Hematology/Oncology Fellowship

Fellows training in our program receive a comprehensive education in the management of malignant and non-malignant hematology, bone marrow transplant, and solid tumor oncology in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.

Conferences include:

• Noon conferences including core curriculum lecture series given by disease specific faculty as well as board review sessions
• Fellow presentation conference including in-depth topic presentations, journal clubs and research in progress
• Hematology case conferences
• Oncology case conferences
• Disease specific tumor boards (required for area pertaining to continuity clinic)
• Monthly Communication and Wellness series
• Internal medicine department grand rounds and cancer center grand rounds are strongly encouraged

Teaching opportunities include:

• Fellows are able to develop their teaching skills, under supervision and mentorship of the attending faculty
• Each fellow is expected to present in-depth topic presentations and/or journal clubs to their colleagues during the course of each year
• During inpatient service blocks, fellows are engaged in daily teaching rounds which may include residents and or medical students
• In second/third years of fellowship, fellows have opportunities to facilitate Physical Diagnosis, History taking and other medical student coursework

Total of 19 fellows, with 6 fellows per year having structure listed below.

Every third year, there is recruitment of a 7^th fellow, who is predominantly NBI based with a different structure to schedule. 

Year 1 – inpatient heavy (up to 8 months, majority in New Brunswick), outpatient blocks break up inpatient​

Years 2 and 3 ​

• 6-month block in Newark at Newark Beth Israel AND University Hospital (combination inpatient/outpatient, approximate split 3 months at each site)​
• Approximately 6-month outpatient block – predominantly New Brunswick based​
• Approximately two 6-month periods of Interest-directed blocks, with focus on research, global oncology, medical education, clinical experiences or other areas as per fellows’ interest

Continuity Clinic Experience:

Fellows have continuity clinic for at least ½ day per week for entire 36 months of fellowship, but broken down in 6 month blocks.

New Brunswick: Five 6-month blocks of ½ day continuity clinics in disease focused areas such as Breast, GI, GU, Malignant Heme, Thoracic, Classical Hematology ​

Newark: One 6-month block of more generalized clinic at either NBI or University Hospital

All fellows are assigned research blocks during their second and third year of training. Fellows are expected to engage in research in any of the areas of hematology or medical oncology , depending on their areas of interest. Research overviews can be found at www.cinj.org/research/research-overview.

Rizvan Azimzade, MD
Fellowship Year 1
Medical School: Tbilisi State Medical University Faculty of Medicine
Residency: Alameda Health System-Highland Hospital

Akshay Desai, MD
Fellowship Year 1
Medical School: Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School - New Brunswick
Residency: Cooper Medical School of Rowan University/CUH

Matthew Karr, DO
Fellowship Year 1
Medical School: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine -Harlem
Residency: Mount Sinai West/Morningside NY

Naveena Lall, MD
Fellowship Year 1
Medical School: University of N. Dakota School of Meidcine & Health Sciences
Residency: Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

Connor McLaughlin, MD
Fellowship Year 1
Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine
Residency: Thomas Jefferson Universiy Hospital

Kawana Simon, MD
Fellowship Year 1
Medical School: Saint Georges University
Residency: Newark Beth Israel Medical Center

Alex Sisto, MD
Fellowship Year 1
Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine
Residency: Montefiore Moses

Sahaj Desai, MD
Fellowship Year 2
Medical School: Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Residency: Cooper Medical School of Rowan University/CUH

Alexandra Noveihed, MD
Fellowship Year 2
Medical School: CUNY School of Medicine
Residency: Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

Ronak Patel, MD
Fellowship Year 2
Medical School: Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School - New Brunswick
Residency: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Christopher Sandifer, DO
Fellowship Year 2
Medical School: Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Meghana Subramanian, MD
Fellowship Year 2
Medical School: Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Residency: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Michelle Fleyshman, MD
Fellowship Year 3
Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine
Residency: University of Maryland Program

Jeremy Johns, MD
Fellowship Year 3
Medical School: Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo
Residency: Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Krystal Park, MD
Fellowship Year 3
Medical School: Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Residency: University of Maryland Medical Center

Shobi Venkatachalam, MD
Fellowship Year 3
Medical School: Thanjavur Medical College
Residency: University of Maryland Medical Center

See Faculty List

University Hospital

University Hospital Newark | Rutgers Cancer Institute

https://cinj.org/universityhospital

Newark Beth Israel

https://www.rwjbh.org/newark-beth-israel-medical-center/treatment-care/cancer-blood-disorders/

Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center

https://www.rwjbh.org/cooperman-barnabas-medical-center/treatment-care/cancer/cancer-center-at-cooperman-barnabas-medical-cent/

• USMLE steps
• ABIM board certified or board eligible
• NJ license (limited license if on visa)
• A valid ECFMG certificate for all foreign medical graduates
• Completion of a prior ACGME accredited internal medicine residency