Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship

1. To train gynecologic oncology fellows who will become board-certified gynecologic oncologists within five years of graduation.
2. 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.
3. To promote and develop leadership skills, so that our graduates become program directors, division directors, and society leaders in the field of gynecologic oncology.

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.

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.

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 2023 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. 

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.

Sample contract for prospective trainees

A sample contract for prospective trainees may be viewed here.

• 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.
• Tobacco restrictions: MD Anderson 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, please be advised that MD Anderson has instituted a tobacco-free hiring process as part of its efforts to achieve these goals. Read more on the Information for GME Applicants page.
• More information for applicants is available here.