Carolinas Medical Center Program

Overview of the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship

The Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at Atrium Health is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and is a unique collaboration between the Department of Supportive Oncology at Levine Cancer Institute and Carolinas Palliative Care and Hospice Group. This fellowship aims to train physician leaders in delivering compassionate and clinically excellent care in hospice and palliative medicine.

Fellows can choose between a one-year clinical fellowship track or a two-year academic fellowship that includes supportive oncology training. The curriculum is designed to provide extensive exposure to various aspects of palliative care, enabling fellows to develop necessary skills for effective patient management.

Training Sites

The primary training location for the fellowship is the Carolinas Medical Center (CMC), a flagship hospital and the largest in the region. CMC serves as a Level 1 trauma center, offering advanced training opportunities in a comprehensive clinical environment. The fellowship also includes rotations through the Levine Cancer Institute, which provides cutting-edge cancer care through its multiple regional locations.

Additional training environments include specialized clinics such as the Multispecialty Palliative Medicine Clinic and Levine Children's Hospital, which serves a diverse patient population, including pediatric transplant patients.

Curriculum Structure

The fellowship curriculum allows for extensive interdisciplinary collaboration. Fellows will engage with various healthcare professionals, including advanced practice providers, social workers, and chaplains. Although the one-year fellowship is primarily clinically focused, fellows will also participate in research or quality improvement projects related to palliative medicine and supportive oncology.

Fellows will have a continuity clinic experience to build patient relationships over time, providing consistent care and enhancing their clinical skills. Elective rotations in specialized areas are also offered to tailor the training experience to individual interests.

Didactic sessions include weekly core lectures and grand rounds to prepare fellows for certification examinations and provide current clinical insights. Research meetings foster collaboration on research concepts and allow fellows to present their work at conferences and in peer-reviewed journals.

Rotations and Clinical Exposure

The program encompasses a broad array of clinical experiences across various settings. Each year, the inpatient team at CMC handles approximately 10,000 new consults among nine Atrium Health hospitals, providing ample exposure to a range of patient conditions, including complex oncology cases.

Additional clinical experiences occur at the inpatient hospice care facilities and specialized outpatient palliative medicine clinics. These rotations create exposure to diverse patient populations and disease states, focusing on both oncology and non-oncology conditions.

Research and Quality Improvement

The fellowship emphasizes research and quality improvement as vital components of training. Fellows will collaborate on research projects within the supportive oncology departments, contributing to advancements in the field. They will have protected research time to develop skills in study design, data collection, and manuscript preparation.

Application Requirements and Competitiveness

Applications are accepted from candidates who have completed an ACGME-accredited residency program in fields such as internal medicine, family medicine, or pediatrics, among others. Candidates should also be board-certified or board-eligible in their primary specialty. Special application requirements may include submission of a personal statement, curriculum vitae, and letters of recommendation, including one from the program director.

The fellowship is competitive, and the program is considered friendly to diverse candidate profiles, including those from osteopathic or international medical graduate backgrounds.

Visa Support

The program provides visa support for eligible international applicants. The types of visas the program can sponsor include J-1 visas, which are commonly used for medical training positions, as well as other visa categories depending on candidate qualifications and institutional policies.

Salary and Benefits

For the upcoming academic year, the fellowship offers competitive salaries and benefits, including paid vacation days, professional development allowances, and health insurance options. Fellows also receive access to a comprehensive suite of wellness resources and educational conferences, which contribute to personal and professional development.

Living in Charlotte

Charlotte offers a vibrant lifestyle, combining urban amenities with a welcoming atmosphere. The city features a rich array of cultural experiences, extensive recreational opportunities, and a friendly community setting. With affordable housing and a good public school system, living in Charlotte provides an attractive option for fellows and their families.