Program Goals and Requirements

The comprehensive goal of the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Program is to train gynecologic oncologists who are outstanding clinicians, teachers, and research contributors. The clinical educational objective of the three year training program is to provide fellows with the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to independently manage all gynecologic cancer patients. Specific educational goals for each fellow include development of the following:

  1. Sufficient understanding, experience, and proficiency to perform radical pelvic surgery independently and to manage intestinal, urologic and vascular problems related to gynecologic cancer or its treatment.
  2. Ability to develop and implement non-operative management plans for the care of associated medical conditions that affect treatment of gynecologic cancer patients and to obtain appropriate consultation when necessary.
  3. Sufficient understanding and ability to participate as a member of the team that plans and applies all forms of gynecologic radiotherapy, including brachytherapy procedures.
  4. Ability to select chemotherapy regimens for patients, administers drugs, and care for the toxic side effects of chemotherapy.

Clinical

The Gynecologic Oncology inpatient service is based at Cooper University Hospital.  In 2013 we opened a new state of the art cancer center through a partnership with the MD Anderson Cancer Center.  The division maintains an inpatient census of approximately 10-15 patients comprised of surgical and non-surgical gynecologic oncology patients.

Research Opportunities and Requirements

Our program provides opportunities in a broad range of research training disciplines including, but not limited to, cancer biology, molecular therapeutics, tumor immunology, health disparities, epidemiology, health services research, and clinical trial design/implementation. Specific objectives for the teaching and research curriculum include the following:

  1. The ability to use appropriate methods and educational aids to teach medical students, residents, and allied health care professionals in clinical or classroom environments.
  2. Sufficient understanding and proficiency to complete laboratory-based and clinical research projects, in addition to development of collaborative skills with others that foster ongoing research activities.
  3. Ability to write scientific articles and to contribute in an academic setting.

After Completion of the Fellowship

Our graduates are very well trained as gynecologic oncologists who, by virtue of education and training, are prepared to provide consultation and comprehensive management of patients with gynecologic cancer and whose present activity includes the practice of gynecologic oncology in an institutional setting wherein effective forms of cancer therapy are available.