Rutgers offers two-year fellowship program to enhance training of cancer surgeons

Aiming to enhance the training of cancer surgeons, a two-year fellowship program is now being offered by Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. The Fellowship in Complex General Surgical Oncology offers board-eligible surgeons an opportunity to subspecialize in the intricacies of cancer care both in the clinical and research arenas.

"Offering this specialized training within an academic unit that collaborates with a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center is ideal, since the nature of the cases here is often unique and complex. This type of environment is more conducive to learning the realities of this rapidly-changing field rather than just reading about a unique procedure or diagnosis in the classroom," says Rutgers Cancer Institute Chief Surgical Officer and Associate Director for Clinical Science Howard L. Kaufman, MD, FACS, who is also a professor of surgery and a professor of medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

David A. August, MD, chief, section of gastrointestinal surgical oncology at Rutgers Cancer Institute and professor of surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, has been appointed as director of the fellowship program, which provides advanced training for candidates. This includes rotations within the areas of gastrointestinal surgical oncology, melanoma/soft tissue surgical oncology, breast surgical oncology, head and neck surgery, pathology, medical oncology and radiation oncology. Basics of tumor biology and the biology of cancer therapies - including surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation therapy - also are covered.

There also is a focus on research. Along with required training in clinical research methods and regulatory issues, fellows have an opportunity to explore laboratory research, public health research and clinical trials research with an emphasis on translational research. They may also request a third year of training devoted to research.

"This fellowship is an investment in the next generation of cancer surgeons, as it prepares them to provide comprehensive surgical care in an oncology setting. Using cutting-edge technologies and training alongside nationally renowned experts in the field, these fellows will learn how to apply a multidisciplinary approach to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer," says Leonard Y. Lee, MD, FACS, FACC, FCCP, the James W. Mackenzie Chair in Surgery, professor and interim chair of the Department of Surgery and chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital - the flagship hospital of Rutgers Cancer Institute.

Mihir Shah, MD, has been selected as the program's inaugural Fellow. Dr. Shah completed his general surgery training at the Cleveland Clinic and is currently a Fellow in the minimally invasive surgery program at Emory University in Atlanta. He will begin the Fellowship in Complex General Surgical Oncology on August 1.