Background

ASCO advocates that the integration of palliative care be accomplished throughout the course of cancer treatment, regardless of prognosis, because patient outcomes are improved. Since 2008 when hospice & palliative medicine became formally recognized as a subspecialty, 630 physicians have obtained dual certification in both oncology and hospice & palliative medicine. In the intervening years, residents have independently sought training in both fields in a sequential fashion, however, there have been requests for a combined training option. Starting with the 2022 fellowship match cycle, ASCO is facilitating an approved ACGME pilot of a combined Hematology & Oncology and Hospice & Palliative Medicine Fellowship with 4 institutions.

Purpose

The goal of the Combined Oncology and Hospice & Palliative Medicine Training is to pilot an efficient pathway for fellows to be dually certified in medical oncology (with or without hematology) and hospice & palliative medicine. The program targets trainees wanting to further their palliative care skills to be able to deliver high-quality cancer care with palliative/supportive care integrated across the continuum of care.

Program Description

The program offers the option to decrease the total duration of training by 1 year by omitting some elective or research time from standard medical oncology or standard hematology/oncology training and by providing training months that fulfill requirements for both subspecialties.

Current ABIM Training Time Standards

Medical Oncology

24 months total:

12 clinical months
12 elective/research months

Hematology / Medical Oncology

36 months total:

12 clinical months
6 clinical heme months
18 elective/research months

Hospice & Palliative Medicine

12 months total:

12 clinical months

Medical Oncology is currently 24 months (2 years) in duration. Hematology and Medical Oncology is currently 36 months (3 years) in duration. Hospice & Palliative Medicine is 12 months (1 year) in duration. Currently, physicians wanting training that includes hospice and palliative medicine must pursue this training consecutively.

Proposed Training Time Standards

 

Months

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

 

Option 1

Combined Onc/HPM

Year 1

CO

CO

CO

CO

CO

CO

CO

CO

CO

CO

CO

CO

24 months total clinical training

Combined Onc/HPM

Year 2

CHP

CHP

CHP

CHP

CHP

CHP

CHP

CHP

CHP

CHP

CHP

CHP

 

Option 2

Combined HemeOnc/HPM

Year 1

CO

CO

CO

CO

CO

CO

CO

CO

CO

CO

CO

CO

36 months total

Combined HemeOnc/HPM

Year 2

CH

CH

CH

CH

CH

CH

ER

ER

ER

ER

ER

ER

Combined HemeOnc/HPM

Year 3

CHP

CHP

CHP

CHP

CHP

CHP

CHP

CHP

CHP

CHP

CHP

CHP

Key: CO = clinical oncology months; CH = clinical hematology months; CHP = clinical hospice and palliative months; ER = elective/research months

Option 1 offers a combined training program in medical oncology and hospice & palliative medicine of 24 months total duration. Those 24 months are all clinical and do not represent a reduction in total clinical training in each discipline. A half-day continuity outpatient clinic experience is required throughout the duration of fellowship training.

Option 2 offers a combined training program in hematology/oncology and hospice & palliative medicine of 36 months total duration. Only 6 months of the 3-year training scheme are devoted to elective or research time. A half-day continuity outpatient clinic experience is required throughout the duration of fellowship training.

NOTE: each participating institution will offer one of the above options. Some of the participating institutions also offer an additional research year.

View the full Combined Oncology and Hospice & Palliative Medicine Training proposal.

Please view the participating institutions in the table below. To join the program or for questions, please contact Jamie Von Roenn, MD, FASCO.

 

Institution

Location

Match Cycle Begins

Hematology/Oncology Program Director

Palliative Care Program Director

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center

New York

2022

Adriana Malone, MD

Mollie Biewald, MD

The Ohio State University

Ohio

2022

Beth Christian, MD

Erin Scott, MD

Fox Chase Cancer Center with Temple Health

Pennsylvania

2022

Jessica Bauman, MD

Dylan R. Sherry, MD

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Pennsylvania

2022

Annie Im, MD

Ethan Jaffe Silverman, MD

Harvard Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Massachusetts

2023

Deepa Rangachari, MD

Jonathan Yeh, MD

Indiana University

Indiana

2024

Ahmad Al-Hader, MD

Lyle Fettig, MD