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 training in preparation for a career as a Medical Director of complex hospital transfusion services and blood centers. This unique program provides training in adult transfusion medicine, pediatric transfusion medicine and regional blood center directorship, with the option of focused learning based on the fellow’s interest.
We accept applications from various disciplines including Pathology, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Hematology/Oncology, Anesthesia, and Surgery.
The program’s faculty members represent special interests within the general field of Transfusion Medicine. Active research interests of the faculty include:
- platelet hemostasis
- pediatric transfusion medicine
- global transfusion medicine
- 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 is located on the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine campus. Interdisciplinary cooperation between specialties in Graduate Medical Education and proximity to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital 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, pediatric transfusion service, elective coagulation focused studies, and Blood Utilization Meetings. Additional elective rotations to community hospital transfusion services and external testing sites 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.
The fellow also spends dedicated time at CCHMC to gain experience in managing a large pediatric transfusion service. This includes time spent at the bench, auditing and understanding the process of blood transfusion, clinical consultation, and others. The fellow will also perform a mock inspection and attend various operational meetings to learn the role of a medical director of a transfusion service. The fellow is actively integrated into the CCHMC transfusion service by means of being first call for all transfusion service issues at various times throughout the year. Depending on interest, the fellow may spend additional blocks running the transfusion service at CCHMC or participating in QI or clinical research.
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 residents on clinical rotations. Scholarly activity is expected based on interest of the fellow. These can include QI projects, ongoing clinical research or a project developed by the fellow with faculty mentorship and oversight. Global health research may also be supported with supervision from faculty. 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. Fellows are provided study resources.
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
- Serological Testing and Pre transfusion Testing
- Immunohematology
- Transfusion Support/Practice for various populations
- 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 Therapeutic Apheresis 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 UCHealth employees.
Contact Us
Dr. David Oh, Fellowship Program Director/Chief Medical Officer David.oh@uc.edu
Dr. Kristina Prus, Assistant Program Director Kristina.Prus@uc.edu
Margaret Simon, Program Coordinator Margaret.Simon@uc.edu
Learn more about Hoxworth's fellowship faculty