This fellowship training program offers clinical and research experience in hematology and medical oncology. The three-year program is designed to meet requirements for Board qualification in the subspecialties of hematology and oncology. A two-year program in either hematology or medical oncology is also available. The program is supported through the School of Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center, the Veterans Administration Northern California Health System, Sacramento Kaiser Permanente Hospital and the Sacramento BloodSource. The UC Davis Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute designated Clinical Cancer Center.

2007 Fellows Graduation Party

On behalf of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the UC Davis School of Medicine and the UC Davis Cancer Center, I would like to thank you for your interest in our Hematology and Oncology Fellowship Program and provide you with a brief overview of our program.

The Division of Hematology and Oncology and the UC Davis Cancer Center have enjoyed a period of tremendous growth and prosperity over the past decade.  From six full-time faculty members in the early nineties, we have grown to be the largest Division in the Department of Medicine with 42 full-time faculty members, including 21 clinician-scientists with expertise that covers the breath of hematology and medical oncology.  The clinical enterprise and research portfolio have grown exponentially, and the Division not only has a successful clinical enterprise but the largest research portfolio of any academic unit in the School of Medicine.  The UC Davis Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Center in Inland California, with a referral base of 4 million people that stretches from the Oregon border to the lower San Joaquin Valley.  The vigorous developmental therapeutics programs offer innovative therapies to our patients, anchored by NCI-funded Phase I and Phase II development grants. 

The fellowship program takes full advantage of the opportunities that our recent growth affords.  A broad and deep exposure to clinical problems is made possible by rotations that include diverse patient populations including the UC Davis Medical Center, the VA Medical Center Sacramento, Kaiser Sacramento Medical Center, and San Joaquin General Hospital.  In addition to sub-subspecialty clinic exposure (e.g., Breast Clinic, Thoracic Oncology Clinic, Benign Hematology Clinic, etc.), fellows have two ½ day continuity clinics a week for general hematology and oncology (can be decreased to ½ a day a week for research fellows).  Fellows are able to follow their own panel of patients throughout their training, greatly enhancing their clinical experience.  Rotations in Transfusion Medicine, Radiation Oncology, Hospice, and Pathology ensure exposure to these important disciplines. 

Research is an essential part of fellowship and the opportunities for fellows are tremendous. Most of our fellows have chosen to participate in clinical research projects and are able to both present and publish their results.  Fellows have been consistently presented their work at ASCO and ASH.  For those headed for a career in clinical investigation, a formal mentored clinical investigator-training program is available.  UC Davis was one of the first 12 recipients of the NIH Clinical and Translational Sciences Awards, and Hematology Oncology faculty play leadership roles in our Clinical and Translational Sciences Center. Fellows interested in laboratory-based research also have a wealth of opportunity with active investigators within our own Division, or within the Cancer Program.  Less “traditional” research opportunities are present in our NIH-funded Hospice Program and NCI-funded Minority Outreach Programs.

Despite our growth, the Division continues to be a congenial and intimate group.  The faculty is friendly and approachable for the fellows, and they are committed to fellow education.  Part of this commitment is reflected in the fact that as opposed to many Cancer Centers, our full-time faculty provides staff coverage for our fellows’ general hematology and oncology continuity clinics rather than having fellows attend only sub-subspecialty clinics. Patients follow the fellows, not the attending, when the fellows move clinic day.   It is this dedication that has led to an overall positive experience and outstanding training for our fellows.  We are tremendously proud of the competence of our graduates.

Again, we appreciate your interest and look forward to the opportunity to meet with some of you.

Best wishes,

Ted Wun, M.D., F.A.C.P.
Professor of Medicine
Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Vice Chief and Fellowship Program Director
Chief, Section of Hematology Oncology, VANCHCS
Medical Director, UC Davis CTSC Clinical Research Center