New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia and Cornell Campus) Program

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship

The NewYork-Presbyterian Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program is a prestigious multidisciplinary program that focuses on developing future leaders in the field. The fellowship commenced at the Columbia campus in 2011 and was expanded in 2019 to operate bi-campus with Weill Cornell Medical Center, accommodating a class size of four fellows per year.

With its extensive resources and diverse clinical training opportunities, NewYork-Presbyterian serves as an optimal environment for fellows to engage with interdisciplinary teams in providing care for seriously ill patients across both adult and pediatric populations. The fellowship spans a year and covers essential facets of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, which include the medical, psychosocial, ethical, existential, and spiritual domains pertinent to patient care.

Clinical Training

Rotation Sites

Fellows participate in an active clinical role at several renowned sites, ensuring a comprehensive training experience:

• NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC): Inpatient Consultation, Clinical Ethics, Continuity Clinic
• NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center (WCMC): Inpatient Consultation, Continuity Clinic
• NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital (MSCH): Pediatric palliative care
• Mary Manning Walsh: Long-term care rotation/hospice
• VNS Hospice: Opportunities in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx

Fellows are encouraged to pursue one month of elective time to enhance their clinical expertise or engage in research. Elective opportunities may include areas such as Consultation Psychiatry, Integrative Therapies, and Geriatrics, among others, with international elective possibilities in locations like the Dominican Republic, Uganda, and India.

Didactics and Educational Program

The educational framework for the fellowship includes a robust didactic schedule:

• Weekly HPM Fellowship Core Lecture Series
• Monthly Journal Club
• Weekly Departmental Grand Rounds
• Monthly Hospice and Palliative Medicine Grand Rounds
• Quarterly Bi-campus Case Conferences
• Monthly Debriefing and Resiliency Training sessions
• Monthly Narrative Medicine Workshop

This program emphasizes the development of reflective practice and narrative competence, equipping fellows with the skills necessary to understand and articulate the complex narratives surrounding illness and suffering.

Application Process

The Bi-campus (Columbia and Cornell campuses) fellowship program is listed in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) under NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia and Cornell Campus) Program. Candidates must have completed or will complete an ACGME-approved residency in one of several specified disciplines including Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Surgery, among others.

Application components include a curriculum vitae, personal statement, three letters of support (with a program director letter required), and Test scores such as the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) or the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). The program begins reviewing applications in July and conducts interviews on a rolling basis.

Program Highlights

This fellowship program is notable for its integration of two prestigious academic palliative care services, presenting fellows with unique mentoring and research opportunities. Key program highlights include:

• Access to the inpatient Calvary hospice program
• Individual fellow mentoring within renowned research centers at both institutions
• Operational outpatient palliative care clinic within an NCI Cancer Center
• Exposure to diverse patient populations across geographically distinct neighborhoods in Manhattan
• Training in clinical ethics and communication through specialized programs
• Coverage of AAHPM membership and attendance costs for the annual AAHPM Assembly Meeting

Visa Support

The program provides visa sponsorship for eligible candidates, facilitating the inclusion of international medical graduates in the fellowship. Visa types typically sponsored include J-1 and H-1B visas.

Competitiveness and Special Requirements

The fellowship is considered highly competitive, welcoming a diverse range of applicants, including those from DO backgrounds and international medical graduates. Special application requirements include the completion of the residency program without exceeding specified limits in failed STEP exams, ensuring a strong applicant pool that meets the program's rigorous standards.