Brooklyn, NY
Program Director: Patrick I. Borgen MD, FACS
Facility
The Brooklyn Breast Cancer Program at Maimonides Medical Center was founded in 2006. Since that time, we have grown from treating 40 women with breast cancer to over 600 breast cancer cases per year. We see approximately 7,000 visits in the breast surgery division and perform over 15,000 mammograms per year. In 2011, we opened the Maimonides Breast Center at the Gilbert Rivera Pavilion. This is a state of the art facility at the Maimonides Cancer Center Complex, that houses both radiology and breast surgery divisions. The Maimonides Breast Center offers comprehensive screening, diagnostic, medical and surgical breast services, as well as nutrition and genetics counseling.
Program Description
The Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship of the Maimonides Brooklyn Breast Cancer Program is a part of the Maimonides Medical Center, an Affiliate of SUNY Downstate Medical Center. We offer a one-year multidisciplinary clinical breast fellowship to candidates who have completed a general surgery, plastic surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, or other surgical subspecialty residency program and who are Board-eligible/certified in their respective surgical specialty.
The Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship places a strong emphasis on breast oncology training, breast imaging, research, and multidisciplinary care. During the fellowship, the breast fellow is trained to evaluate and manage both benign and malignant breast conditions, interact with specialists from other disciplines, and evaluate and participate in research initiatives.
Fellows will gain:
• Understanding of the biology, evaluation and treatment of benign breast disease, including screening for breast cancer and management of high-risk disease.
• Experience in the evaluation of breast problems in an office-based setting.
• Training in the classification and evaluation of mammographic abnormalities, as well as the indications, techniques and complications of image-guided breast biopsy.
• Knowledge of the treatment options for the loco-regional therapy of breast cancer.
• Experience in basic cytology and pathology of the breast.
• Understanding the indications, results, and basic biology of systemic therapy for breast cancer.
• Ability to critically evaluate the relevant medical literature, and make meaningful contributions to the field.
Fellows spend one year developing an extensive knowledge of all aspects of breast disease and breast oncology. The fellowship is oriented around comprehensive program rotations of breast surgery, plastic surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, pathology, psycho-oncology, breast imaging, community outreach, cancer genetics, and patient navigation. In addition, the fellow will participate in a comprehensive weekly didactic course that provides fundamental knowledge on tumor biology, genetics, epidemiology, overall breast health, risk factors, benign conditions, prevention, early detection, staging, treatment, continuity of care, psycho-oncology, survivorship, and quality of life issues. The Maimonides Breast Surgical Oncology Fellow will attend the Society of Surgical Oncology Fellows Institute in November each year and will be expected to submit an abstract from one of the several ongoing prospective trials or retrospective reviews to a major national meeting. The Fellow will also attend the Miami Breast Conference held in Miami Florida on a scholarship and will have a stipend to attend other national meetings such as the American Society of Breast Surgeons and the Society of Surgical Oncology Annual Meeting.
Faculty
The Division of Breast Surgical Oncology will have four dedicated breast surgeons starting in 2018, three physician assistants, and a nurse navigator. The Division of Plastic Surgery has three surgeons. The Division of Medical Oncology has three breast medical oncologists, and the Department of Radiation Oncology has three radiation oncologists who have an emphasis on breast cancer. The physician members of our breast team, many of whom are renowned nationally, are skilled and experienced in training and mentoring young clinicians and clinical investigators.
Breast Surgery Faculty
Patrick I Borgen, MD, FACS
Chairman of Surgery
Director of the Maimonides Breast Center
Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery
Joshua A. Feinberg, MD
Director of Research, Division of Breast Surgery
Charusheela Andaz, MD, FACS
Breast Surgery
Rotations
This one-year fellowship is comprised of eight months of clinical rotations on the Breast Service, as well as four months of off-service rotations of medical oncology, radiation oncology, pathology, and plastic surgery. During the radiology rotation, the Breast Fellow will have the opportunity to become adept at image-guided biopsies. They will be involved in pre- and postoperative patient care, and will perform operations under the direction of an attending surgeon. The fellow will also gain experience in the outpatient setting in our clinics, as well as attend conferences, lectures, and seminars.
The Breast Fellow will also begin their year with a research month to prepare their abstract for submission to an annual meeting. There are a number of opportunities for clinical research, based on the individual interests of the fellow. Fellows will learn the fundamentals of research including the basics of research design, data analysis and ethical conduct of research. Clinical research projects are facilitated by clinical databases, including institutional databases as well as larger national databases.
Eligibility
Applicants must have completed their residency training in general surgery or another surgical subspecialty and be qualified to sit for their respective certifying board. Foreign medical graduates with equivalent qualifications are also eligible to apply and must have completed all three of the USMLE examinations.
Contact Information
