Surgical Oncology Program Training Program

Division Of Basic Sciences - Nci

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The Surgical Oncology Research Fellowship at the National Cancer Institute is a fully-funded, 2- or 3-year program designed to educate and develop future leaders in the field of Surgical Oncology. This includes 18 months of bench laboratory experience in one of the many NCI laboratories with the option to extend for an additional year. The fellowship connects fundamental basic science research in cancer biology to translational studies in patients and patient-derived tissues. Fellowship training involves 3 components: 1) Focused laboratory-based and clinical research in cancer biology, particularly related to surgical aspects of the disease; 2) Formal didactic teaching in modern cancer biology, including the molecular basis of cancer and mechanisms of current cancer therapies and 3) Operative clinical rotations in key surgical oncology subspecialties. In addition to bench research, Fellows participate in clinical research projects and have first-hand exposure to the design and conduct of clinical trials, including statistical analyses of clinical data. All Fellows participate in a formal didactic lecture and discussion curriculum, Foundations of Modern Cancer Biology, designed to quickly bring surgical residents up to speed in understanding the current state of molecular oncology. The curriculum covers current and historical breakthroughs in cancer and cancer treatment through a series of lectures and literature-based discussions, focusing on experimental methods and data interpretation in tumor types of particular interest to surgical oncologists. Finally, Fellows participate on surgical rotations in the areas of gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary, endocrine, thoracic, and peritoneal surface and gynecologic malignancies. Fellows actively participate in all aspects of patient care including conducting the pre-operative evaluation, performing the operative procedure, and providing post-operative care and subsequent outpatient follow-up. In addition to daily rounds with the attending surgeons, clinical training is further enhanced by a series of weekly conferences including multidisciplinary molecular-based tumor boards, a weekly clinical service meeting, a diverse array of talks on the latest topics in cancer and biomedical science in general by some of the world's most outstanding scientists through lecture series and Grand Rounds held across the entire NIH campus. For fiscal year 2022-2023, there are 13 fellows within the Program, 6 in their first year, 6 in their second year, and 1 in her third year.