Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship
About the Fellowship
Our ACGME-accredited Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship Program offers an exciting training opportunity for pediatricians interested in a career in endocrinology. This three-year fellowship emphasizes both clinical excellence and research training. The program supports multiple state-of-the-art outpatient and inpatient services at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University and affiliated NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County, providing fellows with unparalleled exposure to a broad spectrum of endocrine disorders, pediatric diabetes, and weight management.
Clinical care is delivered by a multidisciplinary team of dedicated, board-certified pediatric endocrinologists, nurse practitioner and pediatric endocrine nurse, certified diabetes care and education specialists, registered dietitians, social workers, and nursing staff. Through this interdisciplinary approach, we provide individualized, patient-centered care to children and adolescents with diabetes and other endocrine disorders. Our institution is also a New York State–designated Endocrine Specialty Center for congenital hypothyroidism and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Specialized endocrine stimulation testing is performed routinely.
The fellowship includes a robust didactic curriculum consisting of a comprehensive board review course aligned with the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) content outline in pediatric endocrinology, weekly journal clubs, and fellows’ conferences. Fellows receive training in research methodology, study design, biostatistics, research ethics, IRB applications, and grant writing.
Our program has a strong and successful research portfolio in diabetes, obesity, growth, puberty, thyroid disease, and adrenal disorders. Current and past projects include, but are not limited to, studies on the effects of diabetes and obesity on endothelial function, differences between children and adolescents with metabolically healthy versus unhealthy obesity, the role of vitamin D in autoimmune thyroiditis, the validity of screening for celiac disease and autoimmune thyroiditis in children with type 1 diabetes, and prediabetes in children and adolescents.
The first year of fellowship is dedicated primarily to clinical training, while the second and third years focus on research, either in patient-oriented clinical research or basic laboratory investigation. Fellows are expected to engage in meaningful scholarly activity throughout their training. Upon completion, qualified graduates are eligible for the ABP certification in Pediatric Endocrinology. Our alumni have published in peer-reviewed journals, presented their work at national and international meetings, and have gone on to successful careers in both academic medicine and private practice.
Faculty & Staff
- Vatcharapan Umpaichitra, MD, Program Director
- Vivian Chin, MD
- Renee Bargman, MD
- Haiyun Lu, MD
- Dawn Hagerty, RN, CDCES
- Laura Dunkley, RD, CDCES
Applying
The program seeks physicians who have completed or will have completed three years of training in an ACGME accredited residency program and are American Board of Pediatrics (APB) board certified or eligible for the ABP certifying examination. Interested applicants should submit an application to ERAS under SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn Program (ACGME ID 3263521022).
Please provide:
- At least three (3) letters of reference
- A personal statement describing career goals and reasons for continuing training in pediatric endocrinology
- Medical school transcript
- Documentation of participation in, and potential completion of, a pediatric residency training program in the United States or equivalent
- Parts 1, 2 and 3 of the USMLE or equivalent scores
- If a graduate of a medical school outside the United States, Canada or Puerto Rico, valid ECFMG certificate or one that does not expire prior to the start of the fellowship.
Contact:
Vatcharapan Umpaichitra, MD,Fellowship Program Director
Division of Endocrinology
445 Lenox Road, MSC 49
Brooklyn, NY 11203Phone number: 718-613-8605
Email address: Vatcharapan.Umpaichitra@downstate.edu