ChristianaCare

Helen F Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute

Training Program Director: Valerie Staradub, MD

Fellowship Administrative Coordinator: Mads Turley

About ChristianaCare

A dynamic health care organization with four campuses, ChristianaCare is a major teaching affiliate for Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, training more than 280 residents annually. ChristianaCare includes an extensive network of primary care and outpatient services, home health care, urgent care centers, three hospitals (1,336 beds), a freestanding emergency department, a Level I trauma center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a comprehensive stroke center and regional centers of excellence in heart and vascular care, cancer care and women’s health. It also includes the pioneering Gene Editing Institute. With over 37,000 surgical procedures annually, ChristianaCare is consistently among the top 50 hospitals for surgical volume in the country and in the top 25 among East Coast hospitals.

About the Helen F Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute

The ChristianaCare Breast Program is located on the Christiana Hospital (Newark) campus, centered within the beautifully designed and landscaped, 200,000-square-foot Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute, a state-of-the-art facility that serves the majority of cancer patients residing in Delaware and also draws patients from nearby Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey. This National Cancer Institute selected Community Cancer Center features advanced medical, surgical and radiation procedures and diagnostic services. Our 4 full-time, fellowship-trained breast surgeons, along with 3 dedicated breast surgery APCs, care for all benign and malignant breast disease. The breast cancer service line submits 700 to 800 analytic breast cancer cases a year to the NCDB. The Graham Center also houses the Center for Breast Reconstruction, which offers the full range of implant and autologous reconstruction options with our 3 fellowship-trained microsurgeons, who also collaborate with the breast surgeons on oncoplastic procedures. Under the direction of our 5 dedicated, fellowship-trained breast imagers, over 14,000 breast imaging studies and over 2,000 image-guided breast procedures are done annually. The cancer research program includes the Center for Translational Research, a collaborative program with the University of Delaware. The Graham Cancer Center also includes the ChristianaCare Breast Center, an outpatient facility that features the state’s only dedicated breast MRI. With more than 200,000 patient visits annually, the Helen F Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute is recognized as a national model for multidisciplinary cancer care and a top enroller in U.S. clinical research trials. The NCI NCORP program continues maintain an annual accrual rate of 20%, and there are generally over 100 NCI clinical trials open. Collaborations with world-renowned scientists at facilities such as the University of Delaware and The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia are opening new avenues to more quickly translate cancer science into cancer medicine.

About the Program

Our clinical fellowship education includes rotations in Breast Surgery, Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Pathology and Breast Imaging. Concurrent rotations include Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Genetics, Outreach, Rehabilitation (including Lymphedema Rehabilitation), Oncology Health Psychology and Palliative and Supportive Care. Additionally, there is a robust Research rotation including experience in translational research, clinical trial design and participation in national clinical trials. Our fellowship has access to a research associate and a biostatistician through our Academic Affairs department. It is anticipated that the fellow will design and develop either a research project or clinical protocol in an area of their interest, which will lead to a both presentation at a regional or national meeting and a manuscript to be submitted for publication. A research mentor is identified to assist with developing a project, helping to complete the project and assisting with publication and presentation.

Meetings and conferences

The fellow will participate in one-on-one didactic sessions throughout the year, scheduled to align with the clinical rotations for the enhancement of breast-related medical knowledge. Additionally, the fellow will participate in weekly multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Tumor Board meetings, Breast Cancer Multidisciplinary Clinic while on service, and will lead a monthly Breast Journal Club. It is anticipated that the fellow will attend the Society of Surgical Oncology Fellows Institute, the American Society of Breast Surgeons Annual Meeting (including Oncoplastics and/or Ultrasound courses) and the Society of Surgical Oncology Annual Meeting (or equivalent).

Eligibility

Applicants must have successfully completed an accredited general surgery residency program in the United States and must be American Board of Surgery certified or eligible. One fellow per year will be selected, and interviews will take place in the fall prior to the match year.

Contact Information