Jobs
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Clinical Fellowship in Dementia
Posted 19 Dec 2023
Employer
Massachusetts General Hospital
Location
Boston, Massachusetts
Contact
Applicants are required to submit the following documents to the program director for consideration: Cover Letter: The cover letter should clearly state the applicant’s commitment to a clinical career in the dementias and/or a related neurodegenerative disease, include his/her goals for the fellowship and plans after the program, identify faculty mentors or specific laboratories that they may be interested to work with, and include information on his/her visa status (if applicable).
Research Statement (optional; 2 page maximum): If an applicant has already identified a proposed independent research project to carry out during the fellowship, the following information should also be included: (i) the nature and scope of the research, (ii) how institutional resources would be utilized, and (iii) how the research will help advance knowledge on dementias and/or related disorders.
Curriculum Vitae (CV): The CV should also include a list of current or pending funding, if available.
Three Letters of Recommendation: These should be from past or current faculty members or mentors who are familiar with the applicant’s potential and aptitude for pursuing an academic, industry or a related scientific field.
The fellowship is awarded through a competitive-review process led by an ad-hoc fellowship selection committee. Application materials are due approximately four months prior to the start of the program. A limited Massachusetts Physician Medical License is required for accepted fellows. They must be in full residence during the entire duration of the two-year training program and should document successful completion of USMLE Step III by the end of the program. However, the fellowship program director may grant individual Step III exceptions for one year at a time with the approval from the Vice President for Graduate Medical Education at Partners HealthCare. Permanent exemptions may be granted to international medical graduates who plan to return to their home country after the completion of their training. Note: Canadian physicians and Doctors of Osteopathy who are eligible for licensure may substitute documentation of successful completion of LMCC/MCCQE and COMLEX examinations (respectively), in lieu of USMLE examinations.
Description
The main goal of this clinical fellowship is to gain advanced clinical skills to diagnose and treat patients with dementing disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal disorders, vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and other related disorders. This includes clinical training in the clinical exam, diagnosis, treatment and management of dementia; educating families and caregivers on these diseases, as well as didactic and experiential training in research methods and the ethical conduct of clinical research. Fellows will not be involved in teaching or supervising residents in the program. Recipients of the fellowship are also expected to develop advanced knowledge in clinical (including clinical trials and drug development) basic and/or translation research, enhance their clinical proficiencies in managing complex neurologic cases typically seen in tertiary settings, and demonstrate effective competencies in teaching and communication skills to medical professionals and the lay public.
Formal Teaching Component: Clinical The clinical aspects of the program will include comprehensive training in all practical and theoretical aspects of diagnosis, evaluation and clinical management of patients with dementias. The fellow will deliver care to patients of the MGH’s Memory Disorders Unit (MDU), (and/or Frontotemporal Disorders Unit, Lewy Body Dementia Clinic or Movement Disorders Unit) on one half-day per week supervised by an assigned clinical mentor. He/she is expected to see a mix of new patients and follow-up patients; participate and present cases at the weekly MDU conference, attend weekly departmental Grand Rounds, and meet with his/her assigned clinical mentor once a week to review cases. Fellows will not have admitting/billing privileges nor will they be providing any coverage responsibility for attending physicians throughout the program.
The fellowship program is considered a component of the Harvard/Partners Neurology Residency Program (http://harvardneurology.org/), which is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME program number: 1802431050).
Requirements
The fellowship is open to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents or foreign nationals. Candidates must possess at least an M.D. or a foreign-equivalent basic medical degree (e.g., MBBS) and have successfully completed a recognized residency training program in neurology or a related field. They must be eligible to apply for a limited license in the State of Massachusetts and have documentation of the USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS. International medical graduates may apply and submit ECFMG certification as well, and are expected to be fluent in English. Individuals who will add diversity to the medical sciences and with foreign language skills are considered a plus