Clinical Sites
Clinical affiliations with Boston University, Brown University and Harvard University supplement the clinical experience at Roger Williams. The first year clinical rotations include two four-month core rotations at Roger Williams Medical Center in General Surgical Oncology. The Division is divided into two teams. One team concentrates on head and neck malignancies, breast tumor management, sarcoma and cutaneous malignancies. The second team has major interest in hepatobiliary, pancreas, esophagus, colorectal and endocrine surgery, with particular emphasis on minimally invasive approaches. The fellow's surgical oncology core time will be divided between these two groups.
Included in the experience are also four week rotations in Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, and Pathology. There is also a rotation (Month 4) on the colorectal service that provides experience in preoperative care, endoscopy, colorectal/anorectal surgery and postoperative care.
The second year begins with one month of core studies in biostatistics and clinical trials, in addition to investigational requirements of an institutional review board. In months 2–4, the fellow returns to the core program. This is followed by a two–month rotation on the Brigham and Women's Thoracic Service. The fellow then rotates to the Women & Infants Hospital's Breast Department followed by a one–month rotation with the gynecologic oncology service. There is a two–month hepatobiliary rotation at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York with Dr. Myron Schwartz. There is a choice of 1-month electives for the fellow, including a clinical observer ship at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh (UK) or neuro–oncology at Roger Williams. There is an optional three-year program that emphasizes laboratory and grant writing skills. This track is directed towards developing the surgical oncologist as a clinical and laboratory investigator capable of competing for independent funding.