Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Combined Med/Peds Hematology/Oncology Fellowship

The Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Combined Med/Peds Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program addresses the unmet clinical, research, and advocacy needs of the AYA population (patients aged 15-39 years). Patients within this age group, and especially those in their teens to late twenties, have unique medical and psychosocial challenges that deserve more attention than currently addressed by the practices of either pediatric or medical hematology-oncology. The AYA fellowship is a four-year training program, allowing board certification in both pediatric hematology-oncology and medical oncology. Two years of the fellowship will provide the clinical training and two years will emphasize scholarship.

The AYA training program is integrated within the ACGME-approved standard curricula of the OHSU Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Fellowship and Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship programs. Both these programs at OHSU are designed to provide trainees with a comprehensive and mentored education in malignant diseases and benign hematologic conditions. The training incorporates academic principles that integrate molecular biology, translational research, clinical trials, and epidemiologic principles into all phases of learning. In addition to this standard hematology/oncology education, the AYA curriculum will emphasize AYA-specific medical knowledge, aspects of care delivery unique to the AYA population, and professional development directed toward the hematology/oncology AYA subspecialist.

  1. Provide a comprehensive curriculum in AYA hematology/oncology that upon graduation will enable fellows to care for patients with cancer and blood disorders in inpatient and outpatient settings. 
  2. Train AYA fellows to conduct scholarly activity in any area of their choosing including: basic science, translational, clinical, education, QI, healthcare resources, or advocacy. This includes ensuring they have a supportive mentor, gain experience in grant submissions, and pursue a master degree of their choice to further supplement their learning and facilitate expertise in their research area. 
  3. Train AYA fellows to understand the importance of self-care and understand how to implement it into their daily practice. 
  4. Facilitate AYA fellows in discovering their passion/values and to choose an appropriate career track that will lead to life-long fulfillment.

Please see the Department of Pediatrics fellowship page for departmental benefits available to all pediatric fellows, and the OHSU GME page for Employment and Benefits information, including salary, transportation, and insurance.

Clinical training

Fellows will spend one clinical year in pediatric hematology/oncology and one clinical year in hematology and medical oncology. In addition, fellows will take evening and weekend calls on the pediatric side for three years and on the adult side for one year. Fellows will spend their clinical time in inpatient and outpatient rotations, continuity clinics where they will care for their own primary patients, and in electives.

Didactics

Fellows will participate in the didactic lectures of the pediatric program (first year), the adult program (second year), and a mix of these in their third and fourth years. Fellows will also meet with their AYA mentors to discuss specific AYA issues pertinent to their patient population. 

Topics covered in the curriculum include: 

  • Diagnosis and treatment of pediatric hematology/oncology disorders 
  • Diagnosis and treatment of adult pediatric hematology/oncology disorders 
  • Indications and management of cellular therapies 
  • Side effects of treatment 
  • Principles of radiation oncology 
  • Transition of care from pediatric providers to adult providers 
  • Psycho-social issues in the AYA population 
  • Recognition of health disparities and advocacy for all patients for appropriate care 
  • Fertility and sexual health in oncology patients and survivors 
  • Financial hardship of oncology care 
  • Acquire knowledge and skills to conduct scholarly work in research setting of fellows’ choosing (clinical, basic science, translational, quality improvement, education, advocacy, health service, and policy)

Teaching

Fellows are given ample opportunities to teach medical students, residents, other divisions, as well as within their own division.

Fellows meet with the program directors and faculty to delineate research interests within the first several months of fellowship. Significant effort is dedicated to this process to maximize opportunity for a successful investigative career. This is followed by the choice of a research mentor and project, with scholarly activities to commence by the third year of fellowship, when fellows will have 80% protected time toward completing their research project. As part of their career development, fellows may choose to pursue an advanced degree.

Fellows may choose from several areas for their research project including but not limited to:

  • Clinical research 
  • Basic science 
  • Translational 
  • Advocacy 
  • Education 
  • Health policy

Fellows have access to mentors from across OHSU, the Knight Cancer Institute, and the Portland VA. Past and present research mentors include: 

  • Grover Bagby, M.D. 
  • Srinivasa Nagalla, M.D. 
  • David Farrell, Ph.D. 
  • Rosalie Sears, Ph.D. 
  • Mathew Thayer, Ph.D. 
  • James Huang, M.D. 
  • Eneida Nemecek, M.D., MS 
  • Brian Druker, M.D. 
  • Susan Lindemulder, M.D. 
  • Michael Deininger, M.D., Ph.D. 
  • Stacy Nicholson, M.D., M.P.H. 
  • Linda Stork, M.D. 
  • Peter Kurre, M.D. 
  • Owen McCarty, Ph.D. 
  • Danny Greenberg, M.D. 
  • Andras Gruber, M.D. 
  • Melissa Wong, M.D. 
  • Jason Taylor, M.D., Ph.D. 
  • Yoon-Jae Cho, M.D. 
  • Monika Davare, Ph.D. 
  • Evan Lind, Ph.D. 
  • Richard Maziarz, M.D. 
  • Erika Cottrell, Ph.D, M.P.P. 
  • Cynthia Morris, Ph.D, M.P.H.
  • Lara Davis, M.D.

Graduate degrees

Fellows will be mentored in grant writing and participate in the two-year NIH-funded Human Investigations Program conducted at OHSU. They may continue this program to receive a Master of Clinical Research degree, or they may decide to receive a different master-level degree such as a Master of Public HealthMaster of Business Administration, or a Master of Education (via an online program at various institutions across the country).

Lara Davis, M.D.
Associate Professor 
Oregon Health & Science University

Adam DuVall, M.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Professor 
University of Chicago

Thank you for your interest in our program. To apply for a fellowship position, submit an application through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) via the pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship program. Prospective applicants must then notify the pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship coordinator, Tricia Bronson, that they are interested in being considered for the AYA fellowship. All positions will be filled through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). Applicants must be graduates of Med/Peds residencies and be board-eligible for both internal medicine and pediatrics. 

Application checklist (all submitted through ERAS): 

  • MyERAS application 
  • Personal statement 
  • Medical school transcript 
  • Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) from medical school 
  • Three letters of recommendation (including residency program director's letter) 
  • USMLE or COMLEX transcript 
  • ECFMG status report 

Please also see the OHSU GME information on Applying to OHSU Residencies and Fellowships.

Oregon Health and Science University values a diverse and culturally competent workforce. We are proud of our commitment to being an equal opportunity, affirmative action organization that does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of any protected class status, including disability status and protected veteran status. Individuals with diverse backgrounds and those who promote diversity and a culture of inclusion are encouraged to apply. To request reasonable accommodation contact the Office of Civil Rights Investigations and Compliance (OCIC) at 503-494-5148 or ocic@ohsu.edu.

Interviews

Following the initial review of the completed application, we will be inviting qualified applicants starting end of July. Applicants will interview with faculty from both the pediatric and adult program.

International applicants

Graduates of international medical schools who are applying for medical internships, residencies, or fellowships must have a valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). Applicants who are not U.S. citizens must be legally able to work in the U.S. or eligible to obtain authorization to work. The most common visa types are J-1 and H-1B. For further information, contact the OHSU Graduate Medical Education office.

Contact us

Evan Shereck, M.D., M.Ed.
Program Director, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship
503-494-0831
shereck@ohsu.edu

Jeremy Cetnar, M.D., MSHPR
Program Director, Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship 
cetnarj@ohsu.edu

Pat DeMartino, M.D., M.P.H.
Associate Director, Pediatric Hematology/
Oncology 
Fellowship Program
503-494-0831
demartip@ohsu.edu

Brandon Hayes-Lattin, M.D.
Medical Director, AYA Oncology Program 
hayeslat@ohsu.edu

Marie Martinelli, M.D.
Associate Director, Pediatric Hematology/
Oncology 
Fellowship Program
503-494-0831
marmarie@ohsu.edu

Tricia Bronson
Fellowship Coordinator
503-494-0831
bronsonp@ohsu.edu

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