Program Overview

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Introduction to the Pediatric Hematology & Oncology Fellowship

The Pediatric Hematology & Oncology Fellowship is a three-year program designed to train academic specialists in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. The program provides clinical and research training, with the goal of equipping trainees with the knowledge and skills to provide state-of-the-art care to complex hematology/oncology patients.

Program Overview

The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and has been in operation since 1993. Approximately 50 individuals have graduated from the program since its inception. The program includes both clinical and basic research, with the first year being purely clinical and the last two years primarily dedicated to research.

Program Objectives

The program objectives include:

• Equipping trainees with the knowledge and skills to provide state-of-the-art care to complex hematology/oncology patients
• Acquiring expertise in blood and marrow transplantation
• Providing the experience necessary in clinical and basic research for a research career

Program Structure

The program is divided into three years, with the first year being clinical and the last two years primarily dedicated to research. The research activity is conducted either in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology or in any of the laboratories on campus involved in cancer research.

Research Opportunities

Research opportunities are available on the MUSC campus, and fellows may also pursue a Master of Science in Clinical Research Program to meet the scholarly activity requirement. Each trainee has a mentor in the laboratory to instruct them on research projects, and the mentors are established researchers in their field.

Clinical Responsibilities

During the second and third years, fellows have limited clinical duties, including a one-day-per-week continuation clinic and two months per year on inpatient service.

Conferences and Lectures

The program includes various conferences and lectures, such as:

• Pediatric Tumor Board (weekly)
• Divisional Patient Care Conference (weekly)
• BMT Intake Meeting (weekly)
• Fellowship Lecture Series (every two weeks)
• CHOP Collaborative Lecture Series (monthly)
• Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Journal Club (monthly)
• BMT Quality Management Meeting (monthly)
• Sarcoma Tumor Board (monthly)
• Morbidity and Mortality Conference (quarterly)
• Cancer and Blood Disorders Quality Management Meeting (monthly)
• Hollings Cancer Center Research Conference (yearly)
• Hollings Cancer Center Hematologic Malignancies Conference (monthly)

Learning Modules

Learning modules are provided for biostatistics, teaching skills, and communication/psychosocial issues. Fellows also receive group and one-on-one instruction in writing skills through the MUSC Center for Academic Excellence.

Mission Statement

The fellowship is intended for physicians to acquire particular expertise and skills in clinical practice, teaching, investigative research, and administrative functions related to the field of pediatric hematology/oncology medicine. The program aims to provide trainees with the knowledge and skills to become independent Pediatric Hematologists/Oncologists with an academic career.