Curriculum

Training

• First Year

  During the first year, the fellows primarily focus on clinical training by caring for a wide variety of inpatients including those with primary endocrine disorders admitted to the endocrine service and consults rendered to other services in the hospital including Oncology, Emergency Department, NICU and PICU. Fellows will spend approximately 14 weeks on the inpatient service during their first year and in addition will be part of a night float system. The remainder of the first year will be spent rotating through outpatient clinics as well as a research rotation when fellows will have time to explore research options for their second and third years.

  In addition to general pediatric endocrinology and diabetes clinics, fellows participate in numerous specialized multidisciplinary pediatric endocrine clinics, including:

  • Bone health
  • Cancer survivors
  • Disorders of sexual differentiation
  • Endocrine genetics
  • Gender development
  • Lipid disorders
  • Obesity and bariatric surgery
  • Reproductive endocrinology
  • Thyroid nodule and thyroid cancer
  • Turner syndrome 
  • Type 2 diabetes

  Fellows will have the opportunity to learn from well-trained diabetes educators about basic skills and technology in diabetes including insulin pump and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) education and will attend the Children’s National run diabetes camp for one week during the summer.

  Fellows will attend three to five half days of attending’s clinic during their outpatient weeks. Fellows will have one continuity clinic every week and follow their own cohort of patients through the three years of the fellowship.

• Second and Third Year

  During the second and third year, the fellows will primarily focus on their research and quality improvement projects. By the end of the first year, they are expected to have identified their research project and mentor. Funding for two years of research is guaranteed to all accepted fellows.

  The Division of Endocrinology offers the opportunity for research in many areas of endocrinology. Andrew Dauber, M.D., Chief of Endocrinology, work focuses on novel etiologies of short stature, and he leads a multi-center study integrating genomics with electronic health records to identify patients with undiagnosed genetic growth disorders. Dr. Dauber is also leading innovative clinical trials of novel therapeutics for genetic conditions causing short stature. Eric Vilain, M.D., the director of the Center for Genetic Medicine Research, leads a national network of researchers exploring the genetic basis of disorders of sexual differentiation. Nadia Merchant, M.D., is a pediatric endocrinologist and geneticist with a focus on ways to improve bone health and endocrine management of children with complex genetic conditions. Randi Streisand, M.D., conducts multiple studies using behavioral interventions to improve diabetes care. Roopa Kanakatti Shankar, M.B.B.S., M.S., leads our Turner Syndrome registry and is part of the InsighTS National Registry with a focus on optimal hormone replacement and outcomes in patients with Turner syndrome. Shideh Majidi’s, M.D., associate director of Diabetes Services, research focuses on behavioral health and psychosocial aspects of care in youth and young adults with type 1 diabetes. She additionally uses quality improvement methodologies to improve clinical care in diabetes and is the primary investigator for the T1D Exchange Quality Improvement Collaborative.

  Fellows will be required to present their work at national meetings and submit a manuscript prior to the end of the fellowship.

  Fellows will work on the inpatient service for six weeks per year in their second and third year and be part of the night float. They will continue to do one half-day continuity clinic every week and may substitute one to two of their clinics per month with specialty clinics of their choice.