Leukemia Fellowship

General Information
The Leukemia Fellowship Program accepts applications for potential positions August 1, 2024, through October 31, 2024, with the program accepting a limited number of new fellows each year. Initially, a one-year commitment to the Program is required. Fellows in their first year may be considered for an additional year at their request.

The Leukemia Fellowship is non-standard and commences July 1 through June 30 and is recognized by the Texas Medical Board as an approved fellowship program. The program is affiliated with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Hematology/Oncology Fellowship which is accredited by ACGME.

For general inquires please send email to leuktrain@mdanderson.org.

The Program achieves its goals through a combination of inpatient and outpatient clinical experiences.  The ACGME core competencies and milestones are achieved through a required set of rotations, a didactic curriculum and elective rotations designed to broaden the base of knowledge. The Fellowship complements the hands on training with an even broader range of conferences that are available through national and international hematology and medical oncology organizations.  Fellows are involved in clinical research and are encouraged to develop a research program of his/her own and to compete for national presentations and awards. 

The recent achievements of our Program describes an undeniable understanding just how valuable it is to provide in-depth clinical training in the diagnosis and management of leukemia and related malignant disorders (MDS, MPN), and to provide clinical and research training in acute leukemia. 

During the first year of fellowship is designed to orient the trainee to the diseases and treatments commonly encountered in leukemia.  This intense, hands-on training includes outpatient clinics where the fellow serves as the primary oncologist for the patient, and benefits from close precepting.  Fellows are expected to learn about each case from all available resources, including literature and faculty experts.  During this time, the fellow also rotates through leukemia inpatient wards to gain focused exposure to specific disease types.

During the optional second year of training, the fellow continues to expand his or her general clinical education through outpatient clinic, inpatient consults and specialty projects.  In addition to the clinical responsibilities, fellows begin to focus on a narrow subspecialty, both clinically and in research.

• Individuals applying for admissions into the Leukemia Fellowship Program must hold either a M.D./D.O. degree or its foreign equivalent.
• Applicants must have a valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).
• At minimum, applicants with a M.D. degree or its foreign equivalent must have completed USMLE Step I and USMLE Step II CK. 
• At minimum, applicants with a D.O. degree or its foreign equivalent must have completed all three parts of the COMLEX exam.
• Additionally, all applicants must have passed each step/part/level of a licensure examination (USMLE or COMLEXII) within three (3) attempts.
• Applicants must be a U.S. Citizen, Permanent Resident, or be eligible for J-1 Visa Sponsorship.  The J-1 visa is sponsored by the Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).   
• MD Anderson Cancer Center does not offer or sponsor H-1B Visas for GME Trainees.

The Leukemia Fellowship Program accepts applications for positions from August 1 through October 31 annually.
The deadline for submission of applications for the 2025-2026 Academic Year is October 31, 2024.
The Leukemia Fellowship Program academic cycle is July 1 through June 30 annually; late starts are not permitted.
All application contingencies must be finalized prior to the deadline. Incomplete applications and late inquiries will not be accepted.

• Applications are accepted through the Leukemia Educational Program Office and are available on a highly competitive basis.
• To initiate the application process, please email a current CV to leuktrain@mdanderson.org with the following documents listed below.
• The application checklist provides information regarding the required documents to submit with your application and instructions to request documents from external entities to submit to our clinical fellowship program.
• Interviews will tentatively be conducted upon completion of all application requirements, and, if chosen to move forward in the application and selection processes.

MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Graduate Medical Education Office requires the following documentation to process an applicant for the Leukemia Clinical Fellowship Program:

Application Checklist 

Application form:

• Complete the attached application form and email the application and all supporting documents to leuktrain@mdanderson.org

CV (curriculum vitae):

• A written description of an individual's educational background, work experience and related professional accomplishments

Three letters of recommendation:

• Letters must be dated no more than one year prior to the signature date on the application and must be on letterhead with original signatures.
• One of the letters must come from the CURRENT program director (IF APPLICABLE), and the other two (or three) must come from persons qualified to comment on your qualifications for the clinical appointment to which you are applying.
• Letters of Recommendation must be sent directly from the referee to our program email address leuktrain@mdanderson.org

Licensure Exam Transcripts:

Applicants must pass each step/part/level of an exam within three (3) attempts.

• M.D.s (USMLE, NBME, FLEX, SPEX exams): Submit the Federation of State Medical Boards' Examination and Board Action History Report (EBAHR).  Please download the request through the following website: www.fsmb.org
• D.O.s (NBOME, COMLEX exams): Submit the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME).  Please download the request through the following website: https://www.nbome.org.
• Canadian Medical Graduates: who do not have a USMLE transcript may submit the Licentiate of the Medical Council (LMCC) transcript. A Certified Statement of Registration with the LMCC is required. Please transfer your examination result documents via the following website: mcc.ca

Medical school transcripts:

• Submit unofficial official transcripts from all medical schools attended. Transcripts from the school of graduation with transfer credits may not be used in lieu of an official transcript from the original medical/dental school. An official medical school transcript is one that comes directly from the medical/dental school to MD Anderson Cancer Center, or from the candidate directly only if received in a sealed envelope with a medical school stamp or official's signature across the seal. We do not accept copies of transcripts, notarized or otherwise.

Credential Evaluations:

• Graduates of medical schools outside the U.S. and Canada must submit a credential evaluation conducted by an accredited foreign education evaluation agency verifying degree equivalency in the U.S. 

See a list of evaluation companies.  (Please note: The FCVS packet does not fulfill this requirement.)

Program Certificates of Completion:

• Provide Program Certificates of Completion (copies are acceptable) from all graduate medical education (GME) programs (residencies and/or fellowships) that have been completed.

Letter of Good Standing:

If you are currently in a GME program but have not yet completed it, submit a Letter of Good Standing from your program director.

• Letters of Good Standing must be dated no more than six months prior to the anticipated start date.
• Letter must include your current PGY level.
• Letter must include your program start and end dates.

Translations:

Documents in a language other than English (including Latin) must be accompanied by a Certified English translation.

ECFMG certificate:

Graduates of medical schools outside the U.S. and Canada must provide a copy of an ECFMG certificate, valid at the program start date.

Information for GME Applicants

Class of 2023

Fellow | Next Assignment | Location
Tareq Abuasab, M.D. | Assistant Professor - Hematology & Oncology
    Baylor College of Medicine | Houston, TX
Alexandre Bazinet, M.D. | Assistant Professor - Leukemia
    MD Anderson Cancer Center | Houston, TX
Rodrick Babakhanlou, M.D. | Consultant
    The Royal Marsden Hospital | London, United Kingdom
Sai Prasad Desikan, M.D. | Clinical Fellow - Nephrology
    Ohio State University | Columbus, OH
Faustine Ong, M.D. | Clinical Fellow – Hematology & Oncology
    Moffitt Cancer Center | Tampa, FL
Jayastu Senapati, M.D. | Assistant Professor - Leukemia
    MD Anderson Cancer Center | Houston, TX

Class of 2022

Fellow | Next Assignment | Location
Daniel Rivera, M.D. | UT Health Houston Program (Hematopathology Residency) | Houston, TX
Fadi Haddad, M.D. | MD Anderson - Assistant Professor - Leukemia | Houston, Texas
Kunhwa Kim, M.D. | MD Anderson – DoCM Hematology/Oncology Fellow | Houston, Texas
Sangeetha Venugopal, M.D. | Sylvester Cancer Center, University of Miami (Assistant Professor) | Miami, FL

Class of 2020

Fellow | Next Assignment | Location
Yasmin Alwash, M.D. |  Mount Sinai Medical Center | Miami, Florida
Danielle Hammond, M.D. | MD Anderson Cancer Center | Houston, Texas
Shehab Mohamed, M.D. |  National Center of Cancer Care and Research | Doha, Qatar
Kiyomi Morita, M.D. Ph.D. |  AstraZeneca | Tokyo, Japan
Jorge Ramos-Perez, M.D. | City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center | Duarte, CA
Maria Siddiqui, M.D. | Baylor College of Medicine | Houston, Texas

Class of 2020

Fellow | Next Assignment | Location
Hycienth Ahaneku, M.D., Dr.PH. |  Beaumont Health System Royal |  Oak, Michigan
Ahmad Saleh T Alotaibi, M.D. | King Faisal Specialist Hospital | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Veronica Guerra, M.D. | Mount Sinai Medical Center  |  Miami, Florida
Arrvind Raghunath, MBBS | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center | Lubbock, Texas
Bachra Samra, M.D. | Presbyterian Healthcare System | Albuquerque, New Mexico
Omar Shahin, MBBCh | King Hussein Cancer Center | Amnan, Jordan
Guillaume Richard-Carpentier, M.D. | Queen's University Kingston | Ontario, Canada

Class of 2019

Fellow | Next Assignment | Location
Iman Abou Dalle, M.D. |  American University of Beirut - Lebanon | Beirut, Lebanon
Mansour Alfayez, M.D. |  King Fahad Medical City | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Yamil Michelen Alvarez, M.D. | Stony Brook University Hospital |  Stony Brook, New York
Darwin Roman, M.D. | University of Southern California | Los Angeles, California
Mahran Shoukier, M.D. | MD Anderson Cancer Center - Gen. Internal Med. (Fellow) | Houston, Texas
Mahesh Swaminathan, MBBS | Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center | Buffalo, New York
Eran Tallis, M.D. | Baylor College of Medicine | Houston, Texas
Fevzi Firat Yilnaz, M.D. | MD Anderson Cancer Center - Stem Cell (Fellow) | Houston, Texas