The Educational Path of a Hematologist in the U.S.
Residency
After completing medical school, your first three years will
generally be spent in residency. Internal medicine and
pediatrics
are the typical residency tracks completed prior to specializing in
hematology or hematology/oncology, although you may enter hematology
after completing other general residency programs as well (e.g.,
combined internal medicine and
pediatrics or family practice).
Another possible track is to do a
pathology residency for
approximately three years, after which you could pursue a career in
hematopathology, blood banking, or transfusion/laboratory medicine.
Each residency program has a unique structure, but all include
elements of patient care. These programs generally do not include
basic research, although they may offer brief periods of
€œelective€ study, which, in rare cases, may be laboratory-based.
Fellowship
Fellowship is typically a three-year period in which a physician
completes further training in a subspecialty. Fellows may choose to
complete a fourth and/or fifth year of fellowship before seeking
independent employment. Hematology-related fellowships include adult
hematology, coagulation, hematology/oncology,
pathology, and pediatric
hematology/oncology (there are no pediatric hematology-only programs).
During this time the physician is known as a fellow and can focus on a
clinical or research career, but all fellows are required to gain
competency in clinical research. Although the training of a fellow is
more advanced than that of a resident, when treating patients, fellows
are still under the supervision of an attending physician who has
already completed the fellowship in the relevant subspecialty.
Post-Fellowship
After completion of the fellowship, physicians can:
- Apply for a position in academic medicine as a junior faculty
member, assistant professor, instructor, or assistant/associate
staff member.
- Practice their specialty in their own private practice or group
practice.
- Go to work in the corporate sector (although many corporations
typically require three to five years of experience beyond the
fellowship).
- Seek another fellowship or employment at a government agency
(such as the National Institutes of Health, Food and Drug
Administration, or Centers for Disease Control).
Finding a Mentor
It is likely that you will turn to a lot of sources when choosing a
specialty, but one of the most important steps you can take to ensure
you make the right choice is talking to someone who practices in the
field you are considering. This person can provide valuable insight and
could serve as your mentor should you choose to enter the field he or
she is in.
