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Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship
Our Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Program is an advanced, four-year program certified by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). With 12 fellows learning from more than 25 faculty members, the program provides comprehensive clinical training to physicians preparing to practice full-time gynecologic oncology and introduces them to clinical, translational, and laboratory-based research, preparing graduates for careers as future leaders in gynecologic oncology, academic gynecologic oncology, or as physician scientists.
Since its beginnings, the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Training Program was accredited by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Recently, all gynecologic oncology fellowships in the U.S. were transitioned to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and the process was completed in January 2020. The Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Program at MD Anderson has produced many of the leaders in the field, including clinical investigators and physician-scientists: Many alumni are division heads, OB/GYN department chairs and more than 10 have served as president of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology.
How to apply
A history of excellence in Gynecologic Oncology
The Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Training Program, initiated in the 1950s by Dr. Felix Rutledge, is now the largest training program for gynecologic oncologists in the world. The goal is to train fellows to become academic gynecologic oncologists who are highly skilled, knowledgeable surgeons capable of establishing new academic gynecologic oncology programs at other teaching institutions.
As part of our mission to train the next generation of leaders in
Gynecologic Oncology, the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and
Reproductive Medicine has dedicated its T32 training program to
cultivating outstanding academic Gynecologic Oncologists – both
clinician investigators and physician-scientists. Our program provides
opportunities in a broad range of research training disciplines
including, but not limited to, cancer biology, molecular therapeutics,
tumor immunology, health disparities, epidemiology, health services
research, and clinical trial design/implementation. This versatility
in academic training increases the likelihood of obtaining an academic
position upon completion of training.
Meet our fellows
Learn more about our fellows and alumni.
Program Mission
Our gynecologic oncology fellowship aims to train the next generation of academic gynecologic oncologists who will provide excellent surgical and medical care to women with gynecologic malignancies, advance the field of gynecologic oncology in translational research, clinical research, and education, and become leaders in the field of gynecologic oncology at the local, national and international level.
Right: Fellows attend a didactics session with Pamela Soliman, M.D., M.P.H., director of our Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Program and a professor of Gynecologic Oncology.
Program Aims
- To train gynecologic oncology fellows who will become board-certified gynecologic oncologists within five years of graduation.
- To provide a supportive, mentored research experience in the first two years that encourages fellows to explore their individual research interests so that our fellows will develop skills that will allow them to perform independent research and pursue grant funding after fellowship.
- To promote and develop leadership skills, so that our graduates become program directors, division directors, and society leaders in the field of gynecologic oncology.
Program Faculty
Our faculty members are international experts with decades of expertise in Gynecologic Oncology. The Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine department provides world-class comprehensive care of women with gynecologic cancers. As international leaders in the field, our physicians are driving innovations in cancer care through clinical trials, translational research, advanced surgical techniques and cancer prevention efforts. Our faculty members treat patients with all types of gynecologic cancers, including ovarian cancer, endometrial (uterine) cancer, cervical cancer, vulvar cancer, vaginal cancer, gestational trophoblastic disease, and others. In addition, we have specialty clinics focusing on cervix pre-invasive disease, high-risk ovarian cancer screening, oncofertility and acute gynecology issues in cancer patients.
Program Leadership
About the director
Pamela Soliman, M.D., M.P.H., is a professor of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at MD Anderson and is the Deputy Chair of the Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine department. She completed her fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2007 and joined our faculty at that time. She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia, in Richmond, Virginia.
About the associate director
Michaela Grinsfelder, M.D., M.P.H., is an assistant professor of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at MD Anderson. Before Grinsfelder joined the faculty of MD Anderson in 2017, she was a fellow in the MD Anderson Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Program. She completed a clinical residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Women and Infants Hospital/Warren Alpert School of Medicine/Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
Magda Duhon
Program Manager
Magda Duhon is the program manager for the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Program at MD Anderson. She first joined the Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine department in 2004, and has been working with the fellowship program since 2013. Magda has held multiple roles in the department, but feels like she has found her true calling within the fellowship. She is passionate about elevating the fellowship processes to ensure fellows have a positive and world-class experience on their journey to becoming outstanding gynecologic oncologists. Magda was the 2021 recipient of MD Anderson’s Outstanding Graduate Medical Education Program Administrator Award.
Kelly Schulz
Education Program Coordinator
Kelly Schulz is the education program coordinator for the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Program. She joined the department in 2022. Kelly works with our rotating clinical residents and fellows. She received a B.A. in Psychology from Baylor University and an M.Ed. in Counseling from the University of Houston.
Tara Monson Tran
Program Coordinator
Tara Monson Tran is the program coordinator for the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Program. She joined the department in 2023. Tara coordinates educational appointments and reappointments for postdoctoral fellows, residents, and other trainees, and helps support our fellowship program. She has a B.A. from Iowa State University.
Program Overview (structure and curriculum)
The Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Program at MD Anderson is Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited (#2254822001). There are three new fellow positions per year, with a total of 12 fellows in the program at any one time. Our program was continuously accredited by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) since the inception of subspecialty certification in 1973, until 2017 when ABOG discontinued accreditation of all gynecologic oncology programs and they were transitioned to ACGME accreditation.
The curriculum includes 24 months of research followed by 24 months of clinical training in gynecologic oncology. The research period permits fellows to pursue interests in either laboratory or clinical research with no routine patient responsibilities.
Research opportunities and training
The first two years of our four-year fellowship are dedicated to research. Our research fellows are funded on a prestigious NIH T32 training grant. We have three general research tracks: translational science, health services research, and clinical trialist. Soon after matching in our program, incoming fellows will meet with program leadership to discuss their research goals and interests to help place them in the appropriate track and identify mentors. Additionally, our fellows have the opportunity to work with, learn from, and collaborate with faculty members in our department as well as with research mentors across the institution. This includes Radiation Oncology, Surgical Oncology, and Investigational Cancer Therapeutics faculty members to name just a few. During the research years, our fellows will have both a primary T32 mentor as well as secondary mentors to help them realize their research goals. Currently, fellows who do not already have an additional master’s level degree (or higher) will enroll and either earn an M.P.H. or M.S. degree from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. During these two years, fellows are encouraged to submit and present their research at national meetings such as SGO, AACR, and ASCO.
Clinical training
Upon completion of the two-year research period, fellows begin an in-depth clinical training program. The clinical fellow is involved in all aspects of the patient’s care: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, intensive care, and palliative care. Clinical training is further emphasized in our outpatient clinics where fellows are responsible for new patient evaluations, follow-up/surveillance visits, and chemotherapy clearance evaluations. Gynecologic Oncology fellows are actively trained in the techniques of chemotherapeutic, biological, and targeted agents used to treat gynecologic malignancies and learn treatment planning, dosing, and methods of administering these agents. Though the majority of the clinical experience takes place at MD Anderson’s main campus, fellows spend two months per clinical year rotating at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital, a nearby county hospital that serves as a safety net for Houston’s uninsured and underinsured patients. The practical experience is augmented with a comprehensive didactic program.
Didactics
There is dedicated, protected, didactic time weekly on Monday afternoons. Lectures on various topics in gynecologic oncology are given by faculty members in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine as well as from our Radiation Oncology, Medical Oncology, and Pathology departments. We also have lectures from our clinical pharmacists, nutritionists, and from our Critical Care faculty. There is also a weekly pre-op conference where OR cases for the upcoming week are reviewed and discussed.
Career Development
Fellows are afforded the opportunity and encouraged to participate and present in regional and national conferences as well as serve on national committees such as the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, NRG Oncology and ASCO.
Board certification
Upon satisfactory completion of the four-year fellowship program, each fellow is eligible to take the written and oral examinations of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology for Board Certification in Gynecologic Oncology.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants will have completed a four-year residency program in obstetrics and gynecology accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in the U.S., or a five-year residency program in Canada accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and are eligible to take the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology written examination. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or have U.S. permanent residency status at the time of application.
Each applicant is reviewed by an Admissions Committee comprised of faculty and fellows. Top applicants, chosen on the basis of their credentials and letters of recommendation, are invited for a formal interview. For the 2022 interview season we will be conducting virtual interviews as was decided at the SGO Program Directors Workshop.
Interviews take place over a half day and include participation of the staff. Applicants have the opportunity to meet with faculty and current fellows. The final selection of fellows is made in a series of joint meetings of all staff members. All fellows are selected through the National Residency Matching Program. The salary and fringe benefits are competitive.
How to Apply
Our deadline for a position beginning July 1, 2023 has passed.
The deadline for submission of applications for the 2023 Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship was April 3, 2023, for a position beginning July 1, 2024. Interviews will take place on Monday, August 21, and Friday, August 25, 2023.
We will accept applications through the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS).
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship
Accreditation Number: X380000036
Required documents
In addition to the ERAS application, your completed application package must include:
- Three letters of recommendation (one from a program director) addressed to "Dear Program Director"
- We will accept (but do not require) the SGO standard letter of recommendation
- Personal statement
- Official transcript from each medical school attended
- USMLE transcript including all attempts
- Recent photograph
- CREOG scores - please email to mgduhon@mdanderson.org
Additional documents for foreign medical school applicants
Note: Documents in a language other than English must be submitted with a certified translation.
- Transcript of all college education
- ECFMG certificate
Additional documentation may be required before a candidate can be appointed.
Benefits at MD Anderson
- Compensation: GME Stipend Levels
- Vacation: 4 weeks per year with flexibility on choice of vacation time.
- Travel Funds: Fellows are awarded conference travel, books/educational material, and workshop allowances. In addition, fellows are sponsored by the program for one or two conferences annually.
- Fitness Facilities: Free access to the 16,000 square foot institutional fitness center with strength-training cardiovascular equipment, yoga, spin and group exercise rooms. The center is currently closed in relation to COVID-19 safety protocols, but online classes and programs are being offered. Free group classes are available to MD Anderson employees. Personal trainers are normally available for a fee.
- Benefits: Complete benefits package that includes medical, dental and disability insurance, a parking subsidy, institutional cell phone and laptop. Please see Graduate Medical Education Trainee Manual for full details.
- Parental/Family Leave: In concordance with ACGME requirements, we provide up to six weeks of paid parental and family leave during training.
- More information for applicants is available here.
Life in Houston
MD Anderson is located in the world’s largest medical city, the Texas Medical Center. In addition, Houston is the fourth-largest city and most diverse city in the United States, with something to offer everyone. Read more about why you should choose Houston.
Facts about Houston
- Fourth most populous city in the United States with an estimated 2.3 million residents in the city limits and more than 6 million living in the Greater Houston metro area.
- Houston has the fourth-largest economy in the country with a nominal gross area product of $522.9 billion.
- The Greater Houston area boasts the third-lowest cost of living among the top 20 most populous metro areas in the country.
- Two major award-winning airports serve the Houston area: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU). Together they provide nonstop service to 190 domestic and international destinations on 25 airlines.
- Houston ranked #11 in America’s Best Cities in 2020, list.
- Houston has a vibrant visual art and performance arts culture and is a mecca with hundreds of institutions that showcase artistic expression, history, culture, nature, and science including:
- Houston Museum of Fine Arts Houston
- Houston Museum of Natural Science
- Houston Ballet
- Houston Symphony
- Houston Grand Opera
- Alley Theatre
- Asia Society Texas Center
- Buffalo Soldiers National Museum
- Children’s Museum of Houston
- Holocaust Museum Houston
- Houston Zoo
- Menil Collection
- Houston Museum of African American Culture
- And many others.
- Houston has many prized sports teams with world-class teams including:
- Houston Astros baseball
- Houston Rockets basketball
- Houston Texans football
- Houston Dynamo men’s soccer
- Houston Dash women’s soccer
- Education
- 14 major institutions of higher learning (and others)
- Business
- The fourth most populous city in the country also has the fourth-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the nation. Twenty-two companies in the Houston area are on the 2020 Fortune 500 list.
- Parks and Recreation
- Hermann Park
- Memorial Park
- Buffalo Bayou Park
- Houston Arboretum and Nature Center
- Houston Bikeways
- Brazos Bend State Park (less than one hour away)
- Stephen F. Austin State Park (less than one hour away)
- Big Thicket National Preserve (1.5 hours away)
- Culinary capital of the world! Eat your way through Houston.
Facts about the Texas Medical Center
- Houston is home to the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest medical complex. About 106,000 people work within its facilities including close to 22,000 at MD Anderson alone. TMC is also building a new world-class life science campus called TMC3, a first-of-its-kind translational research initiative.
- Altogether, 7.2 million patients visit Texas Medical Center institutions each year, with MD Anderson recording more than 1.3 million outpatient clinical visits, treatments and procedures.
Read more about why Houston is a great place to live and work .
Meet Our Fellows

4th Year Deanna Glassman, M.D., M.S. (clinical)

4th Year Sarah Huepenbecker, M.D., M.P.H. (clinical)

4th Year Melissa Pham, M.D., M.P.H. (clinical)

3rd Year Samantha Batman, M.D., M.P.H. (clinical)

3rd Year Kirsten Jorgensen, M.D., M.P.H. (clinical)

3rd Year Ji “Jessica” Son, M.D., M.S. (clinical)

2nd Year Naomi Adjei, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.Ed. (research)

2nd Year Amma Asare, M.D., Ph.D. (research)

2nd Year Anne Knisely, M.D. (research)

1st Year Allison Brodsky, M.D. (research)

1st Year Nia Fernandez, M.D., Ph.D. (research)

1st Year Alexa Kanbergs, M.D., M.S., M.Sc. (research)
Meet Our Alumni
2023
|
Han Cun, M.D., M.S. Assistant Professor University of Chicago Medicine |
Jeffrey A. How, M.D., M.P.H., M.S. Assistant Professor The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
Roni Nitecki Wilke, M.D., M.P.H. Assistant Professor The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
2022
|
Monica Avila, M.D., M.P.H. Assistant Professor University of South Florida, and Gynecologic Oncologist H. Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Institute |
Ross Harrison, M.D., M.P.H. Assistant Professor Oregon Health and Science University |
Travis T. Sims, M.D., M.P.H. Assistant Professor The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
2021
|
Emily M. Hinchcliff, M.D., M.P.H. Assistant Professor Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine |
Christopher J. LaFargue, M.D., M.S. Gynecologic Oncologist Texas Oncology – Fort Worth Cancer Center |
Katherine I. Stewart, M.D., MBA Assistant Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine |
2020
|
Robert L. Dood, M.D., M.S. Assistant Professor University of Utah School of Medicine and Huntsman Cancer Institute |
Joseph Dottino, M.D., M.P.H. Instructor Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center - Boston |
R. Tyler Hillman, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
2019
|
Shannon Armbruster, M.D., M.P.H. Assistant Professor Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine |
Katherine Kurnit, M.D., M.P.H. Assistant Professor University of Chicago Medicine |
Rudy Suidan, M.D., M.S. Gynecologic Oncologist Advocate Medical Group |
2018
|
Jean Hansen Siedel, D.O., M.S. Clinical Assistant Professor Rogel Cancer Center - University of Michigan |
Janelle Pakish Darby, M.D., M.S. Assistant Professor Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center |
Jolyn Taylor, M.D., M.P.H. Assistant Professor The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
2017
|
Michaela Grinsfelder, M.D., M.P.H. Assistant Professor The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
Lauren Prescott, M.D., M.P.H. Assistant Professor Vanderbilt University Medical Center |
Rebecca Previs, M.D., M.S. Director, Medical Affairs Labcorp Oncology |
2016
|
Alaina Brown, M.D., M.P.H. Associate Professor Vanderbilt University Medical Center |
Heather Dalton, M.D., M.S. Gynecologic Oncologist Arizona Center for Cancer Care |
Kari Ring, M.D., M.S. Assistant Professor University of Virginia School of Medicine |
2015
|
Amanda Bruegl, M.D., M.S. Assistant Professor Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine |
Laura Holman, M.D., M.S. Associate Professor University of Oklahoma College of Medicine Stephenson Cancer Center |
Behrouz Zand, M.D., M.S. Gynecologic Oncologist Houston Methodist |
2014
|
Justin Bottsford-Miller, M.D., M.S. Gynecologic Oncology Department Chair, and Inpatient Cancer Care Medical Director, Billings Clinic |
Erin K. Crane, M.D., M.P.H. Assistant Director, Gynecologic Oncology Department of Obstetrics Carolinas Medical Center |
David A. Iglesias, M.D. Associate Professor Division of Gynecologic Oncology Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Carilion Clinic |
Contact Information
Magda Duhon
Program Manager
Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
1155 Pressler St.
Houston, TX 77030
Phone: 713-563-6720
Fax: 713-745-2398
Email
MD Anderson Cancer Center is committed to encouraging good health and staying true to our mission to end cancer. If you are applying for a GME fellowship or residency program starting on or after July 1, 2016, please be advised that MD Anderson will have instituted a tobacco-free hiring process as part of its efforts to achieve these goals. If you are offered an appointment, you will be subject to a Pre-Employment Drug Screen for tobacco compounds in compliance with applicable state laws. If you do not pass the urine drug screening which includes testing for tobacco compounds, you CANNOT be appointed at MD Anderson. Should you fail to meet this contingency, MD Anderson will withdraw your offer of appointment for the academic year. You may reapply for the following academic year, but there are no guarantees that you will be offered a position as many of our programs are already filled for several years out.
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