Graduate Medical Education Fellowship
Transfusion Medicine/Blood Banking Fellowship Program
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited Transfusion Medicine Fellowship at Hoxworth Blood Center is designed to offer physicians in-depth career development training in blood and blood sciences in a busy academic center. Graduates of our program are uniquely equipped for such career paths as Medical Directors of complex hospital transfusion services and blood centers, research innovators in cellular therapies for cancer treatment, and clinicians with a broad background in laboratory medicine including coagulation and immunohematology.
We accept applications from residents and fellows in multiple disciplines including Pathology, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Hematology/Oncology, Anesthesia, and Surgery. Prior to starting the fellowship, the applicant must have completed an ACGME-accredited residency program. Rotations may be tailored to the individual fellow's interests and career goals, while meeting ACGME requirements for transfusion medicine board certification.
The program’s faculty members represent special interests within the general field of Transfusion Medicine. Active research interests of the faculty include:
- Platelet hemostasis
- Optimization of blood component storage
- Pathogen reduction of blood products
- Hematopoietic stem cell biology in health and disease
- Microenvironment control of hematopoiesis
- Molecular cell mechanobiology
- Indications for, and procedural efficiency of apheresis
Location of Training
Hoxworth Blood Center is located on the grounds of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Interdisciplinary cooperation between specialties in Graduate Medical Education fosters collaborative learning experiences across a spectrum of residency and fellowship programs.
Fellows are based at the Hoxworth Blood Center (University of Cincinnati), University of Cincinnati Medical Center (UCMC) and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC). Fellows complete rotations in blood center activities, therapeutic apheresis, cell therapy, hospital transfusion service, elective coagulation focused studies, and Blood Utilization Meetings. Additional elective rotations to community hospital transfusion services are also scheduled.
Clinical and Educational Activities
The fellowship year is intended to develop and enhance the unique competencies of the blood bank physician. Clinical interaction opportunities are encountered during consultation with clinicians of varied specialties using the blood center services of histocompatibility, Therapeutic Apheresis, or Immunohematology Reference Laboratory.
Affiliations with UCMC, CCHMC and community hospital customers offer clinical case management and interaction in both pediatric and adult populations with cancer care, trauma, stem cell transplantation, solid organ transplantation, and special component requests.
Opportunities are provided to develop management, communication, and teaching skills through mentoring of physicians on clinical rotations in Transfusion Medicine. Scholarly activity is encouraged through interaction with QI projects, and involvement in ongoing clinical research.
Candidates with a special interest in research may wish to continue the program for an additional year. Such requests are reviewed on an individual basis.
Certification
Candidates completing the year of fellowship training will be eligible to apply for the sub-specialty examination in blood banking given by the American Board of Pathology (ABP) if other ABP criteria are met. It is expected all trainees will successfully take the board exam.
Clinical Training
The fellow is exposed to all operational aspects of a Blood Center as well as Transfusion Practice at hospital transfusion services for pediatric and adult populations. A didactic lecture series integrated with departmental interaction with blood center staff and faculty provides exposure to broad range of experiences in the following:
- Quality Systems
- Regulatory Compliance
- Inspection, Accreditation and Licensing
- Donor Recruitment
- Donor Selection
- Whole Blood and Automated Collections
- Designated, Autologous, and Matched Donor Programs
- Component Manufacturing and Storage
- Infectious Disease Testing and Donor Deferrals
- Inventory Management
- Complex Serological Testing and Interpretation
- Blood Utilization
- Trauma and Massive Transfusion Protocols
- Cellular Therapies
- Histocompatibility
- Solid Organ Transplant Support
- Stem Cell Collections and Processing
- Therapeutic Apheresis Procedures
Fellows participate in educational conferences, lecture series, daily operational and ThAph Rounds, weekly Clinical Update and Case study sign outs from UCMC and Immunohematology Reference labs.
Apheresis and Cell Therapy
Fellows coordinate and provide medical support to the FACT accredited therapeutic apheresis and stem cell collection service throughout the entire fellowship. Fellows also provide support for the FACT accredited Cell Therapy processing laboratory.
Research
Professional Development
Each fellow is expected to investigate a clinical, technical, or management problem; gather and analyze data; develop solutions; and present a summary report to the Hoxworth staff. Submission of the abstract, poster or publication to a national meeting is encouraged. Funds are provided for attendance at a relevant conference.
Benefits
Learn more about benefits offered to UC Health employees.
Contact Us
Dr. David Oh, Fellowship Program Director/Chief Medical Officer David.oh@uc.edu
Margaret Simon, Program Coordinator Margaret.Simon@uc.edu
Learn more about Hoxworth's fellowship faculty