The ASTCT’s Committee on Education is delighted to announce the creation of a new resource for physicians considering advanced training in bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and cellular therapy (CT): the BMT/CT Fellowship Database. (https://www.astct.org/practice/fellowship-survey)

Over the past decade, the number of patients undergoing BMT and/or CT has increased sharply. The complexity of these patients, and the specialist knowledge required to adequately care for them, has likewise expanded dramatically. In line with these increases, a growing number of training programs are offering advanced fellowships in BMT/CT.

This expanded access to advanced training has unequivocally been a positive development in the BMT/CT field. However, to the individual trainee applicant, this has also dramatically increased the complexity of identifying, applying to, and accepting a fellowship position at these programs. The lack of standardized requirements and the lack of standardized timelines for the application process have been particularly troublesome. Unlike training at the residency level (e.g. internal medicine or general pediatrics) or fellowship level (e.g. hematology/medical oncology, pediatric hematology/oncology), there is no central directory or single timeline for BMT/CT fellowship applicants.

Recognizing these challenges and the somewhat ad-hoc nature of the BMT/CT Fellowship application process, the ASTCT’s Committee on Education sought to develop a centralized, up-to-date, continuously maintained database of all available BMT/CT Fellowship Programs in both the adult and pediatric contexts. To do this, a dedicated taskforce was created within the Committee on Education. A survey was then designed and disseminated to as many pediatric and adult BMT/CT transplant programs as could be identified in the United States and Canada. BMT/CT Fellowship program directors (or their designated program contacts) were then able to input key information about their programs.

The resulting database is searchable and can be filtered by location, focus (pediatric versus adult), visa sponsorship (if needed), and primary training discipline (BMT, CT, or both). Each program’s contact information is listed, as are major details including eligibility/prerequisite requirements, specific rotations and program structure, approximate patient volume, and application, interview, and training start timelines.

It is our hope that the BMT/CT Fellowship Database will serve as a valuable resource for those seeking additional training in this complex yet fascinating field.

Tags: BMT, Resource, cellular, CT