Fellowship

Objectives: The training programs in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism are designed to develop the skills and attitudes necessary to perform basic and clinical research and to practice clinical endocrinology and diabetes.

Qualifications of Candidates: Applicants for the clinical program who are graduates of United States or Canadian medical schools must have completed at least three years of approved residency training in internal medicine. Foreign medical graduates will not be eligible generally for appointment unless they have completed three years of IM Residency in an approved program in either the United States or Canada. Occasional exceptions may be made in these requirements for outstanding candidates.

Candidates for the NIH-sponsored research programs must have an M.D. or Ph.D., or an equivalent degree, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and be committed to an academic career.

Training Programs Available: 1) One program is supported by institutional funds. Typically, this program involves two years of predominantly clinical training. Research opportunities, however, will be available during the first year of training and all candidates remaining in the program more than one year will be expected to participate in research. The research activity may be either clinical or basic, or involve a combination of both. 2) The second program is sponsored by the granting agency and is for the support of individual research training. This is generally a two-year program that is primarily research oriented, although clinically trained individuals will have ample opportunity for maintaining and furthering clinical skills.

Clinical Training: Facilities available for clinical training include the Methodist University Hospital, The Regional Medical Center (MED), the Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC), the Baptist Memorial Hospital and the outpatient facilities of these institutions. The MED has facilities for both indigent and private patients of the staff of the University of Tennessee. In addition, UT includes an NIH supported Clinical Research Center which has outpatient and inpatient scatter beds where challenging endocrine issues are studied in depth.

The clinical trainee will rotate through the VAMC, the MED and Methodist University Hospital. General endocrinology outpatient clinics meet two days per week at VAMC and the MED. In addition, 3-4 private endocrine clinics of the faculty are held at the University of Tennessee Medical Center outpatient department. Consultation rounds are held twice a week at each institution for the residents and fellows assigned to that institution. At the VAMC a weekly conference is held prior to the outpatient clinic. In addition, a bi-monthly endocrine teaching conference is held for students and general house staff. An endocrine teaching conference for students, house staff and fellows are held once a week. In addition, tutorial lecture series are held twice a week covering a broad range of endocrine topics.

The VAMC serves as a referral center for a five-state area and has an excellent selection of endocrine case material. A consultative service is maintained for complicated diagnostic and therapeutic studies. The VAMC also includes a dedicated RIA endocrine laboratory, a euglycemic clamp facility and research laboratories including facilities for recombinant DNA work.

An active liaison is maintained with the Pediatric Endocrine and Metabolic sections at LeBonheur Children's Medical Center, the Memphis Metabolic Bone Center and the Section of Reproductive Endocrinology of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Fellows attend clinics of these services at least three months during their training.

All fellows will be offered courses in ethics and biostatistics at the beginning of their rotation.

An integrated conference, Endocrine Grand Rounds, is held weekly and covers gynecological endocrinology, pediatric endocrinology and neuroendocrinology as well as general endocrine and metabolic topics. A Journal Club covering both basic and clinical journals is also held once a week. A Research Seminar is held once a month.

Research Training: Research experience is an essential component of the training for a qualified endocrinologist. For individuals who plan to become primarily practicing endocrinologists, involvement in research will greatly enhance their clinical abilities. For those individuals who plan to continue a research career, an intensive training in research will provide a solid foundation on which to build.

Evaluation: At the beginning of training, each fellow will be asked to take the Pathophysiology examination in order to assess the basic knowledge in endocrinology and metabolism and to provide a guideline as to the area in which additional basic knowledge needs to be enhanced. Each fellow will be evaluated for his/her performance and clinical knowledge at the end of each rotation (two or three months) by the attending staff. These evaluations will be reviewed by the Executive Committee with each fellow biannually. In addition, each year a formal examination, both oral in the form of a seminar, and written, is administered to the fellows. The results of these evaluations and examinations are used to appraise the fellows of their eligibility for the Endocrinology Board examination.

Appointments: Appointments are made for one year and may be renewed for up to two additional years. Stipends are commensurate with training and experience and conform to the University of Tennessee's guidelines.

The University of Tennessee is an equal opportunity employer.

For more details on our program goals and objectives, click here.