Fellowship Details & Requirements

Our GME Office has preliminary eligibility requirements that all prospective trainees must meet before applying for a training program at our institution. In addition to these criteria, our program also has the following requirements:

• Individuals applying for admissions into the Melanoma Medical Oncology Fellowship Program must hold an M.D. or D.O. degree and have completed an ACGME-accredited residency in internal Medicine or 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). UT MD Anderson does not offer or sponsor H-1B Visas for GME Trainees.
• Applicants must provide a personal statement, biographical sketch, certified copy of doctoral diploma, certified transcript of medical school grades, and three letters of recommendation (usually including one from the director of residency training program).
• Graduates of foreign medical schools must also supply a certified copy of a valid ECFMG certificate, proof of foreign licensure, and a certified undergraduate college grade transcript. Other documents may be required in keeping with the recommendation of the Trainee Support Services. Application materials are then reviewed among the principal Fellowship Training Personnel.

Prerequisite Training  

All trainee candidates must hold an M.D. degree with prior residency training in Dermatology, Internal Medicine or Medical Oncology.  Fellows that have prior residency training in Dermatology will focus on didactics and outpatient melanoma/dermatology clinics. These fellows will not cover the inpatient service overnight. 

Candidates must have the following documents* in place prior to being considered for the Melanoma Oncology Fellowship Program:

1. Completed Application for Educational Appointment
2. Three letters of recommendation
3. Copy of doctoral diploma
4. Credentials evaluation for all credentials received outside the United States
5. Research Proposal (optional)

* All documents in a foreign language must be accompanied by certified English translation

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a smoke-free environment. 

Application Process

After review of the provisionally acceptable application, a decision to interview the applicant is made, and a 1-2 day interview itinerary is arranged, which includes appointments with the program training director, department chair, principal fellowship training faculty personnel and selected other clinical and research faculty from the Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology. A tour of the relevant facilities is also provided. Evaluations are obtained from each representative interviewed.

Based on the supplied application materials, evaluations, and any necessary personal, professional, or solicited references, a decision is made to either provide an informal offer, reject a candidate, or postpone the fellowship application for one year.  

Each accepted applicant is supplied with a copy of the Melanoma Oncology fellowship orientation manual, conference schedules, general fellowship guideline brochure and UT MD Anderson Trainee Survival Guide.   

Terms and Conditions of Appointment

Prior to or contemporaneously with the making of a recommendation for an offer of appointment, GME programs must inform applicants in writing of the terms and conditions of appointment and benefits, including financial support, paid time off, professional liability, insurance benefits, and the conditions under which living quarters, meals, and other services or their equivalent are provided. This information should also be provided on the website.

Appointment is contingent upon successful completion of all requirements of the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners (TSBME), the institution, and any requirements specified in this program description. The trainee may practice under an institutional permit or with an individual Texas Medical License. Trainees holding a permit or medical license assume the responsibility of maintaining a valid permit or license. Current written proof or a valid license or written proof of a valid permit must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Medical Education before a trainee may start a program. Further, trainees are required to maintain currently valid documents indicating evidence of their authorization to work in the United States in order to participate in a clinical training program. The appointment contract term is 12 months or less, generally commencing on July 1 of a calendar year and ending on June 30 of the following year. 

The Melanoma Oncology Fellowship Program provides supervised training in the practice of the treatment for various stages of melanoma, including diagnosis, therapeutic approaches, and the management of melanoma-related symptoms, as well as therapy related side effects. In addition, the Program’s goals are as follows:

• Develop independence and responsibility as a practicing oncologist with knowledge of melanoma 
• Provide supervised training in clinical and/or academic laboratory research 
• Develop skills in the six core competencies: (1) patient care, (2) medical knowledge, (3) practice-based learning and improvement (4) interpersonal and communication skills, (5) professionalism, (6) system-based practice.

First-Year Fellows

First-year fellows will rotate through clinics daily in the outpatient center and inpatient service and will assume clinical responsibility of the patients they see along with the attending physician and in coordination with the APP. All inpatient and outpatient care will be supervised by the attending physician.

Fellows completing our program must be capable of meeting the educational objectives listed below:

• Manage patients with advanced melanoma
• Perform Lumbar puncture and Ommaya puncture procedures
• Administration of intrathecal chemotherapy or immunotherapy via LP or Ommaya
• Perform intratumoral oncolytic administration
• Understand basic tumor immunology/cytokine/vaccine therapy
• Understand the tumor biology and natural history of melanoma and integrate this data with knowledge of multi-modal therapy to effectively diagnose and treat patients with this disease
• Understand melanoma biology signal transduction pathways and how this relates to targeted therapy approaches
• Assess the need for and effectively perform complex oncology therapy in the treatment of patients with melanoma
• Become an innovative physician-scientist or clinical investigator who can effectively translate laboratory discoveries into improvements in patient care
• Be an inspired teacher to instruct others in the principles of multi-disciplinary patient care and research at all levels - basic, translational, and clinical

At the completion of this clinical rotation, fellows should be able to:

• Understand the pathology and epidemiology of melanoma
• Understand the staging system for melanoma, AJCC 8th edition
• Comprehend the role of surgical treatment of melanoma
• Assess the risks and benefits of standard and experimental treatment regimens for melanoma
• Manage melanoma cytokine therapy, immune therapy, and targeted therapy
• Have a clear understanding of basic tumor immunology and cancer vaccines as well as targeted therapy
• Understand the rationale and process of translating research from the lab to the clinic
• Utilize laboratory endpoints to aid in the evaluation of experimental therapies used in clinical trials
• Interpret the results and understand the significance of publications describing translational research trials
• Facilitate the use of molecular testing in the treatment of melanoma patients

All training rotations are performed at UT MD Anderson.

Second-Year Fellows

Second-year fellows are expected to focus on clinical, translational, or basic science research and will be supervised by the appropriate clinical or research faculty, depending on which avenue the fellow pursues.

The Melanoma Fellowship Program offers an unprecedented opportunity for clinical fellows to get training in laboratory-based research in the immunology and molecular biology of melanoma. The program offers both extensive hands-on laboratory training and training on the theoretical aspects of cancer cell biology and tumor immunology related to melanoma.  

Fellows interested in laboratory research will be patterned after the Physician/Scientist Program.  Laboratory projects include analysis of human melanoma specimens and/or murine tumor models that can easily be translated to/from the clinic.

Fellows who are more clinically oriented will perform clinical research and patient care. Clinical research can include participating in prospective clinical trials of novel agents, designing and executing clinical trials, coordinating studies of biomarkers, and performing retrospective reviews of melanoma patients.

These areas include:

• Sterile techniques in the culture of tumor cell lines and lymphocytes isolated from patients
• Characterization of lymphocyte responses against melanoma antigens in human and murine systems
• DNA/RNA isolation and gene expression analysis by RT-PCR and microarray
• Protein analysis techniques (electrophoresis and reverse-phase protein chip arrays)
• Development of melanoma tumor animal models to test the effects of   different therapeutic agents
•  Development of skills in experimental planning, troubleshooting, and acquisition of up-to-date knowledge on the state-of-the-art approaches in melanoma tumor immunology and cell biology research
• Gain experience in developing and participating in IRB-approved lab or clinical protocols
• Anti-tumor vaccination strategies and monitoring of the anti-tumor immune response
• Functional analysis of tumor-infiltrating leukocytes and vaccine-induced anti-tumor T cell responses

Lecture Series topics encompass the following:

1. “Brain Mets/Leptomeningeal Disease – Isabella Glitza Oliva, M.D., Ph.D.
2. “Development of Targeted Therapy for Melanoma” – Michael Davies, M.D., Ph.D.
3. “Melanoma Overview” – Rodabe Amaria, M.D.
4. "Immunotherapy"- Hussein Tawbi, M.D.

Participant’s Supervisory and Teaching Responsibilities

Melanoma Oncology fellows do not have supervisory responsibilities. The melanoma oncology fellows provide extensive patient care and teaching services to UT MD Anderson. The fellows participate in the training of residents and medical students, and in the consultative education of UT MD Anderson faculty physicians of other disciplines. Significant emergency room and outpatient services are provided to the institution by the fellows, which includes after-hours and weekend service availability.

Inpatient/Outpatient Rotations

In this program, fellows rotate through the outpatient center, the inpatient melanoma service, including ICU, and the consultative service.

The outpatient melanoma clinic begins at 8 a.m. Fellow(s) are expected to see outpatients in the Melanoma and Skin Center, review relevant scans and reports and present each case to the faculty physician. Fellows are encouraged to maximize the interaction with the faculty by actively participating in the formulation of the plan of care. Fellows are required to participate in chemotherapy planning for the patients they have seen and work closely with the mid-level providers, clinic and research nurses. It is the responsibility of the fellow to dictate the full history and physical note on each patient they have seen in accordance with institutional documentation and billing guidelines. Clinic and research nurses, pharmacists, and the faculty are available to help with chemotherapy planning, orders, protocol requirements and instructions, and teaching. The primary care nurse and the midlevel provider will help with patient flow as well as clinical and radiograph assessment.

The inpatient service rounds with the attending physician begin between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., depending on the attending covering. Fellow(s) on the inpatient service take primary medical responsibility of the inpatients and are expected to pre-round on inpatients with the MLP prior to the formal attending/team rounds every morning. The morning rounds focus on efficiently identifying problems and formulating a plan of care for each patient. Morning rounds are meant to be educational and encourage the fellow to be proactive in learning from the attending physician. The fellow will share the responsibility of dictating the admission and discharge note with the APP. The fellow will be responsible for communicating with consulting physicians and other ancillary services to ensure patient care is delivered in an efficient manner so that the hospital stay is appropriate to the medical needs of the patient.

A call schedule will be drafted and distributed to the fellow(s) indicating the dates of inpatient coverage. The fellow covering is responsible for inpatient and emergency room admissions. The number of patients is variable and often determined by the patient census.

Moonlighting is not approved for the Melanoma Oncology Fellowship Program.

Progression in Responsibilities

During the first year of fellowship, the program director and co-director will assign rotations. Assignments will be determined with the goal of maximizing the learning experience of the fellow. In general, the first year rotation will be evenly distributed over the inpatient and outpatient areas. However, there may be circumstances when one setting or the other may provide a better learning experience for the trainee.

During the second year, the fellow(s) will spend the entire year conducting clinical, translational or basic science research under the direction of one or more faculty. The fellow is responsible for conducting the necessary background research and for the design of the clinical protocol, project or actual bench research investigation under the guidance of a faculty mentor.  The fellow will be required to present findings at weekly laboratory meetings or Melanoma Grand Rounds. Furthermore, the fellow is expected to prepare abstracts for submission and presentation at national meetings, as well as final manuscript preparation.

Fellows may also continue clinical research projects under faculty supervision during the second year.  Fellows who desire to conduct basic science research are expected to already possess the skills and experience in research to successfully complete their project and should identify a mentor during the first year of training.

Didactic Components

Conferences are scheduled around fellowship clinical responsibilities and activities. Critical developments in patients require that the fellow fulfill their clinical obligations, which may preclude attendance at scheduled meetings or conferences.

Conferences and Seminars

The fellowship trainees are expected to attend the following scheduled meetings:

Melanoma Medical Oncology

• Melanoma QA: Weekly, Mandatory 
• Melanoma Grand Rounds: Weekly, Mandatory 
• Melanoma Protocol Meeting: Monthly, Mandatory 
• Melanoma Multidisciplinary Conference (MELCO): Weekly, Mandatory 
• Melanoma Interdisciplinary Collaboration Meeting: Bi-Monthly, Optional 
• Journal Club: Monthly, Mandatory (fellow required to present once quarterly)

UT MD Anderson 

• Core Curriculum: Weekly, Mandatory

Evaluation 

Formal review of trainees occurs semi-annually with the program director and co-director. However, informal review of the trainees also occurs on an ongoing basis through daily interactions with the faculty.

Anonymous evaluations of the training program and individual faculty by the fellows are provided to critique and provide feedback for quality assurance and improvement.

Separate annual evaluations are provided to the Educational Office. Fellows are required to report duty hours to the GME office using an online mechanism coordinated by the GME office.

Trainees are given the opportunity to voice concerns during formal meetings with the program director and co-director, or informally on an ongoing basis. Trainee signatures on the evaluation are optional so as to preserve anonymity.

The Melanoma Oncology Fellowship Program at UT MD Anderson prepares highly qualified melanoma clinicians and clinical researchers who will serve as valuable resources for patient care worldwide. Through the program, the fellows receive advanced training in the management of patients with advanced melanoma, including exposure to emerging therapies, recognition and management of immunotherapy-related toxicities and critical evaluation of medical research. This experience strengthens their clinical expertise and fosters professional connections that will support improved patient care and future research collaborations.

Firas Kreidieh, M.D.
2022-2023

Current and emerging options for patients with melanoma brain metastases. Kreidieh FY, Tawbi HA. Clin Adv Hematol Oncol. 2022 Oct;20(10):619-627. PMID: 36206074.

The introduction of LAG-3 checkpoint blockade in melanoma: immunotherapy landscape beyond PD-1 and CTLA-4 inhibition. Kreidieh FY, Tawbi HA.  Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2023 Jul 17;15:17588359231186027. doi: 10.1177/17588359231186027. PMID: 37484526; PMCID: PMC10357068.

Novel Immunotherapeutics: Perspectives on Checkpoints, Bispecifics, and Vaccines in Development. Kreidieh FY, Tawbi HA, Alexaki A, Borghaei H, Kandalaft LE.  Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book. 2023 Jun;43:e391278. doi: 10.1200/EDBK_391278. PMID: 37364224.

Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in Melanoma: The Paradigm Shift. Hieken TJ, Kreidieh F, Aedo-Lopez V, Block MS, McArthur GA, Amaria RN. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book. 2023 Jan;43:e390614. doi: 10.1200/EDBK_390614. PMID: 37116111.

Joel Ho, M.D.
2021-2022

Neoadjuvant checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy for resectable mucosal melanoma.Ho J, Mattei J, Tetzlaff M, Williams MD, Davies MA, Diab A, Oliva ICG, McQuade J, Patel SP, Tawbi H, Wong MK, Fisher SB, Hanna E, Keung EZ, Ross M, Weiser R, Su SY, Frumovitz M, Meyer LA, Jazaeri A, Pettaway CA, Guadagnolo BA, Bishop AJ, Mitra D, Farooqi A, Bassett R, Faria S, Nagarajan P, Amaria RN. Front Oncol. 2022 Oct 17;12:1001150. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1001150. PMID: 36324592; PMCID: PMC9618687.

Merve Hasanov, M.D., Ph.D.
2020-2021

Changes in outcomes and factors associated with survival in melanoma patients with brain metastases. Hasanov M, Milton DR, Davies AB, Sirmans E, Saberian C, Posada EL, Opusunju S, Gershenwald JE, Torres-Cabala CA, Burton EM, Colen RR, Huse JT, Glitza Oliva IC, Chung C, McAleer MF, McGovern SL, Yeboa DN, Kim BYS, Prabhu SS, McCutcheon IE, Weinberg JS, Lang FF, Tawbi HA, Li J, Haydu LE, Davies MA, Ferguson SD. Neuro Oncol. 2023 Jul 6;25(7):1310-1320. doi: 10.1093/neuonc/noac251. PMID: 36510640; PMCID: PMC10326492.

An Open-Label, Randomized, Multi-Center Study Comparing the Sequence of High Dose Aldesleukin (Interleukin-2) and Ipilimumab (Yervoy) in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma.  Hasanov M, Milton DR, Sharfman WH, Taback B, Cranmer LD, Daniels GA, Flaherty L, Hallmeyer S, Milhem M, Feun L, Hauke R, Doolittle G, Gregory N, Patel S. Oncoimmunology. 2021 Oct 9;10(1):1984059. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2021.1984059. eCollection 2021. PMID: 34650833.

A Phase II Study of Glembatumumab Vedotin for Metastatic Uveal Melanoma. Hasanov M, Rioth MJ, Kendra K, Hernandez-Aya L, Joseph RW, Williamson S, Chandra S, Shirai K, Turner CD, Lewis K, Crowley E, Moscow J, Carter B, Patel S. Cancers (Basel). 2020 Aug 13;12(8):2270. doi: 10.3390/cancers12082270.PMID: 32823698.

Jane Mattei, M.D., Ph.D.  
2019-2021  

The Latest on Uveal Melanoma Research and Clinical Trials: Updates from the Cure Ocular Melanoma (CURE OM) Science Meeting (2019). Chua V, Mattei J, Han A, Johnston L, LiPira K, Selig SM, Carvajal RD, Aplin AE, Patel SP.Clin Cancer Res. 2021 Jan 1;27(1):28-33. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-20-2536. Epub 2020 Oct 15.PMID: 33060121.

A phase II study of the insulin-like growth factor type I receptor inhibitor IMC-A12 in patients with metastatic uveal melanoma. Mattei J, Ballhausen A, Bassett R, Shephard M, Chattopadhyay C, Hudgens C, Tetzlaff M, Woodman S, Sato T, Patel SP.Melanoma Res. 2020 Dec;30(6):574-579. doi: 10.1097/CMR.0000000000000694.PMID: 32976223. 

In addition to gaining unparalleled education and training experience, UT MD Anderson trainees have access to exceptional resources and benefits to help them build meaningful careers and lead fulfilling lives.

Institutional benefits and support

GME trainees’ salary stipends are updated every year based on the ACGME’s recommendations, and because our trainees are considered workforce members, they also enjoy UT MD Anderson’s employee benefits, including health insurance, retirement planning, disability insurance and six weeks of parental leave.

Our GME House Staff Senate offers trainees the opportunity to experience a leadership role in a medical field career, and the institution’s Academic Mentoring Council provides avenues to secure tailored academic mentoring from faculty. Our GME trainees benefit from the extensive support offered to our research trainees, too; they are invited to participate in grant application workshops, apply for pilot grants to support their research ideas and receive monetary awards for securing extramural grant funding.

Trainee wellness is also of utmost importance at MD Anderson.

Our trainees have access to UT MD Anderson’s employee networks, fitness center and other wellness resources provided by the institution. Additionally, our Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC), which provides oversight of our accredited programs, regularly assess our trainees’ needs and implements various initiatives, such as providing free call meals and discounted parking to GME House Staff, to address those gaps. The committee even has a subcommittee entirely dedicated to supporting the wellness of our trainees.

Our efforts to ensure a welcoming and supportive education and training experience have been commended nationally. In 2023, the Office of Graduate Medical Education received the DeWitt C. Baldwin, Jr. Award, a prestigious national award that recognizes our institution for its respectful and supportive environment for delivering medical education and patient care.

Beyond UT MD Anderson

UT MD Anderson’s location has many benefits, too. Our main campus is nestled inside the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest medical center which boasts about 10 million patient encounters each year. Many of our faculty are involved in interorganizational research collaborations, both within the TMC and across the nation, exposing trainees to groundbreaking advancements in medical care in real time.

Most importantly, the city of Houston is a great place to call home and raise a family. We are one of the most culturally diverse cities in the nation. More than 145 different languages are spoken across the city, placing us behind only New York and Los Angeles. In fact, about 30% of the city’s population speaks a language other than English at home. And, paychecks here stretch farther than most U.S. metro areas, thanks to our low cost of living.

Visit our Why Houston page to learn more about our city’s affordable housing, fine dining, entertainment scene, nationally renowned museums and other great attributes.