Jackson Memorial Medical Center in affiliation with the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine

Miami, Florida

Training Program Director: Nipun B. Merchant, MD

Associate Program Director Neha Goel, MD

The Division of Surgical Oncology at  Jackson Memorial Medical Center in affiliation with the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine offers a two-year clinical fellowship program in Complex General Surgical Oncology. First established in 1974, this fellowship received its initial review and approval by Society of Surgical Oncology in 1984 and became ACGME accredited in 2012.

The aim of the fellowship is to train clinical and academic leaders in the multidisciplinary management of the cancer patient. The Surgical Oncology fellows benefit greatly from the large referral base and an unusually large proportion of locoregionally advanced neoplasia in the catchment area of this Medical Center which includes the southern half of the State of Florida, the Caribbean basin, Central and South America.

Clinical activities are based at Jackson Memorial Hospital (JMH), a quaternary care institution operated by the Public Health Trust of Dade County, the JMH Breast Center, the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center (SCCC) and the University of Miami Hospital (UMH), a Medical Center now comprising well in excess of 2,000 inpatient beds. Fellows work closely with their attending preceptors in inpatient, outpatient and operating room settings.

One fellow is taken each year and trained broadly and intensively in the art and science of cancer surgery and multidisciplinary management of cancer patients. Over the two years, fellows spend 18 months in clinical oncology training and are afforded ample opportunities for integrated basic, translational, clinical, outcomes and health services-related research.

Clinical Rotations

The Division of Surgical Oncology is organized into functionally independent services to assure complete separation of fellows and general surgery residents while affording them excellent, well-balanced experience throughout. The first year of the fellowship is comprised of rotations in Surgical Pathology, Radiation and Medical Oncology  (one month each), followed by site disease-based clinical/operative rotations taken under faculty supervision in gastroesophageal, hepatopancreaticobiliary, colorectal and breast neoplasia, soft tissue sarcoma, melanoma and endocrine neoplasms. Rotations in head and neck surgery, gynecologic oncology or thoracic surgery are also available to interested fellows.

The first half of the second year is a continuing maturation of experience in complex clinical surgical oncology and the remainder of the fellowship is devoted to investigational surgical oncology under identified mentors.

Under faculty supervision, the fellows cover their own weekly Surgical Oncology outpatient clinic at JMH. They also attend and participate in outpatient care in their faculty preceptors’ clinics at SCCC.

Meetings and Conferences

A two-year recurring didactic Core Curriculum lecture series and 8 to 12 Journal Clubs are held every year. Fellows attend and contribute to the weekly patient care conferences during which perioperative and postoperative patient management are discussed and multidisciplinary tumor board conferences during each respective clinical rotation. In addition, fellows attend Surgical Grand Rounds, the weekly Morbidity and Mortality Rounds of the Department of Surgery and multidisciplinary conferences and tumor boards on their off-service rotations.

Research Opportunities

Each fellow is required to submit one or more abstracts and papers from their research activities for peer-reviewed presentation and publication. Fellows wishing to pursue a full-time academic career have the option of taking a fully-funded third year devoted to basic, translational, clinical, outcomes or health services related research with appropriate mentors. As a continuation of the last six months of the second year, this provides an excellent opportunity for trainees to successfully compete for peer-reviewed funding on the way to becoming fully independent surgeon-scientists.

Careers, Benefits, and Eligibility

Over 50% of our graduates choose a career in academia. Salary is commensurate with the level of training. Funding for educational attendance at one national meeting per year is provided. Candidates must have completed a fully accredited surgical residency prior to the start of the Surgical Oncology Fellowship and be Board certified or eligible. Foreign applicants must have completed a surgical residency program in their country and meet all University of Miami Graduate Medical Education requirements and must be eligible for an educational or regular Florida medical license. We accept  J-I Visas.

Contact Information