Mission

The mission of the Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship Program at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville is to train outstanding specialists in the fields of hematology and oncology who, at the end of the three-year fellowship, demonstrate clinical expertise in the evaluation and management of hematologic and oncologic diseases. This is accomplished through supervised care of patients, many of whom are under-served, in inpatient and outpatient settings. Fellows will be well-prepared to care for people with cancer and blood disorders in an academic, evidence-based manner and to achieve board certification in hematology and oncology. Special emphasis will be placed on the natural history of diseases, rationale for specific treatments, and drug mechanisms of action in preparation for potential academic careers.

Program Aims

• To provide a quality experience in the broad discipline of hematology oncology so that each fellow will be prepared for either private or an academic career in hematology oncology and to provide the best care for patients
• Train fellows to become productive in the area of clinical research and publications
• Train fellows to be champions of patient safety and quality improvement
• Prepare fellows to be excellent teachers for patients and staff
• Prepare fellows to obtain board certification in hematology and in oncology and provide the culture that encourages career-long maintenance of both subspecialties

Goals and Objectives

The fellow will learn a fundamental approach to the evaluation and treatment of blood disorders. Attention will be paid to commonly consultation requests including coagulation abnormalities. The fellow will learn to distinguish between cytopenias due to underproduction verses consumption. Skill and experience in understanding the definition, the clinical manifestations, and the specific management of cytopenia due to various causes will be obtained. The indications for growth factor support and the management of disorders such as neutropenic fever, leukopenia, leukocytosis, anemia, polycythemia, thrombocytopenia, and thrombocytosis will be learned. The fellow will also acquire similar experience with common solid tumors, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and leukemia. The fellow will learn how to manage chemotherapy side effects including nausea, mucositis, diarrhea, neutropenia, and neutropenic fever.

The fellow will also obtain knowledge about cancer etiology, risk factors, necessary diagnostic evaluations, and staging of common malignancies. The multidisciplinary approach to managing malignancies involving diverse services including Surgery, Radiation Oncology, and Palliative Medicine will be learned. Experience in the palliative care of patients including pain and symptom management as well as end of life discussions will be gained.