Franco M. Muggia, M.D.
Director,
NYU Division of Medical Oncology

Letter from the Director

We appreciate your interest in the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Training Program at the NYU School of Medicine. We provide a superior clinical and research education to the cancer specialists of the future through a comprehensive program that integrates highly personalized patient care with an exceptional program of scientific investigation.

There is a level of enthusiasm in oncology today that is contagious. Novel molecular techniques are enabling researchers to identify new therapeutic targets involved in cancer growth and spread – such as faulty genes and the proteins they govern, enzymes involved in cell signaling and subsequent cancer development, and antigens on cancer cells to which monoclonal antibodies can selectively bind. The delineation of these new targets is paving the way for innovative targeted therapies, leading to an abundance of new drugs under investigation in laboratory studies and clinical trials. For the first time, patients with some types of aggressive cancers are living longer. For others, these therapeutic approaches are delaying the time it takes for their cancers to progress.

Cancer care at NYU is provided through the NYU Cancer Institute (NYUCI), a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center. The mission of the NYUCI is to decrease and eliminate cancer as a significant health problem throughout New York, the nation, and the world, by developing and maintaining excellent programs in patient care, research, education, and prevention.

As part of NYU Medical Center, the NYUCI is a "matrix cancer center," meaning we are a center without walls operating within a larger medical institution. This means that if a patient who is being treated for cancer has another non-cancer medical need, such as heart disease, we have expert medical staff in place to provide that care, too.

Much of our cancer care is provided at the NYU Clinical Cancer Center, located just a few blocks west of the main NYU Medical Center campus. At this innovative outpatient facility, which just opened in 2004, patients have convenient access to the latest treatment options and clinical trials, along with a variety of programs offering cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, genetic counseling, and support services. Inpatient services are provided at NYU Medical Center’s Tisch Hospital.

At the NYU Cancer Institute, we are known for the compassionate and personalized multidisciplinary team approach we take in caring for our patients. Surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, and psychosocial support specialists meet regularly to discuss each patient’s care and create a tailor-made treatment plan based on the latest scientific research. Fellows are vital members of that team, and they learn throughout the fellowship training program how to hone their interpersonal and communication skills while they expand their knowledge of the management of cancer.

Moreover, fellows are exposed to a wide range of medical cases through our association with Bellevue Hospital Center, the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System, and the Hospital for Joint Diseases. The combined yet distinct clinical resources of these outstanding institutions results in a training program that is unparalleled in its diversity. Our trainees are exposed to a spectrum of problems that are not likely to be seen frequently in other places.

During the three years they are with us, our fellows are taught pathophysiologic principles as they apply to hematology/oncology; learn how to work in a multidisciplinary environment to provide excellent inpatient and outpatient care; become skilled at requesting effective consultations; demonstrate proficiency in patient communication, medical ethics, and professionalism; and pursue scientific investigation by choosing a mentor and developing a research project. An additional fourth year of laboratory investigation is encouraged for candidates through grant applications.

Many of our fellows are so pleased with the education they receive that they choose to stay on with us, or they return after working at another institution. Others choose to work elsewhere, bringing the world-class education they received at NYU to benefit patients at other centers.

We have always had a very competitive teaching program, but it is now stronger than ever. I invite you to see what we have to offer.

Franco M. Muggia, M.D.
Director, NYU Division of Medical Oncology
Anne Murnick Cogan and David H. Cogan Professor of Oncology