Similar to other fellowship programs, Dr. Shmerling’s program is a three-year program with two new fellows each year. The first year is devoted to clinical duties and the second two years are primarily for research, with minimal clinical duties.
Dr. Rouster-Stevens emphasizes that the low numbers of residents seeking pediatric rheumatology fellowship programs requires some advocacy to increase interest. “Our field remains one of the lowest sought after fellowship programs in terms of number of applicants compared to other subspecialties,” she says. “We need to continue to expose medical students and residents early in their training that pediatric rheumatology is a fascinating field of medicine with amazing patients, state-of-the-art research and numerous educational opportunities.”
Help from the ACR
To help program directors launch and maintain fellowship programs, the ACR offers a number of resources through tools on its website, as well as opportunities for networking and ongoing education through such venues as the recent 2014 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting.
According to Sarah Zirkle, director of research and training, ACR, the ACR website offers a number of resources for training program directors to incorporate in their curriculum. “Graduate medical education is currently undergoing a transition into the next accreditation system, and the ACR developed a working group a year ago to develop rheumatology-specific EPAs and curricular milestones for use in rheumatology training programs,” she says, adding that the rheumatology EPAs are available now and curricular milestones will soon be available.
In addition, the ACR offers two meetings per year specifically for training directors that allow directors to discuss common issues, learn best practices and network, says Ms. Zirkle.
Funding, to help ensure a diverse and highly trained workforce is available to provide competent clinical care to those affected by rheumatic disease, is offered through the Rheumatology Research Foundation, she says. Also available through the ACR are scholarship funds to support fellows in training to attend professional meetings.
A list of educational and fellowship resources, as well as funding opportunities through grants and awards, can be found on the ACR website at http://www.rheumatology.org/Education/Training/Fellows/Information_for_Rheumatology_Fellows_in_Training.
Mary Beth Nierengarten is a freelance medical journalist based in St. Paul, Minn.
Websites of the Cited Programs
- Fellowship Program in Rheumatology, University of Louisville: http://louisville.edu/medschool/rheumatology/fellowship-program
- Fellowship Program in Pediatric Rheumatology, Children’s National Medical Center Program: http://childrensnational.org/careers-and-training/education-training/fellowships/acgme-fellowships/rheumatology
- Fellowship Program in Pediatric Rheumatology, Emory University: http://www.pediatrics.emory.edu/divisions/rheumatology/fellow/index.html
- Fellowship Program in Rheumatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center: http://www.bidmc.org/Medical-Education/Departments/Medicine/Divisions/Rheumatology/Program-Overview.aspx
