Mission

Our mission is to develop outstanding pediatric hematology/oncology (PHO) physicians who will provide compassionate, high-quality clinical care to pediatric, adolescent, and young adult patients with blood disorders and cancer. 

Vision

We will develop high-caliber military officers who will be prepared to practice medicine and lead within the Military Health System (MHS). Particular emphasis is placed on clinical proficiency in the full spectrum of pediatric hematology/oncology care, care of the young adult service member, military systems-based practice, teaching, relevant scholarly activity, quality improvement, and leadership.

Aims

• Acquire an understanding and appreciation for the care of infants, children, and adolescents with hematologic and oncologic disorders. Develop the necessary skills for good patient care.
• Develop the skills to educate and counsel families with chronic hematologic and oncologic conditions.
• Understand the scope of established and evolving clinical and basic science knowledge of the hematologic system and oncologic disorders. Acquire the necessary information regarding the physiology and pathophysiology of these to effectively care for infants and children with hematologic and oncologic disorders.
• Demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care and the ability to effectively call on system resources to provide care that is of optimal value.
• Acquire the skills that lead to investigation and self-evaluation of patient care, appraisal and assimilation of scientific evidence, and improvements in patient care.
• Demonstrate a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principles, and sensitivity to a diverse patient population.
• Develop the skills that lead to effective information exchange and teaming with patients, their families, and other health professionals.

Formal didactics occur weekly on Fridays from 1 - 3 p.m. and include core lectures, webinars, journal club discussions, tumor board presentations, board certification preparation, clinical case reviews, and PICO literature reviews of common and uncommon PHO topics. Additionally, we have an Adolescent and Young Adult curriculum that includes lectures and tumor board discussions in collaboration with the Adult Hematology & Oncology Fellows. Lastly, all pediatric fellows participate in a joint quarterly didactic curriculum.

The first 12 months are all clinical and include rotations in the Walter Reed outpatient and inpatient PHO units, hematopathology, transfusion medicine, dedicated pediatric hematology and neuro-oncology rotations at Children’s National Hospital (CNH), and inpatient and outpatient PHO rotations at Inova Fairfax/Pediatric Specialties of Virginia. In the 2nd year, there is a required rotation in the Bone Marrow Transplant unit at CNH and inpatient PHO rotation at Inova Fairfax. In the 3rd year, there is a required rotation in the outpatient PHO clinic at Pediatric Specialists of Virginia. Each fellow will have continuity clinic one day per week in the 2nd and 3rd, and the remainder of the time is for selective rotations and dedicated to research and the scholarly project.

There are currently selective rotations in Bone Marrow Transplant at CNH and the NIH, and we are building rotations in Clinical Genetics and Palliative Care.

The fellow takes home call on average one night per week and 1-2 weekends per month while on rotation at WRNMMC. There is no call on the rotations at CNH, Inova Fairfax/Pediatric Specialists of Virginia or the NIH.

We have military focus topics included in the quarterly pediatric fellow curriculum and we also provide training on Military Medical Humanitarian Assistance, Walking Blood Bank procedures, Radiation Training and Professional Military Development/Education courses.

We have leadership focus topics included in the quarterly pediatric fellow curriculum (i.e. Lead 2.0) and heavily promote participation in the Uniformed Services University Faculty Development program. Fellows are also encouraged to sit on hospital and Defense Health Agency level committees.

All fellows will complete a scholarly project with considerable time devoted to this during the 2nd and 3rd years. Research can be conducted in many ways – in conjunction with local groups (i.e. Murtha Cancer Center, National Cancer Institute, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences) or non-local groups. There is the option for several USUHS Graduate Level programs as well.

As a requirement, all fellows will design and participate in a process improvement or quality improvement project.

All fellows will receive service-specific mentorship and the ability to attend professional military education courses. Additionally, all fellows will become part of the Children’s Oncology Group and the American Society of Pediatric Hematology & Oncology. There are multiple opportunities to present scholarly work and attend conferences within these groups as well as present at other national and international pediatric and pediatric hematology and oncology societies.

• WRNMMC
• Children’s National Hospital
• Inova Fairfax Hospital/Pediatric Specialists of Virginia
• National Institutes of Health

We offer 2- or 4-week audition rotations to 2nd or 3rd year pediatric residents. Arrangements could also be made to host a pediatric provider who is currently in a staff role and would like to have an audition rotation, pending their command sponsorship.

Interested applicants should email our program: dha.ncr.walter-reed-med-ctr.list.ncc-pedshemeonc@health.mil.

Program graduates take the American Board of Pediatric (ABP) Pediatric Hematology & Oncology Certifying Examination. This exam is offered every other year. To become fully board certified, applicants are eligible to sit for the board certification exam after they have completed all graduation requirements and have approval from the ABP after review and faculty endorsement of the fellow’s scholarly project. The board exam is typically held in the month of April on odd years. To be eligible to take specialty board exams, graduates must complete all pre-requisites outlined by the ABP by December of the year prior to the exam. Additional information may be found on the ABP website.

All fellows will be required to provide at least one pediatric resident morning report per year. Additionally, there are continual opportunities for both formal informal teaching of medical students, physician assistant students, and residents in the outpatient and inpatient setting. Lastly, we welcome all fellows to participate in the regular medical student teaching opportunities available at USUHS.

It is also optional to participate in a pediatrics teaching selective or receive direct feedback from the pediatric residency teaching staff. Lastly, USUHS offers a Master of Education program that can be enrolled in during fellowship.

All our staff are either Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Board Eligible or Board Certified. Some staff have additional graduate level education degrees.

All trainees will receive service specific and subspecialty specific mentorship. Each fellow will also have a research mentor that can be civilian or military.

We offer specific art therapy engagement for the fellows, a fellow annual retreat and quarterly fellow-selected wellness events.