Applications for the 2010 start date will only be accepted electronically through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS): www.aamc.org/eras
The Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine at Northwestern University has a long tradition of excellence in training fellows in both clinical and basic endocrinology. The endocrinology fellowship prepares individuals for careers in academic or clinical endocrinology, and the program meets the requirements for board eligibility in endocrinology. The program consists of a compulsory two-year training, followed by a research year which is contingent upon performance and funding. Several of our former fellows have achieved prominence in endocrinology, and we make every effort to continue this tradition. Our faculty is enthusiastic about its teaching mission and strives to make the success of the Fellowship Program a priority. Input and feedback from fellows is encouraged, and their suggestions are continuously integrated into the program in an effort to maximize the learning experience. Fellows are expected to be active participants and partners in fostering a climate of academic excellence and outstanding patient care. The following describes the goals and objectives for the endocrinology fellowship program. CLINICAL FELLOWSHIP RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION FOR FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
CLINICAL FELLOWSHIP The fellowship in clinical endocrinology prepares individuals for careers in academic endocrinology. The program meets and exceeds the requirements for board eligibility in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism. After two years of clinical training, a third year dedicated to clinical or basic research is offered to qualified trainees. This track requires eligibility for medical licensure. With some exceptions, successful applicants have been trained in U.S. medical schools. Eligibility for the NIH training grant that supports most fellows during the research years requires U.S. citizenship or permanent residency status. The clinical training program is based at Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH), Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation, the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center (JBVAMC), the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, and Children's Memorial Hospital. Collectively, they form the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University. The program is completely integrated among these related institutions. Northwestern Memorial Hospital, a 825-bed hospital, offers a broad range of medical and surgical programs including specialized endocrine surgery, islet cell and pancreas transplantation, bone marrow and solid organ transplantation, cardiac surgery, trauma care, nuclear medicine, and an NIH-supported Clinical and Translational Science Institute (NUCATS). The JBVAMC is an outpatient clinic; the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago is a nationally renowned, 180-bed rehabilitation facility, and Children's Memorial Hospital, with 270-beds, serves as a major referral center for pediatric patients. The research laboratories of the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine are located in research buildings that also house several of the basic science departments. The fellowship can be divided into clinical and research components, although these experiences overlap. The following describes a typical fellowship, but the program is flexible and may be modified to meet individual needs. [TOP]
First Year The first year of the fellowship focuses principally on clinical training. Northwestern's endocrinology faculty includes some of the most sought after clinicians and lecturers in the country. These leaders in the field provide fellows with a thorough introduction to endocrinology and help lay the foundation for lifelong approaches to problems in the subspecialty. All fellows are assigned a faculty mentor. During this year, the fellow is "on-service" for in-patient endocrinology consultations for approximately six months. In conjunction with a faculty attending physician, the on-service fellow assumes primary responsibility for all consultations, in addition to teaching medical residents and students and participating in selected protocols in the Center for Clinical Research. In addition, the fellow attends two half-days of general endocrinology outpatient clinics per week, one at the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation and another at the VA. These clinics are continuity clinics, to which fellows remain assigned throughout their fellowship. This arrangement provides important longitudinal experience in endocrine disease, which is typically of chronic nature. Fellows also attend specialty outpatient clinics on a six-month rotation, such as those devoted to pediatric endocrinology, reproductive endocrinology, diabetes in pregnancy, osteoporosis, lipid disorders, and thyroid nodules/fine needle aspiration. The fellows are introduced to thyroid ultrasound with formal lectures, hands-on exercises, and they perform ultrasound evaluations and fine-needle biopsies under supervision in the outpatient clinic. The remainder of the time during the first year is devoted to the development and initiation of research projects. A typical weekly schedule includes two half days of general endocrinology/diabetes outpatient clinics, one half day each of outpatient clinics in pediatric endocrinology, reproductive endocrinology/polycystic ovarian disease, lipid disorders, diabetes in pregnancy, osteoporosis and thyroid nodule clinic. Consultation rounds take place on a daily basis with a consultation team consisting of a faculty preceptor, the fellow, 2-3 medical residents, and 1-2 senior medical students. Weekly educational activities include a Fellow Core Curriculum Lecture, a Journal Club, a Clinical Conference, an Endocrine Tumor Board (Endocrinology, Surgery, Nuclear Medicine, Pathology), Endocrine Grand Rounds (a conference focusing on aspects of clinical or basic research), and Medical Grand Rounds. TOP Second and Third Year During the second year, nine to ten months are committed to either clinical or laboratory research projects. The two continuity outpatient clinics (two half-days per week) continue during the second year, and the fellow continues to rotate through various specialty clinics. The third year is contingent upon performance and available funding. It is primarily devoted to research. Consultation time is reduced to one month, and outpatient activity to one clinic per week. While the third year is not required for board eligibility, most fellows interested in academic careers are expected to complete at least a third year of training to prepare themselves as independent physician-scientists. TOP
Inpatient Consults
Inpatient consults take place at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Most consults are directed to the general endocrinology service. However, fellows also are involved routinely in consults directed to specific full-time or contributed service faculty members. This activity provides a broad exposure to clinical endocrinology, but allows ample time for careful follow-up, reading, teaching, and continuing involvement in research projects. A wide array of disorders ranging from diabetes to rare genetic endocrine syndromes provides broad-based and in-depth exposure to clinical endocrinology. Rotations on the consultation service in pediatric endocrinology at Children's Memorial Hospital are available for interested fellows. Northwestern Memorial Hospital has been among the first academic institutions to implement an inpatient glucose management service (GMS). It is staffed by four full-time Nurse Practitioners, but the fellows participate actively in the GMS particularly during weekends. TOP
Outpatient Clinics
Experience in the outpatient setting is critical to training endocrinologists as the majority of endocrine contacts occur in the ambulatory setting. Fellows participate in clinics during each year of the program, with the number and composition of the clinics as described above, but additionally tailored to the needs of each trainee. Fellows are encouraged to assume a primary role in patient management and to follow individual patients during the course of their fellowships. All training in clinics occurs under the direct guidance and supervision of an attending physician. In addition to the general endocrinology and diabetes continuity clinics, fellows receive training in specialty clinics that focus on pediatric endocrinology, reproductive endocrinology, diabetes in pregnancy, osteoporosis, and lipid disorders. Fellows receive training in thyroid fine needle aspiration and interpretation of thyroid aspirate cytology in conjunction with a pathology faculty member specialized in this area. TOP
Clinical Laboratory Experience
As the proper interpretation of clinical laboratory results is crucial to a successful endocrinology practice, fundamental training in assay methodology and its pitfalls is part of the training program. Fellows rotate through the NIH-supported Center for Clinical Research core laboratory to familiarize themselves with the principles of hormone assays and their interpretation. During this rotation, they will be exposed to assay quality control, quality assurance issues, and the fundamental elements of assay methodology.
Research Training In addition to high-quality training in clinical endocrinology which is the foundation of the Northwestern fellowship program, research training is critical for the development of a successful career in academic endocrinology. Because most fellows will continue to work in areas related to their training, the selection of research topics and mentors, as well as the quality of the training experience, is extremely important. First-year fellows are introduced to the spectrum of research studies being performed within the division and by faculty members affiliated with the training program. Faculty members present their research in detail at Endocrinology Grand Rounds or at one of several other research seminars. Early in the first year, fellows meet with each faculty member to explore possible research opportunities. Research topics and faculty mentors are identified within the first three months of the fellowship. Fellows submit a research proposal by the end of the first year to gain experience in developing an experimental plan and preparing a grant application. These research proposals are assembled with the guidance of the faculty mentor. While supervision during the research years comes primarily from the faculty mentor, a standing committee, somewhat analogous to a thesis committee for graduate students, also provides guidance and helps assure adequate progress. Fellows are encouraged to attend national meetings and submit abstracts of their research for presentations. The fellows present their work at Endocrinology Grand Rounds every year.
Conferences and Seminars A broad range of seminars, symposia, and journal clubs complementing didactic teaching is offered in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine. Core Curriculum Lecture: A weekly lecture focusing on core competencies, emphasizing a thorough pathophysiological understanding of clinical problems, an efficient diagnostic workup, and a rational therapy. Clinical Endocrinology Conference: This conference provides a forum for case presentations followed by a discussion and review of pertinent literature. Fellows present cases in rotation along with full-time and contributed service faculty members. Endocrinology Grand Rounds: This seminar series features local and nationally known experts. Topics reflect a blend of cutting-edge advances and scholarly reviews. Speakers typically spend the day within the division, providing opportunities for one-to-one and small-group interactions. The fellows always have an opportunity to meet with the invited speaker and discuss their research with them. Endocrinology Journal Club: Recent papers of high impact and those pertinent to the training mission are critically reviewed. The aims are 1) to keep abreast of important developments in the scientific and practical aspects of endocrinology, and 2) to develop the necessary skills in the critical and thoughtful evaluation of the scientific literature. Medical Grand Rounds: This conference has a standard format and features nationally known experts in selected areas of interest; endocrinology topics are addressed regularly.
Fellowship Support The first year is supported by an institutional fellowship endowment. Subsequent years are supported by a variety of grant mechanisms, including an NIH training grant. Salaries are competitive with other programs and are based upon the number of years of postgraduate training, consistent with institutional Graduate Medical Education guidelines. TOP
RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP Postdoctoral Training The research fellowship is designed to provide in-depth training to prepare individuals for independent research careers. Participants must have PhD and/or MD degrees. In some instances, it may be appropriate for an applicant to enter this program for a second postdoctoral experience if he or she is interested in gaining additional expertise. Applicants to this program include U.S. and non-U.S. citizens with varied backgrounds in research. Research training is available in basic laboratory research, genetics, clinical research, and patient-oriented research. For the latter two categories, the NIH-supported Center for Clinical Research provides a venue with all the necessary infrastructure in place. An NIH-supported Masters of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI) Program is available to fellows interested in patient-oriented research. The blend of scientists with PhD and MD degrees creates an outstanding environment for exchanging ideas. Applications usually are directed to specific faculty members. Alternatively, interested fellows may apply to the program director, and their applications will be distributed to the entire faculty. Faculty members with available positions will then contact applicants. Arrangements for interviews and commitments for support are made with a specific faculty mentor. A variety of mechanisms of support are available, including NIH training grant positions (restricted to U.S. citizens and permanent residents), NIH-supported institutional grants, grants from the Northwestern Memorial Foundation, the Endocrine Fellows Foundation, the American Diabetes Association, and other foundations, individual fellowships from various funding agencies, and positions funded through research grants awarded to faculty. Applicants without identified funding mechanisms are encouraged to contact potential faculty mentors at least one year in advance to allow adequate time to submit appropriate grant applications. The research fellowship is tailored to the fellow's individual needs. In conjunction with a primary faculty mentor, one or more projects are identified, and a specific plan for training is designed to meet the long-term research goals of the fellow. Research fellows are encouraged to actively participate in the division-based seminars, journal clubs, and symposia described above. In addition to being supervised by faculty mentors, fellows supported by the training grant are reviewed periodically by a faculty committee. Predoctoral Training Students may enter the endocrinology research training program ether through the Integrated Graduate Program in the Life Sciences (IGP) or the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), which offers the combined MD/PhD degree. Interested students are encouraged to perform rotations with specific faculty members early in these programs. Acceptance into the program is arranged with a specific faculty mentor. Mechanisms for funding include predoctoral training grant positions, faculty grants, and individual fellowships/stipends. In addition to their own thesis committees, students are guided by a steering committee composed of division faculty members. Graduate students are actively integrated into the endocrinology research program, participating in journal clubs, laboratory meetings, seminar series, and meetings with visiting speakers. Faculty mentors take an active role in training students in the fundamental principles of biological research. This training extends well beyond the design and analysis of experiments. Students are encouraged to read extensively, critique the literature relevant to their project area, develop hypotheses, and contribute to the experimental plan. Ample opportunities exist to present data, both informally and formally. The writing skills necessary to prepare manuscripts and grant applications are also emphasized.
APPLICATION www.aamc.org/eras Please use the above ERAS link to apply to our program. Following are further requirements: 1) Medical School Transcript 2) Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MPSE) / Dean's letter can be included if available 3) Three letters of recommendation, one from the program director 4) Photograph 5) USMLE/COMLEX 6) Common Application Form 7) Personal Statement (do not exceed 5,000 characters) :: For information on the Endocrine Fellowship Program, please contact: Fellowship Program Coordinator
Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
303 E. Chicago Ave., Tarry 15-703
Chicago, IL 60611
Email: fellowship-endo@northwestern.edu
Phone: 312-503-4370 Peter Kopp, MD
Fellowship Program Director
Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
303 E. Chicago Ave., Tarry 15-719
Chicago, IL 60611 Last Updated: November 2008
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