Year One
- 11 months Rotation in Research
The first 11 months is devoted entirely to research and there are NO clinical responsibilities. This allows the fellows to focus all of their efforts on the research projects they have chosen. One year of research has provided an excellent introductory exposure and allows the fellows to achieve authorship on multiple papers and complete their thesis. Some fellows have worked on ovarian and endometrial cancer molecular biology projects in the lab. In the past few years most have undertaken clinical, health services, and cost-effectiveness projects.
Graduate-level courses are also part of the research year, including biostatistics and an introduction to clinical research. Duke has an outstanding Masters Program in Clinical Research (http://crtp.mc.duke.edu/index.htm) that some fellows have completed.
Year Two
- 12 Month Rotation in Gynecologic Oncology Service
Year Three
- 11 Moth Rotation in Gynecologic Oncology Service
- 1 Month Rotation in Research
The second and third years of the fellowship are spent almost entirely on the Gynecologic Oncology service at Duke University Medical Center. Most of the clinical activities are conducted in the new state-of-the-art Duke Cancer Institute outpatient clinic and in the adjacent inpatient hospital. The fellowship program features a balanced mix between open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgery, and we have widely adopted sentinel lymph node mapping approaches. We also manage chemotherapy treatment of our patients, including new biological targeted therapies. The fellowship includes significant experience in palliative care, as we follow our patients throughout the course of their journey. We are leading contributors to NRG Oncology, GOG Foundation, and industry clinical trials.
Upon completion of the Duke Gynecologic Oncology fellowship, trainees are well-prepared for a career in this challenging and rewarding subspecialty.