Program Director: Valerie Grignol, MD
Associate Program Director: Carlo Contreras, MD
Message From the Program Director
Welcome to the Surgical Oncology fellowship training program at The Ohio State University. Our vision is to provide an environment that fosters passion and creates expertise in cancer care. There continues to be exponential growth in the scientific understanding and clinical management of cancer. How will our fellowship program help you keep up with these changes so you can become a successful surgical oncologist?
We will provide personalized training that is tailored to help you achieve your clinical, academic and professional goals. Our fellowship offers both clinical and academic tracks to allow specialization in specific disease sites. The groundwork we lay in our program will take you beyond clinical proficiency and give you multidisciplinary expertise in the malignancies on which you choose to focus. By helping each fellow pursue his or her academic and clinical passions, we strive to produce future leaders in academic surgical oncology who will contribute to the global advancement of cancer care.
Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship Program
The Ohio State University, Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, surgical oncology fellowship program was started in 1977. The program was then officially approved by the Society of Surgical Oncology in 1981, and was among the first fellowships to be approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), in 2012. We accept three fellows each year. It is a two year fellowship, with 20 months of clinical rotations and 4 months of research opportunity. There is an optional third year available for an additional 12 month dedicated research experience.
Clinical Rotations
All of 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, gastrointestinal 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 will focus on sharpening these skills. The last six months will focus on the disease-site of interest for each fellow, allowing for an individualized experience. This will include focused 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, with an optional third year. Several wet and dry laboratory experiences are available to provide the fellows with opportunity to either initiate a new project or assist in one of our ongoing programs.
As part of a well-funded research environment, fellows have an opportunity to compete for one of 14 available NCI T32 training grants in cancer research as well obtaining advanced degrees in the Masters of Medical Science Program or in the College of Public Health.
Mentorship
Mentorship is important in both clinical and research training. Fellows work closely with a principal advisor based on their particular, individual interest, but may also collaborate with other faculty members who are often outside of the division. For physician-trainees, 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.
Eligibility
By the beginning date of the fellowship, all applicants must have completed their residency training in an ACGME accredited general surgery program in the US or Canada and have attained qualification to sit for the examination of the American Board of Surgery.
Application Process
Applications must be submitted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Applicants must request a Token from the ERAS Fellowship Documents Office (EFDO) prior to registering on MYERAS.
For additional information on requirements and the applications process, please visit the Society of Surgical Oncology.
Contact Us
The Ohio State University Department of Surgery
Division of Surgical Oncology Fellowship Program
N924 Doan Hall
410 West 10th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210
Fellowship Manager: Morgan Badenhop
Phone: 614-293-0758
Fax: 614-293-3465
Email: Morgan.Badenhop@osumc.edu