How to apply

The Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship Program accepts applications through ERAS and participates in the NRMP Pediatric Specialties Match in the fall. We accept one-two new fellows per year. Applicants must come from an ACGME, ACGME-I, or AOA accredited residency training program; graduates of a medical school outside the United States must hold a valid ECFMG certificate. No other filters are applied in the screening process – there are no exam score cut-offs, minimum research requirements, or publication requirements to be considered for an interview. We welcome applicants of any race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and religion.  

For your ERAS application, please provide the following: 

• A one-page personal statement describing your interest in pediatric endocrinology training
• A letter of recommendation from your residency program director
• Two additional letters of recommendation
• Medical student performance evaluation (MSPE) from medical school
• Medical school transcript
• USMLE or COMLEX transcript
• ECFMG certificate (if applicable)

Please also see the OHSU GME information on Applying to OHSU Residencies and Fellowships.

Oregon Health and Science University values a diverse and culturally competent workforce. We are proud of our commitment to being an equal opportunity, affirmative action organization that does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of any protected class status, including disability status and protected veteran status. Individuals with diverse backgrounds and those who promote diversity and a culture of inclusion are encouraged to apply. To request reasonable accommodation contact the Office of Civil Rights Investigations and Compliance at 503-494-5148 or ocic@ohsu.edu.

Interview day

Our interview season generally runs from late July through late October. All interviews are currently being conducted virtually to allow equitable access for all applicants. The virtual interview day will be approximately four hours in length with opportunities to meet our faculty and fellow as well as a chance to participate in one of our weekly educational experiences.

Clinical training

The Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship Training Program is a comprehensive three-year program that provides all of the necessary experiences to become board eligible by the end of the third year. The first year focuses on developing key clinical skills in both the inpatient and outpatient settings, with approximately 25% of time set aside for the acquisition of introductory research skills that will support the fellow’s scholarly work in years two and three. 

Clinical training takes place in Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, the Doernbecher Pediatric Specialty Clinics, the Doernbecher Gender Clinic at Cornell West, and the Harold Schnitzer Diabetes Health Center. Interested fellows also have the opportunity to travel to outreach sites at Salem Health in Salem, Oregon, and Riverbend Pavilion in Springfield, Oregon. 

Inpatient and outpatient experiences are blended throughout the first year of training. Fellows spend approximately three weeks per month providing inpatient care in partnership with a pediatric resident subspecialty team in the hospital, as well as providing consultation to the PICU, NICU, hematology-oncology, and pediatric surgical services. Two days per week, after morning rounds, first-year fellows move on to the outpatient clinic where they rotate through the following clinical experiences:

• General pediatric endocrine clinic
• Diabetes Clinic
• Gender Clinic
• Turner Syndrome Clinic (Butterfly Clinic)
• DUETT Clinic (Differences in Sexual Differentiation)
• Thyroid Nodule Clinic
• Neuro-oncology Clinic
• Skeletal Dysplasia Clinic

In the second and third years, fellows’ have protected time set aside to complete a scholarly project. Clinical commitments during the second and third years include six-eight weeks per year on the inpatient consult service with additional inpatient and outpatient opportunities available to those trainees who would like to pursue a more clinical focus. All fellows participate in continuity clinic as well, one half day per week in the first year and one full day per week in the second and third years.

Night and weekend call runs from Friday at 5 pm to Friday at 5 pm, no more often than every third week on average. All night call is taken from home, with attending physician backup by pager and phone. Weekend morning rounds include participation in diabetes education. 

Our Pediatric Endocrinology team sees almost 4,000 endocrine and 3,500 diabetes outpatients annually, with a growing proportion seen virtually. In addition there are approximately 150 inpatient endocrine and 150 inpatient diabetes admissions yearly.

Didactics

Throughout the three years of fellowship training, fellows participate in a wide range of educational activities to further their learning. These include: 

• Pediatric endocrinology chart review (weekly) 
• Combined case conference and literature review with adult and pediatric endocrine teams (weekly) 
• Journal club (monthly) 
• Division-wide quality improvement work group (monthly) 
• Board review with program director (monthly) 
• Core Content Lecture series (monthly):
  • Thyroid I, II and III
  • Renal water and electrolyte handling
  • Lipids and lipoproteins
  • Multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes
  • Growth and the growth hormone axis
  • Insulin secretion, hyperinsulinism and MODY
  • Vitamin D and bone
  • Differences of sexual differentiation
  • Adrenal disease
  • Diabetes beyond insulin and metformin
  • Obesity and adipocyte hormones
  • Menstrual regulation and PCOS
  • Neuroradiology

Fellows’ are also highly encouraged to participate in the educational offerings of the Department of Pediatrics including: 

• Pediatric Grand Rounds (weekly) 
• Friday Forum (weekly) 
• All-Fellows’ conference series (monthly)  

Finally, all fellows participate in OHSU’s Human Investigations Program (HIP). The HIP curriculum includes education in protocol design, human subjects’ protection, research ethics, scientific writing, biostatistics and more. Tuition for the certificate program is paid by the Department of Pediatrics and the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology. Fellows also have the opportunity to expand their education to pursue a Master of Clinical Research degree through the HIP program.

Teaching opportunities

Fellows are actively involved in teaching learners at multiple levels. Fellows teach medical students and residents daily during inpatient rounds and outpatient clinic sessions. They also lead small-group teaching sessions designed to supplement the clinical experience for medical students and residents rotating on our service. Pediatric endocrinology fellows often present at Pediatric Noon Conference on topics such as growth and diabetes. Our pediatric endocrinology board review sessions are fellow-led, with fellows taking the lead in selecting PREP questions for review and supplementing the PREP content with additional teaching as needed. Finally, fellows provide education for our division and for our adult endocrinology colleagues during the clinical case conference and literature review that we share with the adult Endocrinology division.

Trainees will complete a scholarly project in the second and third years of the fellowship program. The primary purpose of this training period is the acquisition of hands-on research experience and the completion of a research project that can serve as the foundation for a fellow’s research portfolio if they choose to seek a junior faculty position in academic medicine after fellowship. For those fellows who do not choose to pursue research in the next phase of their careers, the research years of their training serve to underscore the scientific thinking skills and systematic lifelong acquisition of knowledge expected of all subspecialists. Fellows have a choice between two research tracks during their training: 

• Basic Science Research Track– Fellows electing to focus on a basic science project can expect to spend about three and a half days per week in the laboratory (with one day of continuity clinic and one half day of pediatric endocrinology educational activities per week). Fellows following the basic science research track will identify a laboratory mentor prior to the end of their first year of fellowship. Trainees will be provided with descriptions of faculty members' research areas at the beginning of their first year and will identify possible mentors. Fellows will then have the opportunity to meet with potential mentors and discuss projects and attend laboratory meetings of potential mentors' research groups. Once a trainee has identified a mentor, they will develop a research project that provides maximal exposure to the range of research techniques and approaches used in the mentor's laboratory. Fellows have worked in numerous laboratory settings across campus including the Papé Family Pediatric Research Institute, the Vollum Institute, and the Oregon National Primate Research Center.  

• Clinical/QI/Educational Research Track– Fellows who prefer to pursue a scholarly project outside of the basic science laboratory will also identify a mentor during their first year of fellowship. Trainees will be provided with a list of mentors both within the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and across other divisions and departments who are available to work with a fellow. Fellows may join an existing project in which they can take a substantial role or may design a protocol to answer a new research question. Many fellows choose to use the Human Investigations Program Protocol Development course as a working group to build their project. Fellows performing clinical research will learn to navigate the IRB process and will be responsible for subject recruitment and consent, data collection, and data analysis. 

The overall goal of research training is to give the fellow first-hand experience in identifying a research area/question, formulating a research plan, performing the pertinent studies and preparing the results of these studies for presentation and publication. Our trainees regularly present their work at regional, national, and international conferences. 

All trainees, regardless of research track, are guided by a Scholarship Oversight Committee (SOC) consisting of their research mentor, at least one member of our division, and at least one faculty member outside of our division. The fellow meets with their SOC at least twice a year to present their research progress from design through implementation, discuss any barriers they have encountered, and ensure that they are on track to complete the research requirements of their training.

Research publications by our recent graduates

• Baines, HK, & Connelly, KJ. A prospective comparison study of subcutaneous and intramuscular testosterone injections in transgender male adolescents. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab, 2023;36(11), 1028-1036.
• Pierce M, Ramsey K, Pinter J. Trends in Obesity and Overweight in Oregon Children With Down Syndrome. Glob Pediatr Health. 2019;6:2333794X19835640. Published 2019 Apr 2. doi:10.1177/2333794X19835640
• Langlois F, Manea A, Lim DST, et al. High prevalence of adrenal insufficiency at diagnosis and headache recovery in surgically resected Rathke's cleft cysts-a large retrospective single center study. Endocrine. 2019;63(3):463-469. doi:10.1007/s12020-018-1784-0
• Pierce MJ, LaFranchi SH, Pinter JD. Characterization of Thyroid Abnormalities in a Large Cohort of Children with Down Syndrome. Horm Res Paediatr. 2017;87(3):170-178. doi:10.1159/000457952
• Los EA, Ramsey KL, Guttmann-Bauman I, Ahmann AJ. Reliability of Trained Dogs to Alert to Hypoglycemia in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2017;11(3):506-512. doi:10.1177/1932296816666537
• Thornburg KL, Kolahi K, Pierce M, Valent A, Drake R, Louey S. Biological features of placental programming. Placenta. 2016;48 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S47-S53. doi:10.1016/j.placenta.2016.10.012
• Ford GA, Denniston S, Sesser D, Skeels MR, LaFranchi SH. Transient versus Permanent Congenital Hypothyroidism after the Age of 3 Years in Infants Detected on the First versus Second Newborn Screening Test in Oregon, USA. Horm Res Paediatr. 2016;86(3):169-177. doi:10.1159/000448658
• Connelly KJ, Larson EA, Marks DL, Klein RF. Neonatal estrogen exposure results in biphasic age-dependent effects on the skeletal development of male mice. Endocrinology. 2015;156(1):193-202. doi:10.1210/en.2014-1324

• Provide fellows with the breadth and depth of clinical experiences necessary to build a solid foundation of medical knowledge, critical-thinking abilities, diagnostic acumen, and clinical skills to become exceptional pediatric endocrine clinicians. 
• Engage fellows in scholarly work that teaches the science of endocrinology and builds the research skills that will equip them to emerge as academic leaders in our field, including the opportunity to complete a certificate or master’s degree of clinical research. 
• Provide fellows with opportunities to teach at the bedside, in didactic settings within our institution, and through presentation of their research at regional and national meetings, such that they develop the skills and confidence to recruit and mentor the next generation of pediatric endocrinologists. 
• Enhance the educational experience with a curriculum in professionalism, patient safety, advocacy, and improvement science to provide fellows with the tools to better themselves, their practices, their communities, and our healthcare system and to inspire a commitment to lifelong professional development.

Please see the Department of Pediatrics fellowship page for departmental benefits available to all pediatric fellows, and the OHSU GME page for Employment and Benefits information, including salary, transportation, and insurance.

Cheryl E. Hanna, M.D., 1982
Clinical Professor Emeritus, Pediatric Endocrinology
Oregon Health & Science University

Patricia Krainz, M.D., 1985
Private Practice, Tucson, AZ

Scott H. Mandel, M.D., 1987
Retired 

Bruce Boston, M.D., 1994
Professor; Chief of Pediatric Endocrinology
Oregon Health & Science University

Maya Hunter, M.D., 1996
Randall Children’s Hospital, Portland, OR

David Snyder, M.D., 1997
Randall Children’s Hospital, Portland, OR

Marie Bilger, M.D., 1998
Private Practice, Woodinville, WA

Christine Burren, MB, BS, 1998
St Bartholomews Hospital, London

Anna Spagnoli, M.D, 1999
Chair, Department of Pediatrics
University of Nebraska Medical Center 

Abel Lopez-Bermijo, MD, 2000
Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona

Andrea Haqq, M.D., 2002
Associate Professor, University of Alberta, Calgary, AB

Caroline Buckway, M.D., 2001
Associate Clinical Professor
Stanford Children’s Health 

Karin Selva, M.D., 2003
Randall Children’s Hospital
Portland, OR 

Dennis Chia, M.D., 2005
Associate Clinical Professor
UCLA 

Lisa Madison, M.D., 2006
Associate Professor and Pediatric Endocrinology Training Program Director
Oregon Health & Science University

Mark DeBoer, M.D., 2007
Professor, Pediatric Endocrinology
University of Virginia

Jacqueline Bishop, M.D, 2007
Private Practice, Detroit MI

Marcie Drury-Brown, M.D., 2008
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, Portland, OR

Juliana Austin, M.D., 2009
Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Endocrinology
University of Southern California

Alicia Marks, D.O., 2010
Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, Denver CO

Jennifer Raymond, M.D., MCR, 2011
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Division Chief, Clinical Director Diabetes
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California

Maynika Rastogi, M.D., 2011
Private Practice, Coos Bay, OR

Cindy Chin, M.D., 2012
Banner Health, Tucson, AZ

Kara Connelly, M.D, 2013
Associate Professor, Pediatric Endocrinology
Medical Director, Doernbecher Gender Clinic
Oregon Health & Science University

George Ford, M.D., 2015
Director, Pediatric Endocrinology
East Tennessee State University

Evan Los, M.D., 2016
Assistant Professor, Pediatric Endocrinology
East Tennessee State University

Melinda Pierce, M.D., 2017
Pediatric Endocrinology Staff Physician
Children’s Minnesota

Anamaria Manea, M.D, 2018
Private Practice, Reno, NV

Hayley Baines, M.D., 2019
Assistant Professor, Pediatric Endocrinology
Oregon Health & Science University

Lu Doan, M.D., 2020
Children’s Minnesota

Julie Park, M.D., 2024
Legacy Health, Portland, OR