Hematology Oncology Fellowship

Introduction

Located in Detroit, Michigan, Children’s Hospital of Michigan has a long-standing tradition of training exceptional trainees (over 130 years in fact!), and pediatric hematology, oncology, and bone marrow transplantation is no different. As one of the only regional free-standing children’s hospitals in the area, we serve a diverse array of disorders, from hemoglobinopathies to rare oncologic diagnoses to cellular therapies; at CHM, you will see and be a part of all of it. We see approximately 100 new oncology cases per year and upwards of 700 hematologic cases! On-site red cell, flow cytometry, and special coagulation laboratories provide access to rapid diagnostics for patient care and opportunities for research! Research opportunities include clinical, bench, and translational, providing ample opportunities for both experienced research trainees and those who are new to the field.

FELLOWSHIP TRAINING

During the first year, fellows rotate in four-week blocks among the inpatient team, consult team, bone marrow transplantation team, as well as a month rotating through multidisciplinary aspects of hematology oncology (such as radiation oncology and our own coagulation lab!) and a specific rotation dedicated to both inpatient and outpatient CAR-T therapies at Karmanos Cancer Institute. You can see a sample schedule here. All fellows are assigned a half-day of clinic per week to develop their own patient cohort, which they can follow for the duration of the fellowship. This is then increased to a full clinic day during the second and third years.

Research Experience

During the second and third years, fellows shift their focus from the clinical side of hematology-oncology to the research side. At Children’s Hospital of Michigan, it is of the utmost importance that we train balanced physicians with a strong working knowledge of all types of research, including clinical, bench, translational, and quality improvement. Fellows can choose from an array of research opportunities, including original research that they develop. Through strong mentorship, we help to facilitate sound research projects from inception to completion. Scholarship Oversight Committees assist fellows and principal investigators in developing impactful and thorough hypotheses and aims, setting trainees up for success in their endeavors. Additional research funding is available through the institution on an award basis as well. At the end of the fellowship, trainees will have a project and manuscript that meets criteria for scholarly activity as designated by the American Board of Pediatrics.



Educational Experience

In addition to the immersive education on the clinical side, there are also numerous educational conferences that fellows are involved in during their training. Weekly didactics include a comprehensive hematology conference, tumor board, all fellow conferences, fellow education lecture (to be discussed below), and lunch and learn lectures. During both the hematology conference and the tumor board, interesting and new cases will be reviewed with the team in a multi-disciplinary fashion with radiologists, pathologists, and surgeons. All fellow conferences focus on an array of skills needed to succeed in medicine, including work-life balance, mental health and wellness, and statistical knowledge. These are attended by fellows of all subspecialties in the hospital. 

The educational curriculum is based on an 18-month calendar with each month focusing on a different disorder or pathological process. Each month is run by a fellow and a mentor attending, with two to three weeks of lectures, one week of board review, and one journal club. These lectures are based on knowledge specifications expected to appear on the boards after the fellowship. During training, all of these topics will be repeated so trainees experience them twice at the time of graduation. Additional educational opportunities include grand rounds as well as the quarterly morbidity and mortality conference and the quarterly morphology lectures. Lunch and learn is a monthly meeting where topics that are important to the field but not included in other educational lectures are discussed. Topics are fellow-driven and vary from year to year.