Our Program Strengths
- Combination of exceptional clinical training and research opportunities within UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, western Pennsylvania’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Depth and breadth of clinical training
- UPMC is a tertiary referral center for western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and parts of New York and West Virginia, and it is the leading hospital in western Pennsylvania. We see everything from new diagnoses of common illnesses to very rare cases and referrals for clinical trial enrollment with experts in every area of hematology/oncology.
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center resources
- Access to shared resources: animal, cell and tissue imaging, cytometry, cancer genomics, cancer proteomics, chemical biology, cancer pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, immunologic monitoring and cellular products laboratory, in vivo imaging, tissue and research pathology services, investigational drug service
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center’s clinical network, which includes more than 60 sites throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio
- Fellowship tracks, with mentorship committees and faculty advisors
- Uncommon system where fellows choose one track that will help structure their research time and mentorship: laboratory, clinical/translational, clinician educator, clinician
- Fellows are paired with a faculty advisor on arrival, who are not intended to be their research advisor, but rather a general guide for all aspects of fellowship.
- Fellows designate mentorship committees consisting of approximately three faculty members, with scheduled meetings every six months to discuss goals, progress, and opportunities.
- Benign Hematology track
- Specialized track designed for fellows who aim for an academic career in hematology, but also desire oncology training. This includes focused mentorship from benign hematology faculty, research opportunities through the Vascular Medicine Institute (VMI) or the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation, focused electives in benign hematology, and the opportunity to be on a VMI T32 training grant.
- Broad and balanced curriculum
- Diverse clinical experiences including solid tumor oncology, malignant hematology, and benign hematology rotations, with an effective balance between inpatient and outpatient rotations
- VA Pittsburgh Health Care System
- Fellows rotate through the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, which provides invaluable experience caring for a unique patient population. This includes time on the hematology/oncology consult service as well as the opportunity for fellows to have their own panel of patients in continuity clinics during the second and third years of fellowship.
- Specific fellowship opportunities
- Oncotalk: All first years participate in a two-day workshop focused on communication skills (similar to VitalTalk) led by world-renowned palliative care faculty at UPMC.
- Support for attending national workshops (e.g., ASCO/AACR Methods in Clinical Cancer Workshop, FDA Fellows Day Workshop, ASH Clinical Research Training Institute)
- Support for attending NIH CTEP Investigation Drug Branch Externship
- Tuition support for courses at the Institute for Clinical Research Education at University of Pittsburgh
- Access to Physician Scientist Incubator Program- Pitt Burroughs Wellcome Foundation
- T32 Training Grants
- Access to all UPMC facilities and resources outside of the cancer center
