quality improvement.
- Multidisciplinary Conferences – Several multidisciplinary conferences including Rheumatology-Dermatology Grand Rounds and Rheumatology-Radiology Conferences were developed to enhance education and discussions regarding clinical care of complex patients. Other multidisciplinary experiences include combined clinics, such as our rheumatology-neurology neuromuscular clinic, along with rheumatology fellow rotations in pediatric rheumatology clinic, endocrinology osteoporosis clinic, and nephrology glomerulonephritis clinic.
Fellow Sessions
- Rheumatology Core Curriculum Sessions – Small group didactic conferences for fellows in an interactive format reviewing autoimmune, inflammatory, and non-inflammatory rheumatic conditions to prepare fellows to become accomplished clinicians.
- Quality Improvement (QI) – Curriculum session to educate fellows regarding the principles of QI along with tools used to perform QI projects, followed by active participation in a QI project of the fellows choice throughout fellowship guided by meetings with a faculty mentor and QI committee. QI projects are encouraged to be submitted as abstracts, posters, and manuscripts.
- Procedures – Fellows receive instruction and supervision for intra-articular injections, arthrocentesis, and interpretation of synovial fluid analysis in both the inpatient and outpatient setting in Parkland and VA.
- Ultrasound – Built into the fellows’ schedules are dedicated times for musculoskeletal ultrasound teaching and mentored hands-on scanning sessions. Fellows also have a supervised dedicated ultrasound procedure clinic at Parkland and the Dallas VA Medical Center.
- Mentoring – Mentoring program in place to support fellows to choose a scientific content mentor and humanistic career mentor, to guide scholarly work and advise for career planning.
Training Sites
Clinical training is centered about three main teaching sites: Parkland Memorial Hospital, University Hospitals, and Dallas VA Medical Center. The various sites allow our fellows to receive extensive training with diverse patient populations in different practice settings.
- PMH
- CUH
- VA
Parkland Memorial Hospital

Parkland Health & Hospital System first opened its doors in 1894 and has always served as a safety net hospital for the underserved population of Dallas County. It is now one of the largest public hospital systems in the country. Since the initial affiliation of the Medical School with Parkland in 1940s, the county hospital has provided an amazing spectrum of pathology in which to serve those in need and to learn. Regardless of one’s discipline, the clinical experience at Parkland is unparalleled. The new hospital, which was completed in 2015, has 862 beds and is equipped with the latest in medical technologies. Services include a Level I Trauma Center and the second-largest civilian burn center in the U.S.

Clements University Hospital

William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital and Zale Lipshy Pavilion – William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital make up our university practice, with the bulk of our clinical activity occurring in the former hospital. Clements was newly constructed in 2014 and carries 750 beds. It serves as a tertiary referral center for complex cases and is recognized as a leading center for healthcare in North Texas. UT Southwestern hospital has been named the #1 hospital in the DFW area by US News for the past 5 years. This hospital provides exposure to complex rheumatologic disease cases with a large referral base.

Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center

The Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center is the centerpiece of the VA North Texas Healthcare System, the second-largest VA health system in the country serving over 100,000 veterans in the region. The hospital has 289 acute care beds as well as a large spinal cord injury unit and community living center on-site. This patient population provides broad exposure to “bread-and-butter” rheumatologic diseases as well as regular exposure to rheumatologic procedures.