Education & Training

URiM Visiting Scholars

Target Pituitary

MGH Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) Visiting Scholars in Endocrinology Program

Mission: To attract scholars who are underrepresented in medicine to the field of endocrinology and to our institution; increase the diversity of our clinical and research programs; and serve as a pilot initiative that could be extended to other clinical and research programs at MGH.

Program: This program provides mentored clinical and research experiences in Endocrinology and Neuroendocrinology at MGH/HMS to scholars who are underrepresented in medicine. Selected applicants will be named MGH URiM Visiting Scholars in Endocrinology or Neuroendocrinology. Recipients receive a free-of-charge virtual or hybrid clinical and/or research experience in Endocrinology or Neuroendocrinology at MGH and are matched with an interdisciplinary faculty host/mentor team. Part time and full-time options for 1 to 3-month blocks are available.

We encourage applications from undergraduates (at least at the level of rising sophomore), post-baccalaureates, and medical students interested in a career in medicine. Interested applicants must meet NIH criteria for underrepresented in medicine based on race and ethnicity, disability, and/or disadvantaged backgrounds (see https://diversity.nih.gov/about-us/population-underrepresented) and must be a US citizen or green card holder.

Cost: No fees; unpaid

More Information and How to Apply:

Observerships

Target Pituitary

International Observership

Mission: To provide service in endocrine education, training and mentorship; extend global outreach; and encourage international exchange of expertise.

Program: 3-week to 3-month observership for visiting endocrinologists, neurosurgeons, and trainees from outside the US.

Observers are invited to attend weekly virtual conferences, which includes our multidisciplinary Clinical Case Conference, Neuroendocrine Journal Club, and Endocrine Grand Rounds. They also shadow in the Neuroendocrine and Pituitary Tumor Clinical Center for up to 8 sessions per week with several clinical pituitary experts who precept fellows’ clinics or see patients of their own. Observers may choose to see neuroendocrine hospital consults, including patients who have undergone transsphenoidal surgery. If interested, arrangements may be made for observers to shadow in neurosurgery (outpatient clinic and operating room), neurology, neuro-oncology, radiation oncology or neuro-ophthalmology.

Cost: Fees apply; unpaid

Contacts:

Fellowships

Target Pituitary

International Postdoctoral Research Fellowship

Mission: To provide service in endocrine research, training and mentorship; extend global outreach; and encourage international exchange of expertise.

Program: 1-year postdoctoral research training program.

Closely mentored research training program for postdoctoral candidates interested in clinical and translational neuroendocrine and pituitary research. Our international postdoctoral research fellows have an excellent track record for authorship on publications in prestigious journals and 100 percent of those who applied to US medical residency programs have matched to date.

Cost: No fees; unpaid

Contacts:

Clerkships

Target Pituitary

Neuroendocrine Clinical Clerkship

Mission: This course is recommended for medical students with interest in endocrinology, neuroendocrinology, neurosurgery, neurology, neuro-oncology or neuro-ophthalmology.

Program: 1-month rotation for third- and fourth-year Harvard Medical School students.

Learning Objectives: To understand a multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis and management of pituitary disorders; to communicate with a range of clinical subspecialists and their patients with pituitary disorders, including neuroendocrine, neurosurgery, radiation oncology, neuro-oncology and neuro-ophthalmology; to acquire knowledge of neuroendocrine disorders seen in the outpatient clinic and in the hospital; to determine how social and/or economic background affects a patient’s journey through transsphenoidal surgery including preoperative evaluation, surgery, and postoperative care.

Curriculum: Students will be provided with the Clinical Neuroendocrine Syllabus, which includes clinical reviews on hypopituitarism, Cushing’s syndrome, hyperprolactinemia and nonfunctioning tumors, and surgical and radiation treatment of pituitary tumors. Additional references will be provided based on students’ individual interests. Material will be reinforced by case-based learning in the clinic and hospital and through a variety of neuroendocrine lectures and conferences. Students will be expected to attend at least two weekly conferences including: 1) Neuroendocrine Clinical Case Conference, which is one hour in length and is attended by neuroendocrine faculty and fellows, radiation, oncology, neuro-oncology and neurosurgery and includes in depth multidisciplinary discussion of complex and challenging neuroendocrine disorders, and 2) Neuroendocrine Journal Club, which is one hour in length and focuses on review and analysis of recent neuroendocrine literature. Students will be encouraged to observe a transsphenoidal surgery, inpatient and outpatient neuroendocrine consultation, neuroendocrine dynamic testing, and stereotactic radiosurgery.

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