How to Apply: The division of Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases seeks the most outstanding candidates regardless of race, gender, or country of origin. We are now using the ERAS system to accept Fellowship Applications. Please click here (ERAS Fellowship Application Site) for more information and to apply. Please contact us as well with additional questions.
First Year Curriculum & Expectations
Acquisition of Basic Knowledge
- Attend the Basic Immunology Reading Course during the first 3 months of the program. This course meets every two years and alternates with a weekly course that covers the major diseases in clinical rheumatology.
- Read the Primer on Rheumatic Diseases published by the Arthritis Foundation, be familiar with the basic outlines of all common rheumatic diseases and the formal criteria for diagnosing them.
- Read the following chapters within the first 3 months in Arthritis and Allied Conditions or the Textbook on Rheumatology on the following topics: differential diagnosis of arthritis, examination of synovial fluid, clinical evaluation in rheumatic diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout and systemic lupus erythematosus. During the remaining 9 months of the first year, read the chapters on the clinical pharmacology of anti-rheumatic drugs and the scientific basis for the study of rheumatic diseases.
- Basic radiology - attend Dr. Sauser's lectures for the radiology residents on bone and joint radiology.
- Attend the following weekly clinics:
- Adult Rheumatology Clinic twice a week
- Juvenile Rheumatology Clinic once a week
- Consultation service - Evaluate all rheumatologic consultations and discuss them with the attending staff.
- On-call schedule - the first year Fellow has an on-call schedule with the second year Fellow to cover rheumatological emergencies at night and during weekends. It is expected that difficult cases will be discussed with the attending faculty and seen at a time on the next day where appropriate.
The following conferences are held from September through June and attendance of the first year Fellow is mandatory at all, except for the specialized research conferences.
- Rheumatology Grand Rounds (Wednesday mornings 8:00-9:00 AM). During the first year each Fellow is expected to give 3 detailed case presentations with an appropriate literature review.
- Rheumatology Journal Club (Wednesday mornings 9:15-10:30 AM)
- X-ray Conference with Dr. Donald Sauser (Wednesday morning 10:30-11:30 AM)
- Research Conferences - Drs. Bennett, Rosenbaum and Davey hold individual research conferences on their own areas of interest once a week and attendance at these is optional.
- Advanced Immunology Journal Club with Dr. Davey (optional)
First year Fellows are expected to attend the weekly Department of Medicine Grand Rounds on Tuesday mornings and the M & M Conference on Friday afternoons. They should try to attend morning report for residents (9:15-10:00 AM) once or twice a week.
Over the course of the first year, Fellows are expected to become proficient in the following procedures:
- Joint aspiration and injection
- Tendon and bursa injection
- Myofascial trigger point injection
- Analysis of synovial fluid
- Muscle biopsies
All procedures should be performed with senior faculty until proficiency is obtained. All procedures should be recorded in a log book and signed by senior faculty.
A thorough understand of ancillary services and special investigations is essential for comprehensive management of most rheumatological conditions. It is expected the first year Fellow will spend a minimum of one week in the following areas:
- Physical Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Orthotics
- The Clinical Immunology Lab
- Electromyography and Nerve Conduction Lab
- Bone Densitometry Lab.
In addition, the first year Fellow should attend the review courses on the Principles and Practice of Plasmapheresis (usually offered by Nephrology twice a year).
First year Fellows are expected to attend the following conferences:
- The National Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in November.
- Local rheumatology meetings, such as the Rheumatology Update put on by the Division of Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases each February.
- North West Rheumatism Society annual meeting.
The first year Fellow is expected to prepare and present lectures to community lay groups as determined by the Divisional Chairman.
The first year Fellow is to start reading and discussion with Dr. Rosenbaum and other faculty members on his/her clinical research project for the second year of the Fellowship. At a minimum, it is expected that each Fellow will write up two case reports with a review of the literature and either write a major review paper or write up the results of clinical research.
The first year Fellow will interact with residents and medical students on the Rheumatology service, both in the clinic and in the consultation service. It is expected that he/she will teach residents and medical students the salient points in history taking and the principles of physical examination in patients with rheumatic diseases.
Second Year Curriculum & Expectations
- The second year Fellow is expected to complete reading of all chapters in either Arthritis and Allied Conditions or the Textbook of Rheumatology.
- He/she is expected to read extensively the current rheumatological literature and do computer searches on difficult cases encountered in the clinic and the consult service.
- Attend the basic Orthopedic lectures for residents and the Orthopedic Grand Rounds for 4-6 months of the second year.
The following experiences should be completed within the first 9 months of the second year:
- Orthopedic surgery - assisting at a total hip arthroplasty, knee arthroplasty and hand surgery and observe an arthroscopy of the knee and shoulder.
- Read muscle biopsies.
- Read visceral and brain angiograms with the radiology staff.
- Spend a minimum of one month with Dr. Donald Sauser in Radiology reading bone and joint x-rays, CT scans and MRI scans.
- Two Adult Rheumatology Clinics a week for the whole second year
- Attend in Dr. Rosenbaum's Uveitis Clinic for one month
- Attend the Pain Clinic for one month
- Spend a minimum of 4 sessions in the Human Performance Laboratory learning the principles of stress exercise testing and the relevance of measuring VO2 Max anaerobic threshold, workload and stress EKG. Understand how to use the above data as a screening tool for metabolic myopathies.
Second year Fellows should be proficient in injection of all joints with the possible exception of the facet joints and hip joints. They should do at least 2 needle muscle biopsies under the supervision of Dr. Bennett.
- Weekly Rheumatology Grand Rounds
- Weekly Rheumatology Journal Club
- Weekly Rheumatology X-ray Conference
- Special Research Conferences, where appropriate
- Orthopedic Grand Rounds, where appropriate
- Department of Medicine Grand Rounds on Tuesday mornings
- Department of Medicine M & M Conference on Friday afternoons
Rheumatology Practice Experience
The second year Fellows are encouraged to spend 2-3 weeks as a locum for one of the local rheumatology practices.
The second year Fellow is expected the attend the following meetings:
- National meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in November
- Western regional meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in Spring
- Divisional meetings, such as the Rheumatology Update held in February
Second year Fellows should be prepared to give lectures to lay groups within the Portland Metro area when requested to do so by the Divisional Chairman.
The second year Fellow should pursue a project in clinical research which has been researched and organized in the first year of the Fellowship. This project should be completed by the 9th month and written up at least a month before finishing the Fellowship program in June. If a clinical project is not undertaken, they should write at least one major review in conjunction with one of the senior faculty members as well as a minimum of two case reports.
The second year Fellow will interact with residents and medical students on the Rheumatology service, both in the clinic and in the consultation service. It is expected that he/she will teach residents and medical students the salient points in history taking and the principles of physical examination in patients with rheumatic diseases.
