Fellowship in Adolescent Medicine

I. PURPOSE:

In this three-year fellowship, the fellow will acquire skills in clinical medicine, teaching, research, and administration.  The fellow has a choice of degree programs that emphasize training in research. The fellowship director is Dr. William Risser, MD, PhD, who is Board-certified in Adolescent Medicine. The fellowship is accredited by the American Board of Pediatrics.  Additional information about the UT Department of Pediatrics is available at http://ped1.med.uth.tmc.edu.  Please also see the description of the Adolescent Medicine Fellowship at the website, FREIDA Online: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2997.html.

(Or access FREIDA through Google or another search engine)

II. REQUIREMENTS:

A.  U.S. citizenship.

B.  Completion of an approved 3 year Pediatrics, 4 year Medicine/Pediatrics, 3 year Internal Medicine, or 3 year Family Practice residency.

C.  A passing score on the American Board of Pediatrics’ Pediatric Board Examination if this examination was completed prior to the starting date for the fellowship.

III. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

1. Training and direct experience in the delivery of medical care to adolescent patients in inpatient and outpatient settings.
2. Experience in the organization and management of clinical programs and services; and knowledge and experience in the identification and use of community health resources for adolescents with special needs (for example the chronically ill handicapped, and visually disabled).
3. Training and clinical experience in the specific areas important to adolescents, including mental health, medicine, and gynecology.
4. Training and experience in the teaching of Adolescent Medicine to medical students and residents.
5. The opportunity to design, execute, and analyze at least one research project in Adolescent Medicine.
6. Completion of at least one manuscript to submit for publication.

IV. CLINICAL FACILITIES:

Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital of Houston and Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital, where we provide inpatient care and consultations on adolescents.

Harris County Psychiatric Center, where we provide medical consultations on adolescents

Ambulatory Facilities include:

Medical Center Adolescent Clinic
LBJ General Hospital Adolescent Clinic
Medical clinic at the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center
Mobile clinic for homeless youth

The fellow also does a variety of required subspecialty rotations in subspecialty services of the department and at sites outside of the department, for example the University of Houston Student Health Service.

 

V. DEGREE PROGRAM:

The fellow will participate in a training program in research design.  The program in which the fellow will participate is at the discretion of the Program Director, in consultation with the fellow.

Degree Programs at the University of Texas-Houston School of Public Health

The fellow may enroll as a candidate for the degree of Master of Science in Epidemiology.  This program offers detailed training in research methodology; this is the primary objective of the degree program.

Degree Requirements for the MS-Epidemiology

1. Course work (36 hours) in Epidemiology, Biometry, and a minor field, usually one related to the thesis topic, for example a clinical discipline or behavioral science.
2. Satisfactory completion of a thesis or a project in a form suitable for publication in a professional journal, which demonstrates an understanding of Epidemiology and Biometry, and the ability to do Epidemiological research.

The Program Director will discuss with the fellow an alternative degree, the MPH.

Degree Requirements for the MPH

1. Satisfactory completion of a prescribed course of study of at least one academic year, a minimum of 45 credit hours, and demonstration of a breadth of knowledge in the areas basic to public health.
2. Satisfactory completion of a research thesis that demonstrates a substantial knowledge of an aspect of public health, including clinical studies.  If appropriate the thesis may be in a form suitable for publication in a professional journal.

Another possibility is a degree program at the Medical School, namely the Master of Science in Clinical Research (MS-CR)

Degree requirements for the MS-CR include course work in epidemiology, biostatistics, and research design; practical experiences in scientific writing and presentation of research; and a thesis that may be a literature review or a research proposal.

Whichever program the fellow joins, she/he will conduct a carefully designed and mentored research project under the direction of the Program Director and other faculty from the Medical School and/or the School of Public Health.

 

VI. DISTRIBUTION OF TIME:

1. Fifty percent of time will be spent in course work related to epidemiology, biostatistics, and research design; in planning and executing one or more research projects; and in a variety of didactic experiences concerning research, teaching, clinical work, and academic development.
2. Fifty percent of time will be spent in direct patient care and teaching activities, and in training in clinical, teaching, and administrative skills, as described in Section III.  The clinical work emphasizes out-patient experiences in community-based facilities.

VII.       CONTINUATION OF THE PROGRAM:

Continuation in the program is contingent on satisfactory performance in the clinical aspects of the program; on the fellow’s passing the Board examination in his or her specialty before or during the first year of the fellowship (time will be allotted for study); and the fellow’s satisfactory performance in the degree program (receipt of a passing grade in all courses).

For further information contact:

William L. Risser, MD, PhD
Dept. of Pediatrics, UTHMS, Ste. 3146
6431 Fannin
Houston, TX 77030
E-mail: william.l.risser@uth.tmc.edu
Telephone: 713- 500-5755
FAX: 713-500-5750
Assistant: Mrs. Susan Ramos, 713-500-5663

 

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