TRANSFUSION MEDICINE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Description:
New York Blood Center (NYBC) provides blood products and clinical services to serve the needs of an estimated 20 million people and over 150 hospitals in the Tri-State (NY/NJ/CT) area.  We also serve specialized patient needs nationally and globally for HLA matched cord blood units used in transplantation.  More than 450,000 blood donations are processed annually yielding almost 1 million blood products, providing an estimated 7% of the nation’s blood supply needs for patients.

As home to the Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, NYBC is also a world leader in hematology and transfusion science research. The Transfusion Medicine Fellowship Program has trained specialists in transfusion medicine for more than 30 years. The core one-year program is ACGME-accredited and is designed to train physicians who are interested in acquiring the competence necessary for ABP sub-specialty certification in blood banking/transfusion medicine and subsequent practice. The fellow spends the year both at NYBC and at four participating tertiary care medical centers.

The one-year core program consists of the following formal rotations: Blood services, collections, quality assurance; Immunohematology reference laboratory; Hospital transfusion service operations; Coagulation; Immunogenetics and Cord blood; Cellular therapy
Time for a research project.

A two year research/clinical track is available for selected candidates interested in pursuing an academic career in transfusion medicine. The additional research track is jointly sponsored with the Department of Pathology of Columbia, NYPH.

Requirements:
Candidates must possess an unrestricted active license to practice medicine in New York State and must be board eligible/certified in one of the following areas: Anatomic and Clinical Pathology or Clinical Pathology, Internal Medicine, Hematology, Pediatrics, Anesthesiology, or Surgery.
Available Positions: Up to six per year
Stipends: Commensurate with postgraduate training level.
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CURRENT PRACTICES IN TRANSFUSION MEDICINE

At the final session an examination covering course content is administered and then discussed. This is a self-assessment opportunity for class participants and may be useful to program directors as an outcome measurement tool. Grade reports are distributed to participants and/or program directors upon request.

This program is offered twice a year, in April and in July. There is no registration fee. It is recommended that participants have current editions of the American Association of Blood Banks Technical Manual and Standards for Blood Banks and Transfusion Services available for individual study.
Please go to "Courses and Seminars" for information on April/July courses.

New York Blood Center offers a 18-20 session course in transfusion medicine for residents in clinical pathology, fellows in hematology or pediatric hematology, and other interested physicians. The course content is comprehensive and presented in both lecture and interactive problem-solving format. This program is intended to support hospital transfusion service rotations with an opportunity to develop a strong foundation in theoretical knowledge of transfusion medicine in a classroom setting. Problem-solving sessions provide case scenarios and allow simulated experience in the decision-making required in the practice of transfusion medicine. The course may also be helpful for physicians who are preparing for board certifying examinations.

Topics include:
Safety of the blood supply
Blood donation issues: donor selection
Immunohematology: Blood group antigens, antibodies and antibody identification 
Immune hemolysis
Management of anemia
Component therapy
Overview of Hemostasis
Management of congenital and acquired coagulopathies
Platelet disorders, platelet transfusions and management of platelet refractoriness Perinatal and pediatric transfusion
Adverse effects of transfusion
HLA
Therapeutic apheresis and stem cell harvesting
Cord blood Stem Cell processing/transfusion support during HPC and solid organ transplants
Clinical case scenarios