FELLOWSHIP IN RHEUMATOLOGY AT UCSF

The Rheumatology Fellowship Program at UCSF integrates clinical and research activities of the Divisions of Rheumatology located at each of the three UCSF training hospitals: San Francisco General Hospital, Moffitt-Long Hospital, and the San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center. The program consists of one year of extensive clinical training, followed by one to two years of research experience and further clinical training.

Rheumatology Fellows Retreat 2002

Description of the Program

The inclusion of all three teaching hospitals of the University of California, San Francisco, in the Rheumatology Fellowship Program assures fellows an exposure to a large and diverse patient population and to a faculty with broad clinical and scientific expertise. Fifteen full-time faculty members comprise the Divisions of Rheumatology. In addition, we have close associations with faculty in related areas, including allergy, pediatrics, radiology, orthopedics, rehabilitative medicine, microbiology/immunology, and epidemiology. Twenty additional part-time clinical faculty members play an important role as attending physicians in the outpatient clinics and on the inpatient consult services.

Rheumatology Fellows Retreat 2001

Clinical Training in Rheumatology

First year fellows spend four months on the inpatient consultation service at each of the three teaching hospitals and participate in four outpatient clinics. Members of the faculty supervise each of these activities.

Following each outpatient clinic there is a conference that serves as a forum to discuss interesting patients. Participants at these conferences include rheumatology faculty members, orthopedic surgeons, and bone radiologists.

During all three years of the training program, fellows and faculty members participate in regularly scheduled teaching exercises. These include a weekly conference covering basic pathophysiology and clinical topics, a monthly journal club, and research conferences with participation by all three teaching hospitals.

The second and third years are devoted primarily to intensive training in laboratory or clinical research, but fellows continue to follow their own patients one-half day per week in an outpatient clinic. Research may be conducted at any of the three teaching hospitals and, under some circumstances, in divisions outside of rheumatology. Candidates are not required to elect an area of research prior to entering the Fellowship Training Program. The selection can be made during the first year of the program. In addition to the activities within the Division of Rheumatology, UCSF offers a rich environment in contemporary biomedical research. Basic science seminars and graduate courses are readily available to the trainee.

Fellows choosing a career in clinical rheumatology continue their outpatient clinical responsibilities at the three teaching hospitals. In addition, they spend their second year on rotations through pediatric rheumatology, radiology, allergy/immunology, dermatology, and occupational medicine. Fellows become board eligible at the end of their second year.

Rheumatology Fellows Retreat 2002

Research Activities

Research training opportunities in the UCSF Rheumatology Division are exceptionally broad. This page summarizes briefly the research activities of the rheumatology faculty at each of the three UCSF teaching hospitals. In addition to the specific research experiences under the direction of members of the Rheumatology Divisions, the University of California, San Francisco offers a large number of courses and ongoing seminars to supplement and enhance training in biomedical research.

Applications

Selection of fellows is coordinated by co-Directors Drs. David Daikh and David Wofsy at the following address:

VA Medical Center
4150 Clement St. (111R)
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 750-2104

Application requires the completion of the application form and the submission of three letters of recommendation. Interview is by invitation. Applicants will be notified of the need for an interview within three weeks of the submission of the application and the receipt of letters of recommendation.

To request an application, please send e-mail to dgo@itsa.ucsf.edu.