Overview
The UAMS Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship Program is an ACGME-accredited comprehensive three-year training program to equip pediatricians with the necessary skills and knowledge for pursuing successful careers in academic and clinical pediatric endocrinology and diabetes care. As Arkansas’ only pediatric endocrinology training program, fellows care for a complex and diverse patient population. We hope our trainees will help improve healthcare delivery to the children of Arkansas, where most counties are designated as Medically Underserved Areas. We are also committed to ACGME guidelines and requirements for this training to be eligible for Pediatric Endocrine subspecialty boards.
The program accepts one fellow per year. The benefit of a small-sized program like ours allows for close faculty and fellow interactions and mentoring, with no other program in the state. Also, as a program, we understand and emphasize fellows’ overall well-being by providing a safe space and confidential resources for our fellows to thrive and succeed.
Clinical Experience
The block schedule for the entire training program is weighted toward clinical time in the first year, with more research time in the second and third years. Clinical responsibilities include both inpatient and outpatient settings and provide a robust clinical experience. The program strictly adheres to the duty hours limitations set forth by the ACGME.
Outpatient Clinical Experience
Continuity Clinic
Fellows are able to take ownership of their patients in their weekly continuity clinic and follow them longitudinally. Under the guidance of an attending physician, the fellow examines new and existing patients with various endocrine disorders.
Our diabetes program has been American diabetes association certified since 2015. We pride ourselves in providing the latest diabetes technology access to our patients as they are approved, and we have developed a diabetes screening and prevention clinic for patients eligible for Tepluzimab. In the Diabetes clinic, fellows will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team consisting of diabetes educators, social workers, and dietitians; all focused on providing comprehensive care to individuals with diabetes.
Specialty clinics
Fellows will also have the opportunity to learn in many specialty clinics, including weight management (COACH clinic), with dieticians and physical therapists as well as psychologists, sleep specialists, nephrologists and gastroenterologists. We also have a robust Bariatric surgery program.
Other multidisciplinary clinics include:
- Dystrophinopathy clinic.
- Metabolic Bone Disorders clinic.
- Endocrine/ Nephrology hypertension clinic.
- Disorders of Sexual Differentiation (InSTEP) clinic.
There are also opportunities to participate in other specialty clinics like the Gender Spectrum (Pathway) clinic and multidisciplinary conferences and work with the adult endocrinology program.
Inpatient Hospital Experience
In our program, fellows actively engage in inpatient hospital experiences through our dedicated endocrinology and consult services. These experiences provide invaluable opportunities to gain expertise in managing a diverse range of acute care conditions, including but not limited to new-onset diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis, diabetes insipidus, hypoglycemia, adrenal insufficiency, calcium disorders and thyroid storm. We are the referral center for abnormal newborn screening for endocrine disorders. We get informed about those and triage according to the urgency of labs partnering with local physicians and hospitals for follow-up. Through these experiences, fellows develop skills in collaborating effectively with multidisciplinary teams, ensuring comprehensive patient care. Furthermore, the inpatient setting offers fellows the chance to contribute to educating and training resident trainees and medical students, fostering a culture of knowledge sharing and mentorship.