Education
Our Goal
The UCSF Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Training Program provides rigorous and comprehensive training in:
- The prevention, detection, evaluation and treatment of cancer, and of benign hematological disorders, leading to board eligibility in medical oncology and/or hematology.
- Clinical and translational research, including trial design and methodology, biostatistics and ethics.
- Laboratory-based research
Program Overview
To develop future leaders in hematology and oncology, we have developed a comprehensive program composed of a core curriculum, clinical training, and research training.
During clinical training, fellows learn the fundamental principles underlying the prevention, detection, evaluation and treatment of cancer and benign hematological disorders. Clinical training includes a comprehensive schedule of didactic lectures, regular conferences (e.g. Case Conference, Morbidity and Mortality Conference, and Tumor Boards), and a rich mix of clinical rotations. By rotating on inpatient and outpatient services at multiple clinical sites, our fellows see and care for an extraordinarily diverse group of patients.
The broad clinical training obtained at UCSF provides the context for the research phase of training. In this phase of the program, fellows work with mentors on clinical, translational, or laboratory research projects. Through this mentored research experience our fellows learn how to develop and execute a research plan and how to secure independent funding for their work. In addition, all research fellows participate in monthly workshops designed to provide training in the fundamentals of clinical research methodology, cancer biology, drug development, grant-writing, and other relevant topics. Many of our fellows also take advantage of formal coursework offered at UCSF. All fellows attend national meetings (at which they present their work if invited).
For individuals seeking board-eligibility in Hematology OR Medical Oncology, the clinical phase of fellowship training is one year and the research phase is one year (total 24 months). Individuals seeking board-eligibility in BOTH Hematology AND Medical Oncology require an additional six months of clinical and research training (18 months clinical plus 18 months research for total of 36 months).
Core Curriculum and Didactics
The core curriculum covers:
- Epidemiology, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all major malignancies
- Biology and treatment of benign hematological conditions
- Cancer Biology: pathophysiology, molecular biology, and use of state-of-the-art technologies for target and biomarker discovery and validation
- Cancer Medicine: pharmacology, supportive care, general care, ethics of caring for cancer patients
- Clinical Research Methods: clinical research methodology, biostatistics, ethics of clinical research
- Career Development: workshops in grant writing, manuscript preparation, CV preparation, and developing a career in clinical and laboratory research.
For information on how to apply, please refer to UCSF Health HemOnc.