Dallas, Texas
Training Program Director: Rachel Wooldridge, MD
Associate Director: Carissia Calvo, MD
The UT Southwestern Center for Breast Care is located in the new Seay Biomedical Building on the North Campus at UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas. The Center for Breast Care, a component of the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern, serves as a major referral center for North Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arkansas. The Harold C. Simmons Cancer Center is among the most elite cancer centers in the country and the only National Cancer Institutes (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in North Texas. UT Southwestern ranks among the top academic medical centers in the nation. The academic medical center supports approximately 1,000 physicians who provide medical care in 18 medical specialties and multiple subspecialties. Included on the faculty are five Nobel Laureates and 20 members elected to the National Academy of Sciences. The University Centers on the campus involved with patient care include UT Southwestern Clements University Hospital and Parkland Health and Hospital System. The medical school’s residency programs are ranked in the top programs in the country, and the general surgery program, with approximately 100 residents, is considered one of the largest residency programs in the country. Fellowship programs are also available in most of the subspecialties.
Program Design
The goal of the fellowship is to train physicians to work with a multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of patients with breast disease – benign and malignant. In their training, physicians should enhance their understanding of the particular needs of these patients and develop an expertise sensitive to these patients.
On their specialty rotation, the fellows will learn how to improve their technical abilities; increase their basic knowledge of their specialty; and learn how to better integrate with the other specialties involved in the management and treatment of breast patients.
During their non-specialty rotations, they will be assigned to a faculty member who will ensure that the basic aims of their training in the other disciplines are accomplished. These mentors will evaluate the fellows during and at the end of each rotation providing constructive evaluations to the trainees.
In addition to their clinical responsibilities, the fellow will also be closely involved with teaching residents and medical students on the various specialty rotations.
For applicants desiring further research experience, an optional year of fellowship training in basic or clinical research is available.
Clinical Rotations
A formal rotation schedule is developed with the input of the fellow which specifically addresses the individual needs of each fellow. The duties and the responsibilities of the fellows include a five month rotation in the fellow’s area of specialty. Rotations are provided for the breast fellow in Genetics/Risk Assessment, Medical Oncology, Pathology, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Radiation Oncology, Surgery, Radiology, and Psych-Oncology.
Research and Publication
The fellow will have one research month. During the research month, the fellow will develop a research project and prepare manuscripts for peer review publication concerning their clinical research efforts.
Meetings and Conferences
The fellows will be required to present cases in the weekly breast multidisciplinary treatment conference on Tuesday mornings and to attend the weekly Parkland Hospital multidisciplinary breast cancer clinics. They will also be expected to attend the required conferences of each rotation. The fellows will work closely with the social workers in the breast center; the outreach coordinator (in charge of the patient library, support groups, and patient education); and the patient volunteers. This provides exposure to the psychosocial support team available to address the need of our patients.
Application
In order to apply to the breast fellowship at UT Southwestern Center for Breast Care, a candidate must submit the following required documents:
- Letter of Intent or Purpose
- Current C.V.
- Two training program letters of recommendation (one from the Department Head or Program Director)
- USMLE scores Steps 1 and 2
- A completed Society of Surgical Oncology application form
- Foreign applicants must have and submit ECFMG certification
Eligibility
In order to apply, a fellowship candidate must have completed their training and hold an MD or equivalent degree and be board eligible or certified in the specialties of Surgery, Genetics, Medical Oncology, Pathology, Plastic Surgery, Psychology or Psychiatry, Diagnostic Radiology, or Radiation Oncology.
Contact Information
| Training Program Director: | Rachel Wooldridge, MD |
| Associate Director: | Carissia Calvo, MD |
| Address: | Rachel Wooldridge, MD, Program Director University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard Dallas, TX 75390-8548 |
| Phone: | 214-648-5890 |
| Fax: | 214-648-1118 |
| Email: | BreastFellowship@utsouthwestern.edu |