Faculty members from the Department of Radiation Oncology had the privilege of visiting Ocean Road Cancer Center in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in November 2019 and spent a week learning about cancer care in Tanzania as well as teaching trainees and staff. Dr. Safia Ahmed quickly realized a one-week trip would not be enough to cover the depth of education our departments were providing each other. After returning from this trip, Dr. Ahmed and Dr. Ken Olivier started brainstorming on how to best form a long-term partnership with oncology physicians from low- and middle-income countries. Ultimately, the first-of-its-kind Global Oncology Fellowship was formed, geared at training future oncology leaders from low- and middle-income countries with an emphasis on clinical, research, and educational skills.

The Global Oncology Fellowship is supported by a generous endowment gift from Mr. and Mrs. R.B. Davenport III and William L. Davenport, given in 1994 in honor of Mayo Clinic Oncologist Dr. John D. Earle. The program welcomed the first trainee in 2023-2025 under the Advanced Radiation Oncology Fellowship. The first Global Oncology fellow will start in 2025-2026.

Positions

One position is available in the Global Oncology Fellowship every two years on a competitive basis. 

Qualifications

1. Fellowship candidates must be graduates of a recognized international medical school and have completed oncology residency training (for example, Radiation Oncology or Clinical Oncology) in a low- or middle-income country.
2. Candidates must also confirm their intent to return to practice in a low- or middle-income country after completion of the fellowship.
3. ECFMG certification and successful completion of USMLE Step 3 exam will be required prior to program start.

Also see general admissions requirements.

How to apply

The academic year begins July 1.

The application and all supporting documentation must be submitted by Aug. 31 of the year preceding the program start date.

Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education does not process printed applications to this program. You must apply through Recruit, a third-party application service. No matching program services are used.

Complete the following steps to apply:

1. Create an account to begin the online Application for Admission
2. All applications to Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education programs must include these application materials
3. After submission, view the required Supplemental Items and Documents

• • Upload each required item in the Supplemental Items section (if applicable)
  • Complete the Recommendation Request section (if applicable)

Applicants considered for an appointment will be invited to interview virtually or visit Mayo Clinic for an interview with the program director and selected faculty. Interviews are typically conducted in September and October each year but may be considered on a rolling basis.

The curriculum includes 12 months of clinical radiation oncology rotations, two to five months of clinical medical oncology rotations, one month of palliative medicine, one month of radiology, two months of radiation dosimetry, up to three months of elective rotations, and three months of dedicated research time.

You will also receive formal leadership and research training through programs available at Mayo Clinic. During the two-year program, you are responsible for all aspects of patient care, including initial evaluations, management decisions, treatment planning and delivery, and follow-up. You will be exposed to common malignancies, rare tumors, and select benign processes.

With each year of training, you are expected to have increasing responsibility and demonstrate an increasing ability to work independently with a goal of competency in medical knowledge, patient care, system-based practice, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, and practice-based learning and improvement.

Rotation schedule

The following is a typical Global Oncology Fellowship schedule. However, the design of this fellowship is flexible and can be tailored to fit your clinical need and interests.

Rotation descriptions

Clinical Radiation Oncology: Rotations in Radiation Oncology may include but are not limited to breast, gynecologic, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and head and neck sites. You will be exposed to photon (three-dimensional, intensity-modulated radiotherapy) and proton therapy, HDR and LDR brachytherapy, and intraoperative radiotherapy.

Medical Oncology: Rotations in outpatient Medical Oncology will include but not be limited to breast, gynecologic, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary sub-specialty clinics.

Research: Dedicated time will be used to conduct clinical, translational, basic science, or population health research. Leadership training will occur in parallel during dedicated research months.

Dosimetry: One-on-one mentorship from experienced, certified medical dosimetrists will cover all aspects of external beam planning, emphasizing three-dimensional and intensity-modulated radiotherapy in disease sites tailored to the your clinical practice.

Diagnostic Radiology: Core rotations include body CT and MRI, but an opportunity for exposure to additional modalities (for example, ultrasound) will be based on your clinical needs and interests.

Palliative Care: Palliative care rotation includes time on the inpatient service, inpatient consulting service, and in the outpatient clinic. There will be exposure to patients with non-malignant conditions. Goals of the rotation are to gain experience with complex symptom management, goals of care discussions, and end of life care for patients with malignant and non-malignant conditions.

Electives

Up to three months of elective time is available over the course of the two-year program. Elective options include Pediatric Radiation Oncology (Mayo Clinic in Minnesota or Mayo Clinic in Arizona), Breast Clinic, additional Medical Oncology rotations, and a dedicated brachytherapy rotation.

Didactics and conferences

The didactic portion of the Global Oncology Fellowship includes:

• Tuesday and Thursday Morning Case Conference
• Core Curriculum conferences
• Resident and Fellow Annual Talk on an aspect of cancer management or research
• Morbidity and Mortality conferences
• Subspecialty Conference (Journal Club)
• Cancer Center Grand Rounds
• Systems-based practice and quality improvement conferences
• Radiobiology course, both staff-led and biennial visiting professor
• Radiation Physics course

A comprehensive core curriculum course covering all aspects of oncology care is taught weekly by staff from different specialties within Mayo Clinic including radiation and medical oncology, surgical specialties, neurology, statistics, pathology, and radiology. 

Additionally, you will participate in many combined conferences and tumor boards. You are expected to attend relevant tumor boards while on service and frequently present cases at tumor boards.

Procedures

There are no minimum procedural requirements. You will have the opportunity to participate in radiation simulation and planning, including three-dimensional and intensity-modulated radiotherapy, stereotactic body radiotherapy, intraoperative radiotherapy, and brachytherapy.

Teaching opportunities

You will have the opportunity to teach medical students, medical and physics residents, and staff through participation in case conferences and lectures to the department (for example, grand rounds) or at multidisciplinary conferences. You will share your knowledge, experiences, and unique perspectives on training and practicing in low-resource settings.

Research opportunities

The fellowship includes three months of dedicated research time. You can elect to conduct basic science/laboratory research, a biology or physics project, develop a clinical protocol, or conduct informatics or population health research.

You will have access to large clinical databases to facilitate retrospective research. You are strongly encouraged to participate in clinical research outside of the three-month dedicated research rotation. A wide variety of support systems for research exist including research coordinators, internal funding opportunities, biostatisticians, editorial services, and media support services. You are expected to produce work suitable for presentation and/or publication during the program.

Mayo Clinic provides trip days and expense reimbursement for presentations and abstracts accepted at regional, national, and international meetings.

International opportunities

You will have the opportunity to continue clinical, research, and educational collaborations once training is completed, establishing an international network between your home country/institution and Mayo Clinic.

Additional training opportunities

If the need were to arise, there could be an opportunity to rotate at another Mayo Clinic site.

Call frequency

Clinical and educational work hours must be limited to no more than 80 hours per week, averaged over a four-week period. Fellows will not take call.

Moonlighting

Moonlighting is not permitted.

Mentorship

There are opportunities for formal and informal mentorship from faculty members in Radiation Oncology, Medical Oncology, Palliative Care, and other departments and divisions within the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center. Faculty are available for clinical and research mentorship both while at Mayo Clinic and after return home upon completion of the program.

Evaluation

Clinical competency is evaluated through written rotation evaluations, oral exams, and 360-degree reviews. You will be evaluated on at least a quarterly basis. Research competency is evaluated through the production of publishable work and productivity during the research rotation.

Facilities and locations

You will be based at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, but may have opportunities to rotate at other Mayo Clinic sites. You will be assigned a work space in the Radiation Oncology resident work room. The Mayo Clinic Department of Radiation Oncology is large, state-of-the-art facility in a quaternary referral center, offering a fully integrated proton, photon, and brachytherapy practice under one roof.

Department

The Department of Radiation Oncology at Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minnesota, uses the most sophisticated technology available and employs highly experienced, dedicated personnel to deliver radiation therapy with skill and compassion. More than 1,900 patients with malignant diseases are cared for in the department each year.

The Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center’s experts have extensive experience in the diagnosis and treatment of virtually every kind of cancer and the resources to provide excellent care tailored to their needs. Physicians, researchers and scientists carry out team-based, patient-centered research to develop the latest technologies and treatments to address unmet patient needs. MCCCC offers more than 1,000 clinical studies for a variety of benign and malignant diseases.

Faculty

The Department of Radiation Oncology’s 47 physicians each specialize in treating two or three types of cancer, ensuring that even patients with rare cancers receive care from someone who is highly skilled at treating their specific condition. Faculty members are also committed to teaching and facilitating the growth of medical knowledge. Many faculty members have published and lectured extensively and are well-regarded in their specialized fields. Each faculty member works with residents, is available for clinical and research mentorship, and participates in conferences, didactic lectures, and journal club. Additionally, 21 physics consultants work directly with the staff physicians, fellows, and residents and direct the teaching of radiation physics.

You will also work directly with faculty members and allied health personnel who are experts in the fields of medical oncology, diagnostic radiology, palliative care, and the Breast Clinic.