Our program provides both a broad exposure to different experiences and ample opportunities to develop clinical, teaching and investigative skills.
Transfusion medicine physicians must have a thorough understanding of the technical and scientific basis of the discipline. They must also be able to translate this understanding into clinical problem-solving at the bedside. Therefore, an important part of this program is the involvement of the fellow in the care of patients, be they transfusion recipients, apheresis patients and formal and informal consultation at the bed-side or in the operating room.
A second goal of the program is to train fellows to teach and lead. Although physicians' roles in formal teaching may be quite variable, a transfusion medicine physician is continuously involved in educating both technical staff (as an evolving field brings new techniques and concerns to the fore) and their fellow medical staff (in the form of consultation or the modification of transfusion practice). For this reason, the fellows in this program will be expected to take responsibility for some aspects of physician and non-physician teaching.
A third goal is to provide both the opportunity for, and appropriate guidance in, developing an investigative project. The experience is not only valuable to those seeking academic careers; it helps all fellows critically assess new advances and understand the role of investigation in the field.