Rheumatology Fellowship

UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh's Division of Pediatric Rheumatology offers a comprehensive fellowship training program as part of its commitment to educating the next generation of pediatric rheumatologists.

This three-year, ACGME-accredited fellowship program offers fellows comprehensive training in both the clinical and research aspects of rheumatology and affords them the opportunity to work alongside the faculty and staff of one of the largest and most active pediatric rheumatology programs in the United States.

Clinical training at Children’s Hospital is enriched by the experience of working with the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology’s broad patient population, whose conditions cover the full spectrum of rheumatologic diseases and musculoskeletal pain syndromes. Fellows also benefit from an emphasis on research training that takes full advantage of the division’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) supported basic research program devoted to exploring critical autoimmunity issues and a clinical research program that is active in the study of new therapies for rheumatic diseases.

The first year is devoted to clinical training, during which fellows are exposed to all facets of diagnosis and treatment, including longitudinal evaluation of chronically ill children. Fellows spend their first year immersed in the division’s robust outpatient clinic. They are also given opportunities to participate in inpatient consultations.

The focus turns to research during the second and third years of the fellowship. Fellows work closely with a faculty mentor of their choice, who guides them along the clinical or basic research pathway they selected during the first fellowship year. Each fellow establishes a mentor committee that meets regularly and provides guidance for a successful academic career.

A weekly continuity clinic during the second and third years provides fellows with longitudinal experience. Fellows gain experience in grant writing to prepare them for a career in academic medicine. They also participate in a number of didactic seminars throughout the course of their training and are exposed to adult rheumatology and relevant subspecialties, including ophthalmology, orthopaedics, radiology and nephrology.