Rheumatology Fellowship Programs

Rheumatology is a specialty branch of internal medicine associated with the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases such as arthritis. To practice in the field of rheumatology, a doctor must complete additional educational requirements by participating in rheumatology fellowship programs.

Rheumatology fellowship programs are offered at several universities and medical centers across the United States. Rheumatology fellowship programs are usually two to four years in length and offer both clinical and research experience in rheumatology. Below are three examples.

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine offers a two-year fellowship program in rheumatology. Doctors gain their experience treating the patients at the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center. During the first year of the fellowship, a doctor must decide her field of research and become a mentor. The second year will be spent conducting the research and continuing to treat patients.

The University of California, San Francisco Department of Medicine Fellowship Training Program

A doctor participating in the fellowship program at the University of California, San Francisco will spend the first year of fellowship treating patients at three different teaching hospitals to be exposed to a wide variety of patients and conditions. The second and third year of the fellowship are spent participating in research.

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Rheumatology Fellowship Program

A doctor applying to participate in the rheumatology fellowship program at the University of Texas has the option of completing a clinical fellowship or a research fellowship. The clinical fellowship includes teaching conferences and treating patients. The research fellowship includes patient research and molecular and immunology research.