Program Director's Message

MISSION STATEMENT

The Northwestern University Fellowship Program in Rheumatology aims to nurture and develop academic rheumatologists and scientists competent in the treatment and investigation of rheumatic diseases. We are dedicated to training fellows who have shown enthusiasm for clinical excellence, research, teaching and leadership. Fellows manage patients primarily in a tertiary care setting capable of providing exceptional care for a diverse population, but they also participate in clinical activities at the Jesse Brown VA Hospital Arthritis Clinic and the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab. While we have excellent clinical training, our primary focus is the development of academic rheumatologists for basic and clinical research careers as well as clinical education.

 Through training in the Northwestern fellowship program, we aim to produce a physician who

1) is clinically competent in the field of rheumatology

2) delivers patient-centered, safe, timely, culturally sensitive, compassionate, and equitable care

3) works collaboratively in a variety of settings as a member of an interprofessional healthcare team,

4) is knowledgeable about research techniques,

5) can provide a critical appraisal of the literature and discuss outcomes research and

6) possesses habits of lifelong learning to build upon his/her knowledge, skills and professionalism.

The fellowship consists of a first year of comprehensive inpatient and ambulatory clinical rheumatology training, followed by a one-to-two-year mentored investigator phase with concurrent ambulatory clinical experience.

Regular conferences are an important component of the training program. These seminars include Rheumatology/Immunology "bootcamp" for new fellows, Rheumatology Grand Rounds, Clinical Vignettes, Core Didactic Lectures, FIRST-DailyLife Core Center for Clinical Research - Clinical and Translational Research Incubator Seminar (CCCR-CTRIS), Radiology Rounds, Journal Club, Board Review, Difficult Case Conference, ACR Reading List Review, and Musculoskeletal Ultrasound.

Please explore the exceptional training opportunities we offer, as we pursue our mission to prevent, cure and relieve suffering from arthritis and rheumatic diseases.