Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

The Ohio State University Department of Surgery established a Surgical Oncology fellowship in 1977, which was officially endorsed by the Society of Surgical Oncology in 1981 and was among the first to be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in 2012. The fellowship is directed towards candidates who have completed an ACGME approved general surgery residency and who are board eligible for the American Board of Surgery general surgery certification. We accept three fellows each year. During our two-year fellowship, 20 months are dedicated to clinical rotations, with 4 months dedicated to flexible research experience.

Upon completion of our fellowship program, many of our graduates have accepted full academic positions in university programs. Others have also entered a community or university-affiliated practice, with over 90% of this group limiting their practice to surgical oncology.

Clinical Rotations

All the rotations take place at the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Research Institute and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. During the two-year fellowship program, the clinical rotations include disease-focused experiences in the surgical treatment of hepatopancreatobiliary cancers, non-HPB upper GI cancers, colorectal cancer, melanoma, sarcoma, endocrine tumors, and breast cancer, as well as a month-long rotation with clinical experiences in radiation therapy, pathology, and medical oncology.

The first year of fellowship focuses on a broad exposure to all disease sites treated by the division in one-month disease-site-focused rotations. The first six months of the second year of fellowship focuses on sharpening these skills. The last six months focuses on the disease-site of interest for each fellow, allowing for an individualized experience. This will include focusing on exposure to medical oncology, pathology, and radiation oncology relevant to these disease sites. All surgical rotations will include a complement of residents and nurse practitioners to form a comprehensive team for each experience.

Research Opportunities

Fellows are offered research opportunities as part of an individualized two-year fellowship program. Several wet and dry laboratory experiences are available to provide the fellows with the opportunity to either initiate a new project or assist in one of our ongoing programs.

As part of a well-funded research environment, fellows may have the opportunity to compete for one of 14 available NCI T32 training grants in cancer research.

Meetings and Conferences

Weekly presentations and conferences include the weekly Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) conference and Department of Surgery Grand Rounds, the weekly Surgical Oncology Educational Series, and disease-specific multidisciplinary conferences (including those focused on breast cancer, melanoma, soft tissue sarcoma, endocrine cancers, neuroendocrine cancers, pancreatic cancer, liver cancers, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer). Our weekly Educational Series includes didactic lectures presented by faculty, written and oral CGSO board preparation, as well as a quarterly journal club, where seminal papers are discussed along with recent potential practice-changing studies. Monthly meetings include administrative and research meetings in which specific research projects are discussed and critiqued by the oncology faculty.

Mentorship

Mentorship is important in both clinical and research training. Fellows work closely with a principal advisor who is based on their particular and individual interest but may also collaborate with other faculty members who are often outside of the division. For physician-trainees, the selection of a mentor is done by the trainee and the program director after consultation with the training faculty. Fellows may choose research mentors from among the training faculty who interact in the program. Faculty involved in this training program make major contributions to national research groups including national cooperative groups like the Alliance Group, American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG), Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB), North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG), National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP), Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), as well as contributions to a host of other cancer societies. Thus, trainees are encouraged to be involved, which has a major impact on cancer care in national and international research trials and collaborations, with opportunities to present their findings at national meetings.

Clinical Trials

The Arthur G. James Hospital and The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center belong to both the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology group and The National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP). Via these relationships, our fellows are directly exposed to national protocols and are encouraged to attend cooperative group meetings. Also, our Cancer Center has a weekly, year-long session dedicated to training fellows and junior faculty on the practical aspects of clinical trial design.

Applying

Applications are processed through the NRMP. Candidates who are selected to interview will be contacted by the program coordinator.

Contact Information