Pediatric Hematology–Oncology Fellowship | NYU Langone Health

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Pediatric Hematology–Oncology Education Pediatric Hematology–Oncology Fellowship

Pediatric Hematology–Oncology Fellowship

The Division of Pediatric Hematology–Oncology at NYU Langone offers a three-year Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)–accredited fellowship. Fellows take part in a balanced curriculum that involves hands-on clinical care of patients who have a range of diagnoses and dedicated coursework and lectures in hematology and oncology, as well as protected time for learning and performing basic, translational, or clinical research.

Each year, the division accepts two postdoctoral fellows to work alongside faculty, who provide individualized mentoring to help fellows explore and develop their interests and career goals at the bedside, in the clinic, and in the laboratory.

VIDEO: Fellows in NYU Langone’s Division of Pediatric Hematology–Oncology receive a comprehensive training experience to develop the clinical and research expertise needed to become outstanding clinicians and scientists.

Inpatient training occurs primarily at NYU Langone’s Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital—34th Street, as well as NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, giving fellows access to diverse patient populations and a wide span of hematologic and oncologic diagnoses. Outpatient training takes place at Stephen D. Hassenfeld Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.

Trainees can perform basic and translational research in a wide variety of venues including Perlmutter Cancer Center, which is a National Cancer Institute–designated Comprehensive Cancer Center as well as other laboratories housed in the Joan and Joel Smilow Research Center and the Science Building.

The high faculty-to-fellow ratio allows for individualized mentoring to help fellows develop their interests and career goals. After completion of the fellowship, there may be an option to spend an additional one to two years continuing research.

Fellowship Clinical Training

The first fellowship year is devoted to understanding the clinical biology and management of cancer and blood disorders in children. You provide clinical care for pediatric hematology–oncology patients and consult on other pediatric patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Tisch Hospital; the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at the new, state-of-the-art Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital—34th Street; and the NICU and PICU at Bellevue.

First-year fellows also complete electives in blood banking, hematopathology, bone marrow transplant, radiation oncology, and laboratory hematology.

Fellows work with a faculty preceptor in a dedicated continuity clinic one day per week at Stephen D. Hassenfeld Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders throughout all three years of their training.

Fellowship Research Training

The second and third years of fellowship are devoted to clinical, basic, or translational research with a faculty mentor. During the first year, fellows receive individualized guidance on selecting a mentor and choosing a research project related to the causes, prevention, and treatment of cancer or blood diseases. Research mentors are required to dedicate the time, energy, and commitment necessary to provide support and guidance to fellows.

Fellows also attend courses in biostatistics, research design, and ethical principles in research. Those who participate in clinical research may also apply to the MS in Clinical Investigation program. Postdoctoral fellows can pursue their research outside of the division with investigators throughout NYU Langone.

Fellows are encouraged to apply for research training grants during their second year. Division faculty and research mentors are dedicated to helping them navigate the grant-writing and application process. Many of the division’s fellows have been successful in securing grants from prestigious organizations including the American Society of Hematology, St. Baldrick’s Foundation, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer, and the National Institutes of Health.

VIDEO: See more videos about the Department of Pediatrics, including a tour of children's services.

Fellowship Didactic Training

The fellowship program has a dedicated postgraduate curriculum for pediatric hematology–oncology fellows. This includes a core teaching lecture series on common hematologic and oncologic diseases, as well as the supportive care and the management of emergencies. The division holds a board review series that prepares fellows by reviewing key clinical concepts and emerging advances in the field. The journal club meets monthly to review and discuss recent publications of major clinical and scientific advances. There is also a quarterly book club that explores the humanistic side of medicine. Second-year fellows audit Translating Cancer Discovery into Clinical Practice, a graduate course designed to teach the importance and fundamentals of translational research in oncology.

Fellows also participate in standing divisional and departmental conferences, which provide opportunities for communication and collaboration with members of the interdisciplinary team and discussion of challenging cases. The following is a representative conference schedule:

  • core teaching lecture series (weekly)
  • interdisciplinary rounds (weekly)
  • Pediatric Grand Rounds (weekly)
  • hematopathology tumor board (monthly)
  • solid tumor board (monthly)
  • pediatric neuro-oncology tumor board (weekly)
  • neuro-oncology patient management conference (weekly)
  • Perlmutter Cancer Center research conference (weekly)
  • patient management lunch conference (weekly)
  • leukemia disease management group conference (monthly)
  • neurofibromatosis clinical management conference (monthly)
  • hematology disease management group conference (monthly)
  • solid tumor disease management group conference (monthly)

Teaching lectures and conferences are led by both faculty and fellows. Fellows are trained to become dynamic and confident presenters in both didactic and informal educational settings. Fellows regularly give presentations at journal clubs and at a variety of conferences and are encouraged to teach both medical students and residents. Fellows are also encouraged to present their research at local and national conferences.

The division is dedicated to the emotional and mental wellbeing of its fellows. Once a month, the division provides a casual and confidential meeting with a board-certified psychiatrist to discuss a variety of issues regarding the challenges of working in the field of pediatric hematology–oncology, as well as personal stressors, work–life balance, and maintaining wellness.

Apply for the Pediatric Hematology–Oncology Fellowship

To apply to the fellowship, register at the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) . Applications must be submitted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) from July through August. You must have completed an ACGME-approved pediatrics residency to apply. Interviews are scheduled from September through November.

Ideal candidates for the fellowship are highly motivated individuals who wish to pursue an academic career in the field of pediatric hematology–oncology. Fellows have gone on to secure positions in a variety of institutions, with many serving in local and national leadership roles.

For more information, contact Elizabeth A. Roman, MD, fellowship director, at 212-263-9912 or elizabeth.roman3@nyulangone.org or Dhurata Baci, MPH, program manager, at dhurata.baci@nyulangone.org or Sonya Alexander, program coordinator, at sonya.alexander@nyulangone.org.

Current Pediatric Hematology–Oncology Fellows

Fellows in the division participate in basic, translational, and clinical research to advance care for children with cancer and blood disorders. They train in outpatient and inpatient settings and attend lectures and conferences.

First-Year Fellows

Mallory Carson, DO
Caroline Christianson, MD

Second-Year Fellows

Monica Demecillo, MD
Danielle Wolfe, MD

Third-Year Fellows

Jessica Krugman, MD
Neeti Luke, MD

Recent graduates from the division’s fellowship have joined the faculty at the following institutions:

  • Baystate Medical Center, Massachusetts
  • Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, California
  • Children’s Hospital of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
  • Children’s National Health System, Washington, DC
  • Driscoll Children’s Hospital, Texas
  • Hospital de Cruces, Unidad de Oncohematologia Pediatrica, Barakaldo, Spain
  • Inova Fairfax Hospital, Virginia
  • Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, Pennsylvania
  • MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas
  • Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York
  • NYU Langone Health, New York
  • NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island, New York
  • Pennsylvania State University Hospital
  • RWJBarnabas Health, New Jersey
  • St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Pennsylvania
  • Staten Island University Hospital, New York
  • Stony Brook University Hospital, New York
  • University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Hospital
  • University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville
  • Yale School of Medicine, Connecticut