Program Timeline

Year One

The timeline is different for fellows in combined hematology/oncology training (18 months of clinical training) or in hematology (12 months clinical training) or oncology (12 months clinical training).

The clinical training programs have as their goals:

• Acquisition of basic hematology and/or oncology skills
• Development of an academic approach to hematologic and/or oncologic problems
• Learning principles of clinical research and applying them in trials

Fellows receive intensive clinical training during their first 12 to 18 months, which provides them with the experience and breadth of clinical training necessary to ensure a comprehensive knowledge of hematology and/or oncology and to qualify for subspecialty Board certification. A strong educational program underlies both clinical and research training.

Hematology Rotations:

Outpatient service
Fellows interact with all of the hematology faculty members and see patients with both benign and malignant hematologic diseases during the outpatient rotations. They are also assigned to continuity clinics for all years of their fellowship.

Inpatient service (Med 8)
Each fellow spends 2 to 3 months on the Hematology Inpatient Service (Med 8). The fellow supervises a team of two residents, an intern, and medical students. A hematology faculty member attends on the service at all times. The Med 8 service is primarily comprised of patients with hematologic malignancies, especially acute leukemias.

Consult service
The fellows spend 2 to 3 months on the hematology consult service and they are responsible for consults at both Stanford Hospital and at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS). They work closely with the consult attending and see a wide variety of hematologic diseases. The fellows also participate in the weekly hematology clinic at the VAPAHCS and the monthly Tumor Board.

Coagulation/Transfusion
The fellows rotate through the coagulation and transfusion laboratories and learn how common assays are performed, how to interpret the results, and the clinical significance of the results. They will also learn about therapeutic pheresis during the transfusion rotation.

Oncology Rotations:

Outpatient service
Fellows have the opportunity to interact with all oncology faculty members and to treat patients with a wide variety of cancers during 6 months of clinic rotations. Fellows are assigned to 6-month continuity clinics. Fellows will attend disease-specific multidisciplinary tumor boards during their clinic months.

Inpatient service (Med 8)
Each fellow is assigned 2 months in the Oncology Inpatient Service. This Med X fellow supervises the service with a team consisting of two medical residents, a medical intern, medical students, and an attending medical oncology faculty member. The Med X fellow provides consultation to other inpatient services.

VAPAHCS Oncology Service
Fellows gain additional clinical experience at the Veterans’ Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS). Each fellow rotates to this site for 2 months. With faculty attending, the VA fellow supervises a medical resident and provides consultation on the inpatient services. Fellows attend VAPAHCS oncology clinics and participate in the weekly Oncology Section conferences and the monthly Tumor Board. Fellows are encouraged to participate in the combined surgery-oncology and urology-oncology clinics.

Blood and Marrow Transplantation (BMT) Rotations:

Fellows spend 1 to 2 months on the BMT service and learn the principles of stem cell transplantation in the autologous and allogeneic settings. The BMT team consists of an attending, BMT fellows, and medical residents.