Endocrinology Clinical Fellowship Program

Excellent endocrine training in a collegial setting

The goal of the Endocrinology Clinical Fellowship Program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is to train excellent physicians who will be scholars and national leaders in their fields. Our individually tailored program will launch each fellow into a successful clinical or research career.

Since its inception in 1956, the program has trained over 200 graduates who have gone on to productive careers in academic research, teaching and patient care. In a 30-year period, 75% of MD or MD/PhD trainees have pursued careers in academia, industry, or government.

The program consistently evaluates how fellows are trained and seeks ways to provide the best endocrine training in a collegial and stimulating academic environment. As a result, the Vanderbilt Endocrinology Clinical Fellowship Program is one of the leading programs in the country, as reflected by its funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and recognition in the U.S. News and World Report rankings.

As a program, we strongly value diversity and make intentional efforts to foster an inclusive fellowship community. We have a dedicated DEI task force for fellowship recruitment that continuously evaluates our recruitment process so that it is as equitable as possible. Learn more about our division's committment to diversity here.

Watch the video to learn more about the Endocrinology Clinical Fellowship Program.

A firm clinical foundation to help meet future career goals

The adult Endocrinology Clinical Fellowship Program offers a two-year clinically intensive or three-year research-intensive program. The base of the program is intended to provide a firm grounding in clinical endocrinology after which the fellow will continue this clinical focus or pursue their research. This prepares all fellows to have strong clinical skills and allows for those interested in research to develop their specific careers.

Personalized Training Program
Our fellowship is focused on providing an excellent clinical foundation for all fellows. We recognize that within the field of endocrinology, future career goals vary. As a result, we have tailored the second and possible third years of fellowship to the needs and interests of each individual fellow. Toward the end of the first year, each fellow will meet with program leadership to develop their second-year curriculum, which is designed to align with the goals the fellow has established with their mentoring committee.

Program Size
The program accepts three fellows yearly, for a total of six clinical fellows. In addition, fellows may stay on for a third and even fourth year if they chose to pursue a research track. These research years do not participate in the inpatient call schedule.

Mentoring Committee
In the first year, each fellow assembles a mentoring committee consisting of their continuity clinic director, the fellowship program manager, a possible research advisor, and one or two other faculty members within, or outside, the division whose career may be similar to what the fellow envisions for themselves. The committee meets at least yearly to ensure the career goals of the fellows are being met regarding clinical training, research training, grant proposals, and the job application process.

Grant Applications
Research fellows are expected to apply for individual grant support. Previous fellows have been awarded individual fellowship awards (NRSA) and career-development (K08) grants from the NIH, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Endocrine Fellows Foundation (EFF) and others. Learning the grant application process with the help of an experienced mentor is essential for the career development of academic physicians. Engaging in this process early in the trainee’s fellowship helps establish a track record of success as fellows begin their transitions to independent academic careers.

National Meeting Participation
Endocrine fellows are expected to attend and prepare a poster presentation for a national meeting. Our fellows regularly present at the annual Endocrine Society Meeting where many have received poster awards and have been selected to give oral presentations. The division supports attendance at this conference, which is an excellent opportunity for trainees to share their work, develop clinical and research ideas, and to network and promote their career development. 

Visa information
We support J1 visas. Unfortunately, we are not able to support H1B visas under most circumstances.

Benefits
Vacation: Fellows have four weeks of paid vacation. Attendance at a conference where the fellow is presenting is not considered vacation.

Maternity and Paternity Leave: Both Vanderbilt University and the Department of Medicine support the Family Medical Leave Act, which provides up to 12 weeks of leave for maternity, paternity, adoption, severe illness in a family member, or for personal illness. The department is pleased to work with each member of the house staff in order that board requirements may still be met in a timely fashion.

Insurance Benefits/Retirement: Vanderbilt University pays the premium for HIV Indemnity Insurance, Workers Compensation, Professional and General Liability Insurance, Accident Travel, and Long Term Disability (Basic). Health insurance with national providers, dental insurance, and life insurance are available at a significantly reduced rate to house staff. Retirement contributions are placed in a 403(b) account and are matched "dollar for dollar" (up to 5% of gross income) by the medical center.

More information about house staff benefits can be found on the Office of Graduate Medical Education website.

Inpatient consult blocks are shared between first and second year fellows. The consult distribution is weighted more heavily toward the first fellowship year, allowing for increased and personalized outpatient clinical experience in the second year. Currently, each consult block is one week long. We assess fellow preference regarding length of consult blocks on an ongoing basis.

Consult blocks include coverage of consult services at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the Nashville VA Medical Center, located a short 3-minute walk across the street. Inpatient diabetes consults are distributed between the fellow service and two advanced practice provider-led glucose management service (GMS) teams. The fellow covering the consult service has no outpatient clinical responsibilities.

Year 1

Clinical focus with outpatient experience
- Rotations include: thyroid cancer, thyroid biopsy, bone disorders, intensive diabetes, gestational diabetes, lipids, obesity, PCOS, reproductive endocrinology, pituitary and adrenal disorders, pediatric endocrinology, LGBTQ+/gender medicine and general endocrine clinic
Consults at VUMC and the Nashville VA Medical Center under guidance of an experienced teaching faculty member
Built-in time to initiate research projects and establish a mentor

Year 2

Focus depends on fellow's interests and future plans
Second-year clinical fellowship plan
- Meet with the program directors toward the end of first year to come up with a tailored clinical schedule for second year
- Can include non-core rotations such as neurology, podiatry, endocrine surgery and maternal-fetal medicine
- Significantly less time on the inpatient consult service as compared to the first-year fellows

Year 3

Research focus with ongoing exposure to outpatient endocrinology
Third-year clinical fellowship plan
- Continue continuity clinic as a second-year, but spend the remaining time in the laboratory setting
- Minimal inpatient consult time
- Fellows may choose to continue half-day continuity clinic or instead use that time to rotate through elective subspecialty clinics.

For more information, see the sample schedule below. Open a full size version of the image below here.

The Department of Medicine’s Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism has a long track record of training academic endocrinologists.

VUMC has a rich history of collaborative and multidisciplinary research. This is reflected in the research programs of the more than 100 faculty and fellows within the division and the Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center (DRTC). Although many fellows select projects under the guidance of division faculty, fellows can choose from a large and diverse group of research mentors from any Vanderbilt faculty in the areas of diabetes, hormonal and metabolic disorders, obesity and endocrinology. Upon selection of a research mentor, the fellow will work in their mentor’s research area. 

Diabetes-related research areas

Hormone action in animals and humans as it relates to diabetes and obesity
Intermediary metabolism
Pancreatic islet biology
Micronutrient effects on metabolic disease
Metabolic regulation
Molecular genetics of metabolic disease
Causes and treatments of obesity
Translation of diabetes care delivery
Type-1 diabetes mechanisms and prevention
Thyroid genomics
Adrenal hypertension
QI

The Vanderbilt laboratory and clinical research facilities are extremely strong. The research laboratories of the division occupy approximately one to two floors of Medical Research Building IV. This space includes individual research laboratories, a fully-equipped conference room, tissue culture facilities, animal preparation rooms, and shared facilities such as central offices, a break room, instrument rooms and cold rooms. There is additional research space at the Nashville VA ACRE building. 

Vanderbilt and the DRTC offer a variety of core facilities, including histology, microscopy, molecular biology, mouse metabolic phenotyping, mouse neurobehavior, islet analysis and preparation, mass spectroscopy, and hormone assay, that are useful for individual research projects. The key to training in clinical research is the Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, which is funded by the NIH through a Clinical and Translational Service Award. This facility includes inpatient beds, an outpatient center, as well as a metabolic balance core. It also provides funding and support for individual research projects by the trainees of this program.

Endocrinology fellows have well organized didactic sessions that take place for one hour twice weekly. Lecturers include division faculty as well as faculty outside the division who have subject matter expertise. These encompass the complete breadth of endocrine education.

Journal Club and Monthly Case Conferences
Once monthly Journal Club and once monthly Case Conference are also geared toward the fellows, but with faculty participation. In Journal Club, the first half of the year is dedicated to learning how to read the medical literature accurately, with each session focused on a different type of study design. Basic statistics is also reviewed.

Endocrine Grand Rounds
Endocrine Grand Rounds is held weekly. Speakers include Vanderbilt adult and pediatric endocrinology faculty as well as guest speakers who are internationally known in their field.

Endocrine Tumor Board
Endocrine Tumor Board is a multidisciplinary conference that includes surgery, radiology, pathology, oncology and endocrinology. This is a fun and interactive meeting where much is learned from our interdisciplinary discussion.

Pituitary Conference
Pituitary Conference is held weekly with endocrinology and neurosurgery. Fellows learn surgical indications, biochemical evaluations and how to read MRIs.

The Vanderbilt Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism participates in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP or The Match) through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).

To maintain and continuously improve our broad perspective and understanding of our patients and each other, our program strives toward diversity within our training program. In order to facilitate this and ensure that applicants are viewed without bias, some of the interviews are blinded, which means that the interviewing faculty member will not have access to the applicant’s file, and all impressions will be based on the interview alone. 

The following are required from ERAS:

Your ERAS-generated biosketch
Three (3) letters of recommendation
If possible, please include a letter from your residency program director
If you have trained as a resident at more than one institution, please submit at least one letter from each institution
Personal goals statement (Please address your long-term career goals)
COMLEX transcript
USMLE transcript

If you have additional questions, or wish to speak with someone about our program, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Dr. Lindsay Bischoff, lindsay.bischoff@vumc.org

Program Manager, Jan Botts Hicks