Clinical Rotations

• Extensive exposure to management of diabetes and endocrine disorders
• Fellows coordinate assessment of inpatient consults, overseeing rotating residents and students
• Rounds with faculty daily
• Only outpatient responsibility is continuity clinic half-day per week

• VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System inpatient coverage with very modest census (1-3 total patients/day on average)
• Inpatient rotation with some outpatient responsibilities (e.g. e-consults) but no clinics except continuity clinic 
• Continuity clinic half-day per week

• VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System clinics  

• Continuity clinic, ½ day per week 

• 2 days per week allotted to research 

Research 

First year  

•  4 weeks to identify research mentor, determine research project, and prepare for research project in the 2nd year (IRB submission, etc) 

Second year  

•  8+ weeks protected time to perform research with goal to submit work to a national meeting 

• Encompasses general endocrine clinics and several sub-specialty clinics
• Subspecialty clinics include:
  • Pituitary
  • Metabolic Bone Disease
  • Transplant
  • Cystic Fibrosis
  • Young Adult
  • Multidisciplinary thyroid, parathyroid, and neuroendocrine tumor clinic
  • High risk OB
  • Bariatrics
  • Insulin pump
  • Intestinal rehabilitation and chronic pancreatitis
  • Telemedicine

• Encompasses all aspects of thyroid disease
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Thyroid nodule evaluation, including extensive experience in thyroid/neck ultrasound and ultrasound guided thyroid nodule biopsy
  • Thyroid cancer management, pre- and post-operative including in-office ultrasound
• Thyroid Biopsy Clinic
  • In addition to the Thyroid Rotation, fellows also rotate through a weekly Thyroid Biopsy Clinic dedicated to thyroid nodule assessment, including thyroid/neck ultrasound and ultrasound guided thyroid nodule biopsy
  • Since 2012, fellows have averaged 65 thyroid ultrasounds and 63 thyroid nodule biopsies during their fellowship
• Thyroid and Neuroendocrine Tumor Clinic

First year

• Half-month in the fall to identify research mentor and determine research project
• Half-month in the spring to prepare for research project work in 2nd year (IRB submission, etc)

Second year

• Twelve-plus weeks of protected time to perform research with goal to submit work to a national meeting

• Longitudinal experience through the two years of fellowship
• Exposure to all aspects of radiology pertinent to endocrinology, through clinical, didactic, and practical sessions, including:
  • Sella MRI
  • Thyroid and neck ultrasound and CT
  • Pancreatic and adrenal CT and MRI
  • Nuclear medicine imaging – Radioactive iodine uptake/scan, Dotate, sestamibi, etc.
  • DEXA scans
• Extensive exposure to practical endocrine imaging through attendance at Endocrine Tumor Board