Ann Arbor, Michigan
The Dr. Polly Suk-Yee Cheung Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship
Program Director: Jacqueline S. Jeruss, MD, PhD
Associate Program Director: Melissa L. Pilewskie, MD
The University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center is an NCI-designated cancer center, and the Division of Surgical Oncology has had an established Breast Fellowship since 1997. The fellow works under the supervision of the Program Director as well as the Associate Program Director and Co-Director of the Weiser Family Center for Breast Cancer. The WFCBC is an outstanding multidisciplinary breast center that consists of renowned clinical scientists and researchers; we participate in clinical trials coordinated by Alliance, the Southwest Oncology Group, the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project, as well as investigator initiated trials. In addition, there are several institutional protocols involving neoadjuvant chemotherapy, patient-derived xenografts, and percutaneous breast tumor cryoablation.
Clinical Involvement
The center features a weekly multidisciplinary clinic staffed by surgical and medical oncologists, radiologists and pathologists. This clinic is coordinated in conjunction with a tumor board meeting for review of patients with an indication for neoadjuvant therapy, recurrent disease, or requiring complex care. Each week includes an educational presentation relating to the patients being reviewed. This provides additional context and any updates to the management of care. Attendees include surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, plastic surgeons, breast imaging radiologists, pathologists, psychiatrists, social workers, genetic counselors, and oncology nurses. This clinic and tumor board serve as the foundation for documenting the extent and stage of disease, clinical trial eligibility, surgical treatment options, and neoadjuvant versus adjuvant systemic therapy options. The fellow is directly involved in the evaluation and subsequent surgical management of patients seen in this clinic.
Program Objectives and Rotations
The major objective of the fellowship is to provide specialized training over the course of one year in the management of breast diseases and cancer. Fellows are appointed to the Department of Surgery faculty as clinical instructors. Our fellowship is sponsored by the Department of Surgery and consists of one-month rotations through various subspecialty clinics, including medical oncology, radiation oncology, breast cancer genetics and plastic surgery. Other rotations provide training in breast imaging and pathology. The fellow functions as a junior faculty member in the Division of Surgical Oncology. The fellow works with the entire faculty and is expected to develop expertise with a variety of surgical and interventional techniques, including sentinel lymph node biopsy and skin-sparing mastectomy. The fellow will also be involved with the teaching of surgical residents and medical students. The second half of the fellowship year features independent clinical services provided by the fellow.
The formal (mandatory) didactic experience of our fellowship includes the following:
- A bi-weekly seminar series featuring topical presentations from faculty
- Monthly journal club with fellows and residents from all breast-related disciplines
- The annual Weiser Family Center for Breast Cancer Retreat featuring renowned guest faculty
- Rogel Cancer Center and Department of Surgery Grand Rounds Program
There is also an opportunity for international travel to Hong Kong through a partnership with the Michigan Center for Global Surgery.
Courses, Research, and Additional Training Experiences
The fellow is sponsored to enroll in one of the University of Michigan School of Public Health summer courses in epidemiology or biostatistics, and to attend courses in ultrasound, oncoplastics, psych-oncology or any other relevant areas of interest. The fellow is expected to complete at least one original research manuscript and one review article of the book chapter for publication. Fellows are sponsored to attend the Society of Surgical Oncology annual cancer symposium, and there are options to attend other national meetings as well.
For additional information regarding the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, please click here.
For additional information regarding the Weiser Family Center for Breast Cancer, please click here.
Eligibility and Application
Applicants should be general surgery board-eligible/board-certified with the American Board of Surgery. Interested candidates should apply via the Society of Surgical Oncology. Upon completion and review of all materials, potential candidates will be invited to interview at our institution. One position is available per year.
Contact Information
| Training Program Director: | Jacqueline S. Jeruss, MD, PhD Alfred E. Chang Research Professor of Surgical Oncology Professor of Surgery, Pathology, and Biomedical Engineering jjeruss@med.umich.edu |
| Associate Program Director: | Melissa L. Pilewskie, MD Co-Director, Weiser Family Center for Breast Cancer Associate Professor of Surgery mpilewsk@med.umich.edu |
| Program Coordinator: | Zachary Pascoe pascoez@med.umich.edu |
| Address: | 3303 Cancer Center 1500 E. Medical Center Drive Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 |
| Phone: | 734-615-4823 |
| Fax: | 734-647-9647 |