Division of Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Training Program

Hematology and Oncology are likely to be among the most dynamic subspecialties of Internal Medicine in the next few decades based on continuing advances in laboratory, clinical and public health research. The Division of Hematology/Oncology in the Department of Medicine at Columbia prepares its fellows to be creative and productive contributors as researchers and clinicians.

Our program provides a broad-based clinical training and rigorous development of a research project with opportunities to work with world-class investigators in an outstanding Ivy League University. Fellows may select options leading to either single or dual board eligibility with either 12 or 18 months, respectively, of direct patient care activity, and an equivalent duration of research training in laboratory, clinical or public health research.  A Masters of Public Health degree in public health or in clinical research can be earned concurrently. 

Some of the highlights of our program are summarized below. For a more complete description and application instructions, go to the Fellowship page of the Division of Hematology and Oncology.

Clinical Training

Our clinical training program features diversified patient care experiences in a dynamic hematology and oncology inpatient, consult, and outpatient environment. Although CUMC is a referral destination for patients nationally and internationally as well as in the New York Metropolitan area, it is also a hospital that provides care to an often otherwise underserved population in Upper Manhattan.  As a result, fellows manage patients at every stage of disease, from initial diagnostic evaluation to supervision of investigational treatments. 

Fellows train directly with recognized experts in disease-focused inpatient and out patient rotations.  Fellows are very much the center of our clinical investigation activities, which range from single-institution, investigator-initiated studies to multi-institution protocols sponsored by the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, and cooperative groups such as the  Southwest Oncology Group.  This research encompasses Phase I, II and III trials, large populations studies using local and national databases, as well as translational correlative research that leverages Columbia's rich tumor sample bank, clinical database and access to cutting edge science, such as internationally recognized Columbia Genome Center.

Research Training

Between first and second years fellows participate in a summer grant-writing workshop that allows each to identify a research mentor and develop a research proposal to obtain research funding such as the ASCO Young Investigator Award. This experience allows fellows to learn the process of proposal development and grant submission. These projects are then executed during the second and third years.

Outside funding is not a requirement, but those who obtain awards may use them to conduct research beyond the third year of clinical fellowship and board eligibility. Fellows may select laboratory research, clinical research, or epidemiology & population science in the Mailman School of Public Health.