Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship
The Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship program at Atrium Health is a 3-year program designed to train future gynecologic oncologists. As such, fellows will provide clinical expertise in surgical care, inpatient management and outpatient care of patients with gynecologic malignancies. Additionally, fellows will develop the surgical skills needed to perform both radical and conservative cancer procedures and the clinical skills required to treat patients with gynecologic malignancies. Upon successful completion of our program, fellows will have published a research project, developed leadership and interpersonal communication skills and delivered care to the urban and rural populations of the Charlotte, NC, area.
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Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center
Carolinas Medical Center (CMC), the flagship hospital of Atrium Health, is a world-class facility that offers a full range of services to the Charlotte community and beyond. A national leader in specialized care for a broad range of medical conditions, CMC is the largest research hospital in the region and serves as one of North Carolina’s five academic medical center teaching hospitals.
Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute
Levine Cancer Institute (LCI) is one of the leading and most innovative cancer centers in the country, providing a full spectrum of cancer care, breakthrough treatments and survivorship programs at more than 25 locations across the Carolinas. With its unique hybrid academic and community care model, LCI is pioneering world-class medicine then bringing it directly to patients.
Atrium Health Cabarrus
Atrium Health Cabarrus is a regional 457-bed, not-for-profit hospital in Concord, NC, with an extensive inpatient and outpatient network, including Jeff Gordon Children's Center, Hayes Family Center and Batte Cancer Center. Fellows will complete minimally invasive surgery on patients with ovarian, uterine, vulvar and cervical cancer and have one-on-one faculty-to-fellow interaction with volume and breadth of cases.
Dr. Erin Crane helps fellows navigate the current political landscape while maintaining high-level care. |
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Program Highlights
Our program is devoted to a productive research experience with individual mentorship on a dedicated project that will lead to national presentations and publications specific to gynecologic oncology. During their first year, fellows will collaborate with 5 faculty members and 4 translational researchers to develop a thesis to present at a national conference and generate publications. View the publications from 2022-23.
In their second and third years, fellows will participate in robust clinical and surgical activities, gynecologic oncology core rotations and education didactics and conferences. Fellows will participate in surgical cases, outpatient clinics, inpatient care, chemotherapy coordination and consultation at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center and Atrium Health Cabarrus. Our state-of-the-art facilities allow for direct involvement of the faculty in teaching and mentoring.
Annual gynecologic oncology volume typically consists of more than:
- 1,200 new patients
- 1,000 surgical procedures
- 2,500 cycles of chemotherapy
Fellows also will experience open, laparoscopic and robotic approaches to complex surgical procedures
Program Curriculum
The first 2 weeks of the year are spent in a basic science boot camp. Fellows receive lectures about basic laboratory tests and techniques, such as Western blot, RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and cellular proliferation assays. Fellows also learn basic techniques in the lab such as cell culture, pipetting and maintaining experiment logs.
Sample Schedule Year 1
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Monday |
Post-op Gynecologic Oncology Conference |
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Tuesday |
LCI Translational Science Seminar |
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Thursday |
Grand Rounds, Morbidity and Mortality Conference, Simulation Lab, Oncology Didactics, Journal Club, Preoperative Conference |
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Friday |
Molecular Tumor Board, Weekly Lab Meeting, Meeting with Program Director |
*LCI Medical Oncology Lectures should be attended when appropriate and available. A schedule will be provided.
Sample Schedule Year 2-3
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July through September |
Ovarian Cancer |
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October through December |
Endometrial Cancer |
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January through February |
Cervical Cancer |
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March through May |
Vulvar and Vaginal Cancers |
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June |
GTN |
Amenities for Fellows
- Safe, quiet, clean and private sleep and rest facilities available and accessible with proximity appropriate for safe patient care
- Showers
- Secure areas (rooms with lockers that can be locked)
- Access to food
- Parking accessible to site
- Internet access
- Reasonable accommodations for fellows with disabilities
- Lactation room (clean and private) with refrigeration and proximity appropriate for safe patient care
Application Criteria
Residents who will complete or Board-eligible physicians who have recently completed a four-year ACGME-accredited residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology are eligible to apply. Applications submitted through the ERAS system.
“We have a strong track record for graduating well-trained residents, faculty who are passionate about teaching, robust clinical and surgical volume, a free-standing cancer center and expansive translational and clinical research resources. It just makes sense.”
– Erin Crane, MD, MPH
“The most fulfilling piece of training another physician is watching them grow into a skilled surgeon, caregiver and thought leader. Our goal is to train the next generation of leaders in gynecologic oncology through mentorship, the highest form of education.”
– Jubilee Brown, MD
“I’m excited about teaching fellows and passing on what I’ve learned.”
– R. Wendel Naumann, MD
“I personally feel that we have the best job taking care of gynecologic oncology patients. I know that the reason I can provide compassionate, evidence-based care for my patients is due to the talented surgeons and educators who trained me. The opportunity to train future gynecologic oncologists is the best way for me to ensure that women receive top-notch care, and we continue to make strides toward beating these cancers.”
– Brittany Lees, MD
“I truly think that gynecologic oncology is the best job in the world. As a result, teaching fellows allows me to share my enthusiasm and passion for the field. I look forward to training fellows to take exceptional care of women and advance women's healthcare.”
– Allison Puechl, MD
“I truly feel that being a gynecologic oncologist is my calling and my role as a fellowship faculty member is one of the most important aspects of that. The ability to individualize each fellow’s learning plan to maximize their development and continue to raise the bar as they reach the next level is not only effective but rewarding for all."
– Yovanni Casablanca, MD
“Training fellows is a unique opportunity to provide clinicians with a better understanding of translational research and the role it can play in offering the best care options for their patients.”
– Nury Steuerwald, PhD
“As a physician-scientist, I have strong interest in training clinical postdoctoral fellows in basic and translational cancer research as they represent a solution to significant unmet medical need to our society. I have trained a number of clinical fellows over the past 25 years and realize the high-level impact that they can have going forward for the advancement of novel, more effective cancer-related care in the US and abroad.” – Donald Durden, MD, PhD
Ritchie Delara, MD
2nd year fellow
Medical School: John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii
Residency: Cleveland Clinic Akron General
Fellowship: Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Oncology, Mayo Clinic
Vaidehi Mujumdar, MD
1st year fellow
Medical School: Wake Forest School of Medicine
Residency: Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai Queens