Endocrinology Fellowship, Jacksonville Fla.

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Endocrinology Fellowship Program


Program Overview

The Nemours pediatric endocrinology fellowship program is a collaborative effort between Nemours Children’s Specialty Care, Jacksonville and the University of Florida College of Medicine–Jacksonville. It is an exciting opportunity for pediatricians interested in training in a state-of-the-art endocrinology clinic with a strong emphasis on clinical research.

Our three-year program, accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) , is highly successful in clinical research involving growth, puberty, diabetes and bone, to name a few. We have access to a well-staffed clinical research center and excellent laboratory facilities for both biochemical and molecular work.

Premier Pediatric Collaboration

This program is a collaborative effort between the University of Florida College of Medicine–Jacksonville and Nemours Children’s Specialty Care, Jacksonville.

Nemours Children’s Specialty Care is a multispecialty care facility. We have a large division with a state-of-the-art endocrinology clinic where we have ample access to a breadth of pathology in endocrinology and a large pediatric diabetes program. Our team consists of 8 pediatric endocrine faculty members, 5 nurse practitioners, 5 nurses, 6 certified diabetes educators and 1 licensed clinical social worker among others. Patients are seen at Nemours and Wolfson Children’s Hospital, the only tertiary referral children’s hospital in the northeast Florida and southern Georgia region.

Program Details

The curriculum of the pediatric endocrinology training program is designed to fulfill the educational goals of clinical education, research, teaching and lifelong learning. Each area involves several teaching methodologies, including one-on-one teaching, "hands-on" education, independent study and formal didactic sessions.

All Years

Research
Increasing protected research time per year of training

Career Development
Formally meet with program director and scholarship oversight committee twice yearly
Committee participation (i.e., IRB, clinical research review committee

National Conerences
Fellows are expected to attend one of the major meetings (PES, ENDO, ADA) at least once during their training with the opportunity to attend annually

Supplemental Coursework
Fellowship core curriculum, conferences and board review

Social Activities
Winter holiday party, graduation banquet, fellowship reunion dinners at major conferences

Year 1 Rotations

Inpatient Experience
Total of 17 weeks covering endocrinology service and consults at Wolfson Children’s Hospital

Outpatient Experience
Diabetes and endocrinology — 6 half-day sessions per week
Continuity clinic — 1 half-day a week

Research
Brainstorm project ideas and grant writing
Make preparations for 2nd year research project

Career Development
Choose a mentor

Year 2 Rotations

Inpatient Experience
Total of 13 weeks covering endocrinology service and consults at Wolfson Children’s Hospital

Outpatient Experience
Diabetes and endocrinology — 4 half-day sessions per week
Continuity clinic — 1 half-day a week

Research
IRB and funding
Start research project
Quality improvemet project

Career Development
Explore career interests

Year 3 Rotations

Inpatient Experience
Total of 10 weeks covering endocrinology service and consults at Wolfson Children’s Hospital

Outpatient Experience
Additional clinic opportunities per request
Continuity clinic — 2 half-day a week

Research
Present work at national conferences
Manuscript preparation and submission for publication

Career Development
Apply for jobs/interviewing

Clinical training is extremely broad in scope, and well balanced between general endocrinology and diabetes in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Our fellows participate in clinical care throughout their three years of training. Fellows are expected to progress in responsibility and independence throughout their training.

The clinical experience of the fellows includes, but is not limited to, training in the following areas:

  • short stature, including constitutional delay
  • disorders of anterior pituitary hormone physiology, including growth hormone deficiency
  • disorders of posterior pituitary hormone physiology, including diabetes insipidus
  • disorders of hypothalamic hormonal regulation
  • disorders of thyroid hormone physiology
  • diagnosis and management of endocrine neoplasia
  • disorders of the adrenal gland physiology
  • disorders of androgen and estrogen metabolism, including adolescent reproductive endocrinology
  • disorders of sexual differentiation and development
  • disorders of calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D metabolism
  • disorders of parathyroid gland physiology
  • disorders of fluid and electrolyte balance
  • disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, including diabetes mellitus and hypoglycemia
  • disorders of nutrition, including eating disorders

Weekly Conferences

  • Pediatric Endocrinology Case Conference (with Nemours cross-campus and alumni participation)
  • Pediatric Endocrinology Core Lectures (led by faculty and fellows)
  • UF Pediatric Grand Rounds (fellows will be asked to speak at this forum at least once during their training)

Biweekly/Monthly/Quarterly Conferences

  • Bioethics (in conjunction with the residency program)
  • Professionalism
  • Pediatric Endocrinology Journal Club
  • Pediatric Tumor Board (fellows will present the relevant cases in which they are involved)
  • Pediatric Endocrinology Board Review (case-based questions, moderated by faculty)

Courses (live and web-based)

  • Clinical Genetics for the Pediatric Subspecialist
  • FunCATS (Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences program)
  • Biostatistics
  • Quality Improvement
  • University of Florida Teaching (skills seminar)

Diverse research opportunities exist within the Nemours Pediatric Division of Endocrinology, as well as in collaboration with other divisions and departments within Nemours.

  • Weekly pediatric endocrinology research meeting
  • Regular research mentor meetings
  • Nemours Research Conference

Examples of fellows' projects:

  • Recombinant human growth hormone (GH): effects on metabolic profile, body composition and skeletal muscle strength and function in prepubertal short boys with and without GH deficiency
  • Safety of low and very low carbohydrate diets in young children with Type 1 diabetes
  • Impact of short bouts of exercise ("exercise snacks") and glutamine on glucose homeostasis and body composition in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes: a pilot, randomized study  
  • Age-specific timing of gonadotrophin peak during GnRHa testing 
  • Dysglycemia and obesity: impact on the brain in adolescents with Type 2 diabetes mellitus
  • Metabolic effects of oral vs. transdermal 17β estradiol: a randomized clinical trial in girls with Turner syndrome
  • Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oral and transdermal 17β estradiol in girls with Turner syndrome
  • Does oral glutamine improve insulin sensitivity in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes?
  • Urine calcium-to-creatinine ratio as a potential noninvasive screen for vitamin D deficiency
  • Effects of improved glycemic control on blood glutathione concentrations in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes

Other experiences:

  • Thyroid biopsy experience (observation)

Learn More About Research Opportunities »

Questions About Applying

Lournaris Torres-Santiago, MD
Program Director
(904) 633-4199
lotorres@nemours.org