Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Fellowship
Program Overview
Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Fellowship
The Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Fellowship is an accredited program through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
Mission Statement
Welcome to the Endocrinology fellowship training at UNLV. Our mission is to train our fellows to become competent independent physicians who are able to provide care for adult patients with various endocrine disorders. Through a series of graduated learning experiences, fellows will acquire knowledge, skills and experience that will prepare them to practice clinical endocrinology.
Training Goals
- To train physicians, who upon completion of the program, will meet requirements for certification by the American Board of Internal Medicine for endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism.
- To impart sound, evidence-based training leading to graduation of physicians who are well rounded in endocrinology clinical practice.
- Create an educational environment of inquiry and creativity that will support scholarly inquiry and creativity in the areas of research, literature review and case discussions.
- Manage complex acute and chronic endocrine conditions.
Curriculum
Fellows will acquire increasing level of independence and will be assigned increasing complexity of responsibility during the course of training. The Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV endocrinology fellowship training is designed to run over the course of 24 months with emphasis on graduating clinically competent endocrinologists.
Training Sites
- University Medical Center of Southern Nevada: The University Medical Center (UMC) is the major hospital in the Las Vegas Medical District. It represents the major site of inpatient practice by the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV faculty.
- University of Nevada Las Vegas Medicine clinic: UNLV Health encompasses the outpatient clinical practice of Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV faculty.
- Veterans Affair Southern Nevada Healthcare System: The Veterans Affair (VA) in Las Vegas provides care to veterans in Southern Nevada and surrounding localities.
Fellowship Rotations
The rotations are designed to provide a well-rounded training experience with exposure to patients with diverse backgrounds and variety of endocrine disorders. The key rotations for the Endocrinology fellowship training will include:
- University Medical Center (UMC) inpatient endocrinology consult
- Veterans Affair (VA) core endocrinology (outpatient/inpatient)
- VA fellow continuity clinic
- University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) Medicine fellow continuity clinic
- UNLV Health endocrinology clinic
- Electives
- Research
University Medical Center Inpatient Endocrinology Consult Service
The UMC inpatient consult rotation will provide fellows with the opportunity to care for patients with a diverse mix of endocrine disorders in an inpatient setting.
Veterans Affair Core Endocrinology Rotation
This rotation will expose fellows to veterans with a diverse mix of adult endocrine disorders in the ambulatory and inpatient settings.
Continuity Clinics
The fellows have 2 separate continuity clinic locations. One will be at the UNLV Health clinic and the other at the VA clinic. Each continuity clinic will be for one half day and will run for the entire duration of fellowship training.
Electives
Fellows will have opportunities to explore specific and relevant topics through the electives experience. The site for the elective varies depending on the rotation. The duration of the electives will vary between 2 or 4 weeks depending on the rotation. The current selection of electives and their sites include:
- Pediatric endocrinology (UNLV)
- Wound care (UMC/UNLV)
- Podiatry (VA)
- Ophthalmology (VA)
- Radiology (VA)
Research
Research is an important component of the mission of the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV. Fellows will engage in research and scholarly activity during their training. Formal research rotation will occur in the second year of training.
Procedures
Fellows will have the opportunity to learn various procedures including fine needle aspiration of thyroid nodules, management of pumps and continuous glucose monitors and dynamic testing for hormone function.
Didactic Conferences
The didactic conference series will be presented over the course of the academic year. Conferences will be held during weekly academic half day didactic sessions. The didactic conference series will include:
- Endocrinology Core Lecture series (weekly)
- Case/mortality and morbidity conferences (weekly)
- Research/quality improvement conferences (biweekly - monthly)
- Journal club (monthly)
- Grand rounds (monthly quarterly)
- Board review (weekly)
How to Apply
Two fellows will be selected each year. Eligible candidates for this position should have completed 3 years of post-graduate training in Internal Medicine and are eligible for board certification in Internal Medicine by the ABIM at the time of starting. Applications must be received through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Applications materials to submit should include:
- ERAS application
- Updated curriculum vitae
- Personal statement
- Medical school transcript
- Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)
- USMLE official transcript
- 3 letters of recommendation including one from the Internal Medicine residency program director and one from an Endocrinologist
Current Fellows
- Karen Maria John, MD
- Cristina Ortiz Malave, MD
- Rida Hassan, MD
- Dai-An Vo-Ba, DO