Duke University Medical Center – Durham, NC
Program Director: Dan G. Blazer III (Trey), MD, FACS
About the Program
The Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship at Duke University offers a two-year clinical and research experience in complex general surgical oncology for fully trained general surgeons who desire to be academic leaders in surgical oncology.
The fellowship offers a broad-based experience in surgical oncology at the world-renowned Duke University Medical Center and Duke Cancer Institute. Designated in 1973 by the National Cancer Institute as one of the original eight comprehensive cancer centers, Duke University has a long history of academic excellence and delivers unparalleled cancer care to patients regionally, nationally, and internationally. The Duke Cancer Institute, which recently celebrated its 50th year as a comprehensive cancer center, sees more than 66,000 new cancer patients each year and receives more than $115 million in cancer research funding each year.
Our Faculty
The surgical faculty at Duke are international leaders in their respective fields. Over 20 faculty will be involved in the training of fellows. These faculty have established national reputations in hepatobiliary, soft tissue sarcoma, melanoma, colorectal, endocrine, and breast surgery. Faculty members include:
Peter Allen, MD, Division Chief, Surgical Oncology
Shelley Hwang, MD, MPH, Vice Chair of Research; Director, Breast Cancer Disease Group
Dan Blazer, MD, HPB Section Chief; Program Director, CGSO Fellowship
Maggie DiNome, MD, Breast Surgery Section Chief
Randall Scheri, MD, Endocrine Surgery Section Chief
Julie Thacker, MD, Colorectal Surgery Section Chief
Georgia Beasley, MD, MHS, Melanoma Surgery Section Chief; Co-Director, Melanoma Disease Group
Rotations
The core 2-year fellowship curriculum will include dedicated time on the following services:
Breast (1-2 months)
Endocrine (1-2 months)
Colorectal (1-3 months)
Melanoma (2 months)
Sarcoma/Gastric/Peritoneal Malignancies (2-4 months)
Liver/Pancreas (2-10 months)
Community Surgical Oncology (2 months)
Fellows will spend at least one day a week in clinic on each of the clinical services. This experience will ensure appropriate exposure to the multidisciplinary care of surgical oncology patients and will also ensure compliance with the multidisciplinary case requirements in the various oncologic disciplines. Opportunities for focused training in a specific oncologic area of interest in the second year will be addressed individually while ensuring compliance with minimum case requirements for board certification.
In addition, as of August 2019, the Duke HPB fellowship transitioned to an HPB-Surgical Oncology designation. This dual certification allows fellows training at Duke in Complex General Surgical Oncology (CGSO) to pursue additional specialty certification in HPB. Duke stands out as one of just a handful of CGSO fellowships to offer this dual certification.
Fellows will also spend a dedicated month on each of these 3 services: medical oncology, radiation oncology, and pathology. These experiences will be tailored to the fellows’ specific clinical interests. Fellows will also spend 4 months dedicated to clinical research. Fellows interested in basic science research during this time will be assessed on an individual basis to ensure an appropriate and productive experience.
The didactic curriculum will be integrated into pre-existing teaching curricula for HPB, breast, and endocrine fellows but will be enhanced to incorporate the entire breadth of general surgical oncology.
Contact Information
Program Director: Dan G. Blazer III (Trey), MD, FACS
Email: trey.blazer@duke.edu
Assistant Program Director: Allison Martin, MD, MPH
Email: allison.martin@duke.edu
Program Coordinator: Jennie Phillips
Email: jennie.phillips@duke.edu
Program Information
Length of program: 2 years
Eligibility: Applicants must have completed their residency training in general surgery at an approved US or Canadian program
Number of positions per year: 1
Address: DUMC 3443, Durham, NC 27710
Phone: 919-681-3816
How to Apply
Applications for fellowship positions will be made through ERAS. Following the application deadline, completed applications will be reviewed and candidates selected for interviews will be notified. In addition to the application, the following documents should also be included:
- A current curriculum vitae
- Personal statement
- Three letters of recommendation
- USMLE scores
- Recent photograph
- ECFMG certificate (foreign medical graduates only)
Duke University Hospital will participate in the national match program for Complex General Surgical Oncology administered by the NRMP.
Eligibility
By the beginning date of the fellowship, all applicants must have completed their residency training in an accredited general surgery program in the US or Canada and have attained qualification to sit for the examination of the American Board of Surgery.