Rheumatology Fellowship Training Program structure

Graduates of this ACGME-certified Fellowship Training Program will be eligible for certification by the American Academy of Pediatrics Subspecialty in Rheumatology.

First year of clinical training in ambulatory and inpatient rheumatology

Fellows rotate on the inpatient and consulting rheumatology service: They perform the primary evaluation and formulate diagnostic and treatment plans for presentation to the attending at daily rounds. They work closely with Boston Children’s Hospital residents in caring for patients admitted to our service. Fellows are exposed to a wide range of common and rare rheumatologic disorders. We admit patients from around the globe and coordinate care with a number of other subspecialty services in the Hospital. First year fellows also work closely with the Allergy/Immunology fellows for weekend and night cross-coverage.

Fellows interact with a large and highly expert faculty (more than 12 attending physicians) with a diverse range of clinical and research interests. All are experienced mentors and very willing to help trainees with research projects and provide career advice.

The Rheumatology Service admits about 150 patients per year and consults on 300-500. Fellows spend three half days per week in ambulatory clinics, where they evaluate patients with a broad range of rheumatologic disorders and present them to the clinic attending. Fellows are trained in techniques for joint aspiration and have exposure to musculoskeletal ultrasound. In addition, they participate in clinical research and quality improvement studies, often leading to publication or meeting presentation.

There is a strong formal program of didactic teaching. During orientation, new fellows have the opportunity to participate in dedicated seminar series in rheumatology and immunology alongside other Harvard Medical School trainees. During the year, fellows attend weekly hour-long interactive lectures in “Immunology School,” learning basic concepts of immunology and their clinical application, using an immunology text book and a case-studies collection as learning guides. Rheumatology Grand Rounds, which hosts both local and outside speakers, occurs weekly. Fellows are expected to present research or journal club twice per year.

First-year fellows present challenging patients in a weekly conference attended by all faculty and meet regularly with program leaders throughout the year to strategize regarding research plans and mentor connections for the second and third year.

There is an annual retreat with faculty to discuss fellowship issues. The senior faculty are always available to trainees on an ad hoc basis to discuss any concerns.

Second- and third-year fellows: Mentored research in a basic science laboratory or clinical research program

Our goal is to give trainees an intensive laboratory or clinical research experience and to instill the intellectual and technical skills necessary for an independent career as a clinician investigator. First-year fellows meet with faculty and attend research conferences in preparation for selection of a research project and mentor.

Fellows are eligible for a multitude of formal degreed and non-degreed educational programs offered by Harvard Medical School.

Once in the lab or clinical research group, fellows will be closely supervised in weekly small group lab meetings. Eligible fellows are assigned to our NIH T32 training grant. Trainees will be exposed to Experimental/study design, techniques and data presentation. Lab fellows acquire specific skills in cellular, biochemical and molecular genetic techniques.

Trainees meet in an annual retreat with faculty to review research progress and plans and to get feedback and advice. Fellows in this program have an unmatched opportunity for interaction with many top tier immunology labs and clinical immunology groups in the immediate neighborhood.

Rheumatology Fellowship Training Program application process

The Rheumatology Fellowship Program is using ERAS for applications. Please go to the ERAS site at www.aamc.org/eras for details and application. Even though we will be using ERAS, please separately email your CV to Mindy Lo, MD, PhD.

Foreign citizens must comply with the United States Immigration Laws and foreign medical graduates should contact the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates for details concerning their requirements at: 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, Phone: 215-386-5900.