How Our Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Evolved in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Case Western Reserve University

Abstract

Matthew Kurian*, James Martin and Benjamin Tomlinson

In 2020, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) released a set of guidelines of how to approach the changing landscape of education within residency and fellowship programs in the post-COVID era. This toolkit gave guidance to programs regarding how they could best serve their residents/fellows, while also providing excellent patient care without compromising educational opportunities. COVID-19 has impacted the way we approach post-graduate medical education forever. Many fellowships across the country, including hematology/oncology, have adapted their didactics, and program structure to best accommodate their learners’ needs. Hematology/Oncology fellowship and training requires a strong set of didactic curricula, bone marrow biopsy training, fellow continuity clinics, and close collaboration with other specialists. In response to the pandemic, our hematology/oncology program at UH Seidman Cancer Center sought to make changes in the overall structure of the fellowship, didactics, bone marrow biopsy training, board review preparation, mentorship, and wellness to further support our fellows in a new era of learning.