Department of Medicine
Division of Rheumatology
Fellowship Program
Nancy Y.N. Liu, M.D., Fellowship Program Director
The goal of our fellowship is to provide our trainees with a broad foundation in clinical rheumatology and the appropriate skills required to practice independently as an adult rheumatologist in an academic or private clinical setting. The training over a two- year period has the following objectives: 1) acquisition of clinical competencies needed to evaluate and care for patients with rheumatic diseases; 2) development of skills to communicate and function as a consultant, member of a multi-disciplinary team, or primary provider; 3) establishment of lifelong, self directed learning skills to acquire new knowledge and the ability to incorporate them effectively into practice and health care systems; 4) promoting professionalism in interactions with patients, colleagues, administrators and health care organizations; 5) acquisition of the skills necessary for critical evaluation of research results through understanding of the steps in research methodology through individual project and journal review.
Each fellow has three continuity clinics based at UMMMC, as well as a VA outpatient clinic. Fellows have direct responsibility for their patients, providing ongoing care under the supervision of an attending preceptor at each clinic. Inpatient consults are shared amongst the first- and second-year fellows on a rotating monthly basis. During the inpatient consult months, the fellow is responsible for the supervision of residents and medical students rotating on the rheumatology service. The fellowship curriculum also includes required rotations in 1) rehabilitation medicine; 2) sports medicine; 3) pediatric rheumatology; 4) neuromuscular disease clinic; 5) hand service clinic; and 6) musculoskeletal imaging. In addition, the fellow is expected to develop a focused clinical research project over the two years that culminates in a presentation. Evaluation of the trainee is multi-dimensional and includes verbal feedback from supervising attendings; E*value; chart review; mini- CEX; and annual evaluation committee summary.
Currently, our division has funding for three positions in the two year clinical fellowship. Thus one or two fellowship positions are offered in alternating years. Our graduating fellows have continued in academia as clinical faculty or established private practices throughout the country.
Schedule for recruitment activities:
1. Applications are reviewed starting December 1
2. Interviews start in March and continue through April
3. Candidates are chosen based on their academic achievement, letters of recommendation, and standardized test scores
4. Our fellowship participates in ERAS 
and the national “Match” that occurs in June
Visit the University of Massachusetts Graduate Medical Education (GME) homepage for more information!