Blood Bank/Transfusion Medicine
Transfusion Medicine/Blood Banking The SUNY Upstate Transfusion Medicine/Blood Banking Fellowship is a 1-year training program in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY.
This ACGME-accredited fellowship provides trainees with exposure to all of the following fundamental aspects of transfusion medicine:
- Blood banking
- Blood product collection/manufacturing
- Coagulation testing and management
- Therapeutic apheresis
- Extracorporeal photopheresis
- Hematopoietic stem sell collection via apheresis
- Hematopoietic stem cell processing and storage
- Umbilical cord blood banking
- HLA testing and interpretation
- Molecular pathology
- Laboratory management
- Transfusion support for unique populations such as:
- bone marrow transplant recipients
- solid organ transplant recipients
- oncology patients
- sickle cell disease and other hemoglobinopathy patients
- thalassemia patients
- burn patients
- vascular surgery
- trauma patients
The fellow operates as a junior attending working in conjunction with the two Transfusion Medicine fellowship-trained faculty supplemented by ASHI-certified HLA faculty, fellowship-trained molecular pathology faculty, fellowship-trained hematologists, and very experienced staff throughout all the training areas.
“The Transfusion Medicine fellowship at SUNY Upstate is a wonderful place to learn. From the technicians and apheresis nurses to the staff pathologists, everyone was very eager and capable to help build me into a competent physician. There was a very good variety of patients with many rare and uncommon cases popping up frequently.
The program is neither too regimented nor too unsupervised. I felt that I was able to pursue my specific interests freely without being directionless. The laboratory space is also completely new! The beautiful views of the city from the top floor, clean, modern lab made coming to work very pleasant. I couldn't recommend the experience any more highly”
—SUNY Upstate 2018-2019 Fellow
The fellow is integral to the daily operation of all these areas, providing first-hand experience in these diverse disciplines. The fellow also assists in training pathology residents in the SUNY Upstate Medical University Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine residency program and is also involved with teaching other learners at SUNY Upstate, including medical students, nursing students, medical technology students, residents and fellows in a myriad of other programs at SUNY Upstate, nursing and support staff, and clinical faculty from other departments.
A dynamic and enriching learning environment
SUNY Upstate University Hospital provides an enriching environment for this exposure as Central New York’s academic medical center and the region’s:
- Level 1 trauma center
- Burn center
- Stroke center
- Poison center
- Pediatric hospital
- Apheresis center
- Bone marrow transplant center
- Solid organ transplant center
Training at this site is supplemented by exposure to transfusion medicine practice in a lower acuity setting at SUNY Upstate University Hospital Community Campus Hospital located a short drive (7 miles) from the Downtown Campus, exposure to neonatal and obstetric transfusion medicine at Crouse Hospital located next door to the Downtown Campus, and exposure to blood product collection, processing, and distribution through rotations at the regional American Red Cross in Rochester, NY (85 miles, approximately 2 hours drive from Syracuse). The SUNY Upstate ACGME-accredited Transfusion Medicine/Blood Banking Fellowship offers competitive salary and benefits. Syracuse offers a very affordable cost of living with a wide range of reasonable housing options for rent or purchase.
Travel within Syracuse is very easy due to the relatively low traffic volumes and available public transit. Getting to and from Syracuse is also easy with its international airport, train station, and bus depot all within a short drive from downtown Syracuse and Syracuse’s position at the crossroads of interstates 90 and 81. Syracuse boasts the benefits and amenities of a mid-sized urban center, a robust college environment, and quick access to the surrounding rural and natural environs.
In order to maximize the learning experience, only a single Transfusion Medicine Fellow position is offered each academic year. Applicants are advised to contact the director of the fellowship, Dr. Matthew Elkins, as early as possible once the applicant has recognized their interest. The decision of which fellow is selected for the next academic year is made by the December prior to that academic year starting.
Requirements
Applicants should be Board-eligible or Board-certified in Clinical Pathology or AP/CP and have successfully completed USMLE Step III.
Application
Send curriculum vitae, personal statement, and three letters of reference to:
Matthew Elkins, MD, PhD ([email protected])
Director, Transfusion Medicine/Blood Bank Fellowship Program
Department of Pathology
SUNY Upstate Medical University
750 East Adams Street
Syracuse, NY 13210