For physicians dedicated to enhancing patient quality of life through comprehensive care, the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) offers unparalleled training. Situated within the esteemed Supportive Care Service of the Department of Medicine, this ACGME-accredited program is a leading choice among Palliative Care Residency Programs, accepting six fellows annually. Our fellowship provides rigorous, hands-on experience, training fellows alongside Advanced Practice Providers in Hospice and Palliative Care, fostering a collaborative and interdisciplinary learning environment.
This distinguished program welcomes doctors who have completed residency in a broad spectrum of specialties including internal medicine, family medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation, psychiatry, neurology, anesthesiology, surgery, pediatrics, emergency medicine, radiology, or obstetrics and gynecology. It is meticulously designed for those aiming to not only master the complexities of palliative medicine but also to emerge as pioneers and leaders in this rapidly evolving field.
Mission: Cultivating Leaders in Palliative Care
Our mission is to develop highly skilled, empathetic, collaborative, and inquisitive physicians into expert palliative care specialists and academic leaders. We are committed to fostering a generation of doctors who are not only proficient clinicians but also advocates and innovators in palliative medicine.
A Legacy of Excellence in Palliative Care Training
MSK’s pioneering role in palliative care dates back to the 1980s, establishing it as a cornerstone in the field. Visionaries like neurologist Dr. Kathleen Foley and nurse practitioner Nessa Coyle were pivotal in shaping palliative care as we know it today. Their groundbreaking work at MSK was instrumental in educating the first wave of pain specialists and palliative care professionals across disciplines—nurses, doctors, social workers, and chaplains.
Building on this rich heritage, MSK’s Supportive Care Service boasts over four decades of leadership in complex pain management, psychosocial palliative care, and advanced communication skills training. Our expansive interprofessional team, now over 70 members strong, integrates clinical service, research, and training seamlessly across both inpatient and outpatient settings. This deep-rooted experience ensures our Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship delivers an exceptional training experience, setting the standard for palliative care residency programs.
Comprehensive Training Program: Shaping Expert Palliative Care Providers
Our program is meticulously structured to provide fellows with the comprehensive knowledge and practical skills necessary to excel as palliative care experts. We focus on preparing our fellows to effectively care for a diverse patient population and their families across various healthcare settings.
Core Clinical Rotations
The cornerstone of our fellowship is the Inpatient Consult Service rotation. Here, fellows are integral members of an interdisciplinary team comprising physicians, advanced practice providers, social workers, chaplains, and a specialized palliative-care-trained pharmacist. This collaborative model exposes fellows to an unmatched level of acuity and complexity in palliative care, encompassing both intricate symptom management and sensitive communication scenarios.
To ensure a well-rounded perspective, our palliative care residency program includes rotations in diverse settings. Fellows gain experience in our thriving ambulatory practice, leveraging telemedicine to expand care access. Pediatric palliative care rotations offer specialized skills for younger patients, and hospice experiences, in partnership with the Visiting Nurse Service of New York and Calvary Hospital, provide insight into end-of-life care. Furthermore, a four-week rotation at the Palliative Care Service at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center broadens fellows’ experience to managing palliative care needs for patients with a wide array of non-cancer diagnoses, enriching their understanding of diverse patient populations.
Engaging and Comprehensive Curriculum
Our fellowship curriculum is thoughtfully designed and delivered during weekly Academic Mornings. This dedicated, protected time ensures fellows can fully engage in professional development without clinical duties. These sessions, for which lunch is provided, typically culminate in the Supportive Care Grand Rounds, offering exposure to complex clinical cases and varied expert perspectives within palliative care.
Interactive Didactic Sessions
- Symptom Management and Pharmacology: Fellows delve into evidence-based strategies for managing a broad spectrum of symptoms commonly encountered in palliative care. The curriculum emphasizes pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to alleviate suffering and improve patient comfort.
- Communication Skills Mastery: Fellows refine their communication skills through our renowned ComSkil program. This intensive training equips them to navigate sensitive and challenging conversations with patients, families, and interdisciplinary colleagues, crucial for effective palliative care.
- Care Coordination and Medical Ethics: Sessions explore best practices in coordinating seamless care across diverse healthcare settings. Fellows also engage with complex ethical dilemmas frequently encountered in palliative care, developing a framework for ethical decision-making.
- Psychosocial Support Expertise: Fellows gain in-depth understanding of the psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions of palliative care. They learn to provide holistic support to patients and families facing serious illness, addressing emotional and existential distress alongside physical symptoms.
Expanded Learning Opportunities
- Interactive Case-Based Learning Series: Fellows actively participate in detailed case discussions, enhancing their clinical reasoning and decision-making capabilities through real-world scenarios.
- Resiliency and Well-Being Program: Recognizing the demanding nature of palliative care, fellows engage in group supervision with a dedicated social worker and attend workshops focused on building resilience. These sessions provide practical tools and strategies to manage stress, foster self-compassion, and promote overall well-being throughout their rigorous training.
- Narrative Medicine Series: This unique series explores the profound role of narrative medicine in understanding patient experiences. Fellows learn to harness the power of storytelling to deepen empathy and enhance patient-centered clinical practice.
- Existential Rounds: This weekly forum offers a supportive space for fellows to discuss challenges, share successes, and connect with peers through open discussions and reflective exercises, often incorporating themed poems to encourage introspection and shared understanding.
This comprehensive curriculum establishes a robust foundation for fellows to become not only highly competent but also deeply compassionate palliative care providers, ready to lead in their field.
Scholarly Activities and Research Opportunities
Our palliative care residency programs emphasize scholarly development.
Required Scholarly Activities: Fellows build a diverse portfolio of scholarly work, including submitting abstracts to the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), presenting case studies, participating in journal clubs and ethics forums, developing a supportive care panel, and culminating in a presentation at Supportive Care Grand Rounds.
Additional Scholarly Opportunities: Fellows are encouraged to enrich their academic experience through quality improvement projects, involvement in ongoing research initiatives, gaining valuable teaching experience, and applying for the prestigious Frances Young Tang Research Fellowship.
Application Information
The application cycle for our Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship begins one year prior to the fellowship start date. Applications are accepted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) starting in July, with interviews conducted through October.
Program Length: One year, with the option to apply for a second year as the Frances Young Tang Research Fellow.
Eligibility: Applicants must have completed an ACGME-accredited residency program in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, psychiatry, radiation oncology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, or neurology prior to commencing the fellowship.
Positions Available: Six
How to Apply to Our Palliative Care Residency Programs
To apply for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship, please use the July cycle of the ERAS application system. We participate in the National Resident Matching Program to fill all positions. Interviews are conducted from late August through October. Applications are reviewed and ranked by November, in preparation for the December match. Required application materials include three letters of recommendation (one from your residency or current program director), a personal statement, and USMLE or ECFMG test scores.
Frances Young Tang Research Fellowship: Advancing Palliative Care Research
For fellows who have completed hospice and palliative medicine fellowship training and are passionate about research, the Frances Young Tang Research Fellowship offers a unique mentored research experience. This one-year program is designed to cultivate academic researchers in palliative care. Ideal candidates are physicians with a strong research interest and a commitment to advancing the field of palliative care through scholarly inquiry.
The program provides fellows with protected time to:
- Conduct mentored research under experienced palliative care researchers.
- Develop expertise in designing and executing palliative care research studies.
- Acquire the skills necessary to publish research findings in peer-reviewed medical journals.
- Enhance their research foundation through enrollment in a research methodology course offered by Weill Cornell Medical College.
Application Process for the Frances Young Tang Research Fellowship
The Frances Young Tang Research Fellowship has a separate application process from the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Training Program. Application materials, including a statement of purpose, a research writing sample, a letter of recommendation, and a CV, must be submitted by the deadline of January 2.
For inquiries regarding the research fellowship and application process, please contact [email protected].
Acknowledgement: The Barbara Ziegler Palliative Care Educational Program generously supports one hospice and palliative medicine physician fellow each year through salary support. The Frances Young Tang Research Fellowship in Palliative Medicine is supported by a generous gift from the Tang Family Foundation, honoring Dr. Kathleen Foley’s pioneering contributions to the field.
Previous Fellows
{width=300 height=200}Ameish Govindarajan, MD
{width=300 height=200}Michael Lau, MD
{width=300 height=200}Tristan Lee, MD
{width=300 height=200}Carley Mitchell, MD
{width=300 height=200}Amna Rana, MD
{width=300 height=200}Lauren Ward, MD
Ameish Govindarajan, MD
UCLA Kern Medical Internal Medicine Residency
Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine
Future Plans: Dr. Govindarajan has received the Frances Young Tang Research Fellowship in Palliative Medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and plans to pursue a Hematology Oncology fellowship.
Michael Lau, MD
Medical School Name: University of Central Florida, College of Medicine
Residency Program Name: Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, Residency, Pediatrics
Other Fellowships: FTHS Fellowship, GME, Pediatrics – Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Future Plans: Michael Lau will be joining Kaiser Permanente Southern California (Fontana) in September 2024
Tristan Lee, MD
Medical School Name: Duke University School of Medicine
Residency Program Name: New York Presbyterian Hospital, Resident in Internal Medicine
Carley Mitchell, MD
Carley Mitchell completed medical school at Drexel University College of Medicine in 2020 and went on to complete an internal medicine residency at Case Western Reserve University Hospitals. After completing her HPM fellowship, she will be pursuing a hematology/oncology fellowship at University Hospitals – Seidman Cancer Center.
Amna Rana, MD
Medical School Name: Eastern Virginia Medical School – Norfolk, VA
Residency Program Name: Medstar Georgetown University Hospital; Internal Medicine Residency
Amna Rana has accepted an offer from Columbia to join as faculty for full-time palliative care physician. She will be joining in February 2025.
Lauren Ward, MD
Medical School Name: University of Minnesota Medical School
Residency Program Name: UT Southwestern Medical Center; Internal Medicine Residency
Lauren Ward has accepted an offer as a Critical Care Medicine Fellow with University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
