Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) is the world’s largest private, non-profit cancer center, and is a referral center for patients from the greater New York area, the United States, and throughout the world. The Breast Surgery Service annually averages 3,300 inpatient and outpatient surgical cases, and 4,500 new breast cancer patient visits. There are currently 13 full-time academic breast surgeons on the Breast Surgery Service.

About the Program

The Breast Surgery Service at MSKCC offers a one-year surgical fellowship to fully trained general surgeons who desire further experience in breast surgical oncology and the management of benign breast disease. Four new fellows are appointed each year.

The Breast Surgery Fellowship provides a unique combination of clinical and research opportunities. Nine months are dedicated to the surgical management of breast cancer. During this time, the breast fellow is responsible for pre- and postoperative patient care, and performs operations under the direction of the attending surgeon on his or her team. The breast fellowship also provides outpatient management in the office hours of the attending surgeons in order to provide fellows with experience in the outpatient management of breast cancer and benign breast disease. The breast fellow will also participate in the RISE program for women at risk for developing breast cancer, which consists of specialized clinics that provide long-term breast cancer surveillance to high-risk women with lobular carcinoma in situ, atypical hyperplasia, strong family histories of breast and ovarian cancer, and/or women who are BRCA1 or BRCA2 carriers.

The remaining three months are dedicated to non-operative time spent in the areas of medical oncology, radiology (including mammography, ultrasound, MRI, and image-guided percutaneous biopsy techniques), radiation oncology, pathology, clinical genetics, and plastic surgery. Each department at MSKCC is sub-specialized by tumor type and, therefore, each elective will focus only on breast cancer and benign breast disease, without diluting the experience with other tumor types.

Research, Publication, and Presentation

The fellow is expected to participate in clinical investigations under the guidance of attending preceptors. Research interests are discussed with each fellow at the beginning of the one-year program. Many active research programs exist in every aspect of breast oncology, and the fellow is encouraged to submit abstracts to the Society of Surgical Oncology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American Society of Breast Surgeons. A research project manager, a project coordinator, and seven research assistants are employed by the Breast Service to assist with chart extraction, data entry, and the research projects of the breast fellows. Statistical analysis is provided by a biostatistician from the MSKCC Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. The Breast Service shares an editor to proofread and assist in the submission of research manuscripts for publication consideration.

Clinical Trials

The Breast Service also participates in a number of national cooperative group trials, including ACOSOG, CALGB, and NSABP.

Meetings and Conferences

Conferences of the Department of Surgery include a Core Course in surgical oncology given each summer, weekly Grand Rounds, and a Chairman’s Conference. The Breast Service holds a monthly Surgical Case Management meeting and a weekly Lecture Series given by an attending physician with expertise in the topic to be discussed. In addition, a Multidisciplinary Conference is held weekly to discuss breast cancer management issues across all specialties, including medical oncology, plastic surgery, radiology, radiation oncology, and psychiatry.

Eligibility

Applicants should be eligible or certified by the American Board of Surgery or an equivalent certifying body and must be eligible for medical licensure in the State of New York.

Contact Information