Section of Rheumatology Training Programs

Active for over three decades, the Rheumatology Fellowship Program at The University of Chicago, under the direction of Dr. Tammy Utset, provides a fellowship experience aimed at combining the acquisition of subspecialty clinical expertise with the development of a critical approach to the understanding of this discipline. During the course of the basic two-year program fellows have increasing responsibilities for inpatient consultative work, outpatient management, preparation of conferences, student and resident teaching and development and initiation of clinical and laboratory research projects. These responsibilities are supervised by the faculty, all of who have full-time academic appointments and act as clinical and research preceptors.

In general, two fellows are accepted each year. The first year of fellowship emphasizes clinical training. Fellows have three rotating outpatient continuity clinics per week. In addition, the hospital consult service is covered for approximately 5 months/year by a first year fellow. Pediatric rheumatology, orthopedics and rehabilitation are required. As the second year approaches, fellows will select one of three research tracks: the basic research, clinical genetics or clinical scholar track. They will have an opportunity to design and carry out original research in a clinical, translational or basic science area under the guidance of an experienced investigator. This experience should teach fellows about the concepts of study design and data analyses which are needed for critical appraisal of the literature and for later independent research. One to two continuity clinics per week also continue in the second (and third) year.

The hospitals that participate in the fellowship program are the Rheumatology Sections at The University of Chicago Medical Center and LaRabida Children’s Hospital and Research Foundation. Rheumatology faculty members at each of these institutions participate in the training of fellows, with the emphasis placed on matching areas of faculty expertise with the particular requirements of individual fellows. A major goal of the training program is the preparation of fellows for careers in academic rheumatology as clinician-scholars or physician-investigators.

Minimum requirements for admission to our clinical fellowship program are:

M.D. or equivalent degree
Successful completion of an ACGME-certified internal medicine residency program sponsored by a major university
U.S. citizen, Canadian citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. In special circumstances, holders of H1-B or J-1 visas may be considered. This is generally true if the visa holder has special qualifications such as advanced degrees (PhD or MPH) or extensive research experience.
For graduates of medical schools outside the U.S. and Canada, appropriate certification by the USMLE/FLEX