About AHN

Allegheny Health Network (AHN) is a health system servicing western Pennsylvania. West Penn Hospital, the flagship site for women’s and cancer care at AHN, was established in 1848 and is located in Pittsburgh's Bloomfield neighborhood.  AHN is a member of Highmark Health and operates a 14-hospital academic medical system in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. Our patient-centered model of care allows for effective collaboration between physicians and caregivers, and better visibility into how best practices can be implemented at every care site, for all clinical programs in the communities we serve.    

AHN is active in graduate medical education with ACGME-accredited surgical oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, urology, and other, training programs. Gynecologic oncologists are integral faculty members in the network’s Obstetrics and Gynecology residency program which graduates six chief residents annually. Additionally, West Penn Hospital has academic affiliation with Drexel University College of Medicine (DUCOM) and serves as a primary clinical campus of obstetrics and gynecology rotations for DUCOM medical students.

Curriculum and research

Curriculum

Fellows will participate in a minimum of 3 hours of protected educational time weekly including tumor board and fellow didactic curriculum. In addition, fellows will participate in a monthly cadence of departmental grand rounds and M&M, preop conference, journal club, clinical trials portfolio review, and pathology conference. 

Didactic curriculum

Designed to be a comprehensive review of the most relevant information in gynecologic oncology, we have developed a high-yield educational program. With a focus on preparing our fellows for the ABOG Gynecologic Oncology Certifying Exam, our comprehensive education tract includes:

• Focused content review of the most relevant data (historic and contemporary) for the exam including updated NCCN algorithms, surgical approach to gynecologic malignancy, principles of chemotherapeutics and targeted therapies, radiation therapy, and genetics
• Lectures from experienced faculty on specific topics in oncology 
• SGO Palliative care and opioid education modules 
• Review of sentinel trials in gynecologic oncology 
• Faculty led mock oral exams to facilitate the review of high-yield information and to discuss critical decision-making processes in gynecologic oncology 
• Education in ethical principles, including diversity, equity, and inclusion, as pertaining to gynecologic oncology. 

Sample rotation schedule

Year 1- Clinical

• 11 months gynecologic oncology at West Penn Hospital
• 1 month surgical oncology at West Penn Hospital

Year 2- Research

• 12 months protected research time with expectation to produce thesis manuscript in publishable format
• During the 12 months of dedicated research time, fellows will participate in 2 online graduate level courses through Drexel University College of Medicine, with focus in clinical trial design and statistics. 

Year 3- Clinical

• 11 months gynecologic oncology at West Penn Hospital
• 1 month radiation oncology at West Penn Hospital

Research

Fellows are provided 12 months of dedicated research time in their second fellowship year with opportunities in both basic/translational studies as well as clinical/outcomes projects. Opportunities for basic laboratory research are available in collaboration with the division of surgical oncology. 

• Dr. Bartlett’s lab focuses on the development of oncolytic vaccinia viral therapies for cancer, using preclinical animal models, and has a lengthy track record of mentoring surgeon-scientists in training.
• Dr. Wagner's lab focuses on the immune microenvironment of peritoneal surface malignancies, with emphasis on the relationship of the tumor microbiome with tumor immunity. Current fellows are completing projects investigating the microbiome of appendiceal cancers, and the cytokine milieu and proteome of peritoneal fluid in patients with carcinomatosis.
• Dr. Allen leads an innovative outcomes and value-based research initiative, which is expected to provide exceptional opportunities for mentored projects for fellows. 
• Dr. LaFramboise’s lab performs molecular diagnostic testing using an innovative DNA-RNA next generation sequencing panel interrogating > 500 cancer-relevant genes and transcripts. He performs basic and translation research to identify underlying mechanisms of tumorigenesis to direct the next generation of patient-specific and tumor-specific therapies and monitor their efficacy. In conjunction with a robust and growing tumor repository, this provides an excellent opportunity for fellows to partake in early translational studies.

In addition to a year of dedicated basic/translational research, fellows are expected to develop and lead divisional retrospective studies, mentoring residents in research opportunities.