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For Physicians

Hematology/Oncology Fellowships

  • Laura Macconaill, Scientific Director

  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in collaboration with Partners Cancer Care and Boston Children’s Hospital, offers two programs in hematology/oncology that provide clinical training and basic research training for MDs or MD/PhDs.

    • Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program
    • Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Training Program

    Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program

    The Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare training program in hematology/oncology prepares academically oriented physicians to become leaders in clinical and laboratory investigation and clinical teaching.

    The program offers training in only hematology or oncology, but it is anticipated that the vast majority of fellows will elect to train in both subspecialties as defined in the 36-month program by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

    The program involves an initial year of intensive clinical training, followed by two or more years of in-depth clinical and/or basic research training. There is also the opportunity for an additional six months of clinical experience.


  • Clinical training in hematology/medical oncology

    During the first year of training, fellows divide their time between the Longwood and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) campuses. The combined institutions have more than 1,400 beds, more than 100 of which are assigned to medical oncology and hematology, and nearly 40 of which are dedicated to bone marrow transplantation.

    At each campus, ambulatory hematology and oncology experiences are organized around disease-specific programs.

    Fellows working in inpatient services provide care and consultative services in hematology and medical oncology to a varied population of patients, including bone marrow transplant patients.

    During the clinical year, fellows acquire a panel of patients for whom they provide longitudinal, primary care in oncology and hematology under the direct supervision of a faculty member. Trainees also attend a wide variety of teaching conferences, including an orientation lecture series, weekly hematology/medical oncology grand rounds, and weekly new patient conferences at both the Longwood Avenue and MGH campuses. In addition, there are weekly disease-oriented teaching sessions sponsored by the relevant programs.

  • Training beyond the first year

    During the autumn of the first year of the fellowship, trainees begin exploring options for investigative efforts around their individual interests. At the beginning of the second year, fellows are expected to begin a period of detailed training and research, with the aim of assuming independent research programs in respected academic institutions. The time required to complete this task will depend on the past experiences of each fellow.

    A variety of investigative opportunities, ranging from the most fundamental molecular biology to clinical trials and health outcome analyses, are available at Dana-Farber, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and MGH, as well as in laboratories located at the MGH Cancer Center in Charlestown, the Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

    Trainees who have completed their scientific training in this environment have had excellent experiences, and the program faculty views the successful training and academic placement of its clinical trainees as a fundamental responsibility.

  • Application procedure

    All applications for this program are now processed through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Please note that this program is listed under Brigham and Women's Hospital, not Dana-Farber.

    The deadline for applications is August 31.

    Contact us

    Kim Bremner
    Fellowship Coordinator
    Phone: 617-632-3474
    Fax: 617-632-2260
    Email: kim_bremner@dfci.harvard.edu 

  • Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Training Program

    The Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Training Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital is one of the oldest and most distinguished in the world.

    The program admits six new fellows per year. Fellows spend one year in full-time clinical work and two or more years in research training, depending on previous training and interests.

    The program is geared to broadly train MD or MD/PhD fellows in clinical outcomes or health policy research, clinical trials research, translational research, or in one of the major basic science disciplines: protein chemistry, molecular biology, developmental biology or cell biology. The mainstay of the program is hands-on clinical investigation or bench research.