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.

Rutgers Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Global Oncology Elective

his program supports the advancement of cancer care and prevention in Botswana, while preparing Rutgers physician fellows to understand the complexities of providing these services in a low resource setting.  The program is a collaboration between Rutgers Global Health Institute (https://globalhealth.rutgers.edu/), Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, University of Botswana and Princess Marina Hospital. This is a non-mandatory elective opportunity in which global oncology fellows spend 1 month (or more) at University of Botswana during their research blocks and engage in research projects related to global oncology during 1 year (or more) of their fellowship. There are also opportunities for Hematology-Oncology fellows to participate in global oncology projects without traveling abroad. Projects have included: analysis of pharmacy oncology drug usage, assisting in the development of guidelines for cancer care in Botswana, development of an oncologic emergencies curriculum delivered to faculty and staff in Botswana, collaboration with Pathology Working Group in developing digital pathology educational tools.

2018-2019

Fellows: Ashwin Chandar, Sukhdeep Kaur

Ashwin Chandar, Sukhdeep Kaur, Tlotlo Bathethi Ralefala, Deborah Toppmeyer, Claire Philipp, Richard Marlink, Reena Antony, Marilyn DiGiacobbe, Refeletswe Lebelonyane, Tendani Gaolathe, and Tina M. Mayer. Building international partnerships to improve global oncological care: Perspective from Rutgers-CINJ Global Oncology Fellowship Program. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2019 37:27_suppl, 159-159

Sukhdeep Kaur, Ashwin Chandar, Tina M. Mayer, Deborah Toppmeyer, Roger Strair, Richard Marlink, Reena Antony, Marilyn DiGiacobbe, Refeletswe Lebelonyane, Tendani Gaolathe, and Tlotlo Bathethi Ralefala. Evaluating the challenges of cancer care in Botswana: Chemotherapy utilization and stock outs. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2019 37:15_suppl, e18309-e18309

2019-2020

Fellows: Pallvi Popli and Mansi Shah

Pallvi Popli, Mansi R. Shah, Tlotlo B. Ralefala, Deborah Toppmeyer, Roger Strair, Refeletswe Lebelonyane, Atlang Mompe, Tendani Gaolathe, Reena Antony, Richard Marlink, and Tina M. Mayer. Reducing Oncologic Disparities by Standardizing Cancer Care. JCO Global Oncology 2020 6:Supplement_1, 64-64

Popli P, Gutterman EM, Omene C, Ganesan S, Mills D, Marlink R. Receptor-Defined Breast Cancer in Five East African Countries and Its Implications for Treatment: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JCO Glob Oncol. 2021 Feb;7:289-301.

2020-2021

Fellows: Sharon Li and Sadaf Qureshi

Sharon Li; Sadaf Qureshi, Reena Antony, Kara Wilson, Robert Moumakwa, Refeletswe Lebelonyane, Tendani Gaolathe, Mansi Shah, Pallvi Popli, Ashwin Chandar, Sukhdeep Kaur, Richard Marlink, Tina Mayer, Peter Vuylsteke, Tlotlo Ralefala.  Development and Implementation of a Case-based Virtual Training Program for Oncologic Emergencies in Botswana. 9th Symposium on Global Cancer Research (2021). Oral abstract presentation 9th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research  (ASGCR) March 10. 2021. 

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