Medical College of Wisconsin Pediatrics Adolescent Medicine Fellowship Program

The first year of training for subspecialty fellows will focus primarily on the development of clinical skills. Subspecialty fellows typically spend several weekly sessions providing ambulatory care in the continuity primary care Children's Wisconsin Subspecialty Adolescent Medicine Clinic, the Midtown Clinic, Teen-Tot Clinic and Juvenile Detention Center. The Adolescent Medicine subspecialty fellows will see their own patients under faculty supervision. They will participate in providing night call for the adolescent medicine services patients and will provide inpatient care to patients admitted to the adolescent medicine inpatient service. The subspecialty fellows will also have a Sports Medicine clinic monthly, along with several Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology clinical sessions. The fellow will also rotate through the Child Protection Center and Sleep Medicine center for one month each during their first year.

Clinical conferences, including the monthly Adolescent Lunch and Learn, and the Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Conference cover the topics of: pubertal maturation and its disorders, organ-specific conditions, the effects of adolescence on pre-existing conditions, reproductive endocrinology, gynecology, and psychiatry. These topics are also covered in the Pediatric Grand Rounds and Professor Rounds. Subspecialty fellows will present at the Eating Disorder Journal Club and participate in ongoing QI activities at the General Adolescent Practice. They will also develop presentations to teach monthly didactic sessions to the Pediatrics and/or Medicine/Pediatrics residents and medical students on the Adolescent Medicine Rotation.

Through Joint Fellowship Curriculum and other conferences (Eating Disorder and Sports Medicine Journal Clubs, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Didactic Sessions, Grand Rounds and Professor Rounds) with the other divisions' Pediatric fellows they will cover the six core competencies of: Medical Knowledge, Professionalism, Systems based practice, Interpersonal and Communication Skills, Patient Care, and Practice-based Learning and Improvement.

During their first year, subspecialty fellows will begin to develop their research projects. Some fellows choose to apply for the MPH program through MCW and start this training during the Spring semester of their first year. This will help solidify subspecialty fellows' research skills. The goal is that subspecialty fellows will have developed a well-defined research question by the end of their first year. They will have the option of presenting a poster on their research design at the annual Pediatric Fellowship Poster Session in April.

The second year of training will be devoted to acquiring research skills and advancing teaching and clinical skills. The subspecialty fellows will typically spend two ½ day sessions per week in their continuity clinic at the Midtown Clinic Primary Care Clinic and Subspecialty Adolescent Medicine Clinic. They will also provide care at the School-Based Clinic and/or Juvenile Detention Center each week. The Adolescent Medicine subspecialty fellows will provide night call for ambulatory patients. They will also rotate through the Child Protection Center and Toxicology / Poison Control Center for one month each during their second year.

Fellows will continue to attend Adolescent Lunch and Learn conference, Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Conference; Joint Fellowship Curriculum, Eating Disorder and Sports Medicine Journal Clubs, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Didactic Sessions, Grand Rounds and Professor Rounds. The second year subspecialty fellows will also present at the conferences, discussing journal articles and research projects. They will continue to teach the residents and students monthly. The Adolescent Medicine subspecialty fellow will be expected to design a research or scholarship project, and, with mentorship, complete it over the second and third years. The subspecialty fellow will be required to report preliminary findings at the Pediatric Fellowship Poster Session.

The third year of training will be devoted to advancing research, scholarship, teaching, and clinical skills. The Adolescent Medicine subspecialty fellows will have an average of two ½ day sessions per week in the continuity Subspecialty Adolescent Medicine Clinic and the Midtown Clinic Primary Care Clinic. They will spend one ½ day session per week each in the Adolescent Medicine Multidisciplinary Evaluation Clinic and the Juvenile Detention Center. During at least one clinic, the Adolescent Medicine subspecialty fellows will precept residents and students, functioning as a co-Attending. The third year Adolescent Medicine subspecialty fellow is expected to take a leadership role in administrative work and in program development. In the third year trainees will continue to attend the Adolescent Lunch and Learn conference, Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Conference; Joint Fellowship Curriculum, Eating Disorder and Sports Medicine Journal Clubs, Grand Rounds and Professor Rounds. Adolescent Medicine subspecialty fellows will take leadership roles at the conferences, making research presentations and a Grand Rounds presentation. They will teach at least one to two medical conferences each month to the residents and students. They will submit an abstract to a professional organization for consideration for a platform or poster presentation at an annual meeting. They will submit at least one paper reporting their original research to an established medical journal prior to the completion of training. They will also complete their MPH coursework during their third year of training.

The Joint Fellowship Curriculum (JFC) at the Medical College of Wisconsin is a series of longitudinal educational experiences designed to cover topics required for all pediatric fellows. While specialty-specific education is covered within each section, the JFC endeavors to cover the remainder of topics that are common to all fellowship trainees. Fellows not only gain insight on these topics from campus-wide experts, but also do so in a collaborative learning environment with their same level fellow peers from across the pediatric enterprise. Fellows meet colleagues from across different pediatric subspecialties and collaborate on this endeavor.

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Each week an Adolescent Medicine fellow’s time is divided between scholarly activities, clinical duties, and performing consultations on the inpatient service.

Scholarly Activities

Scholarly time should be used to develop and complete a clinical research activity and quality improvement initiative. Other optional but highly encouraged scholarly activities include participation in the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Masters in Public Health program, the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals Core Curriculum Courses, and producing articles to add to the growing body of Adolescent Health literature. As fellows progress through the program, additional scholarly time will be allotted in increasing increments to facilitate completion of the fellow’s scholarly project and QI endeavors. All fellows will be required to attend a one month course on Quality Improvement provided through the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals, at which time they will present their work to a multidisciplinary audience.

Fellows are also encouraged to attend and/or present at local and national conferences regarding Adolescent care such as NASPAG, SAHM, PAS, and ICED. In the past our fellows have also had the opportunity to attend seminars provided by Roger’s Memorial Behavioral Health. Fellows typically have access to some form of financial support toward expenses related to conference attendance.

Clinical Duties

 Fellows will rotate with our affiliated Sports Medicine team at least once weekly for a duration of 6 months and with our Children’s Wisconsin Psychiatry team for 1 month. Second year fellows will normally be expected to complete rotations in Toxicology at the Poison Control Center on main campus, Gender Health, and Child Advocacy, while other selective options include our Teen Clinic or self-developed electives in areas of interest. Our program is open to exploring and creating additional elective opportunities that our fellows identify as necessary for their professional growth. Fellows in all three training years will be assigned to Eating Disorder (EDO) clinic to gain experience in diagnosing and the outpatient management of teens grappling with Anorexia, Bulimia, ARFID, OSFED and UFED. Any fellow who admitted an eating disorder patient to the inpatient service will have the opportunity to present the case to the Adolescent Medicine team, including faculty, co-fellows, social work, the Adolescent dietician, and nurse practitioners each Wednesday at our weekly EDO rundowns. Each fellow will also be responsible for providing care to their own panel of patients as part of their weekly continuity clinic one half day per week. Additionally, our fellows will provide care to patients in our Adolescent Gynecology and LARC clinics alongside our Gynecology faculty. Our fellows also periodically rotate through our affiliated college health (Marquette University), primary care and Juvenile Detention Center clinics.

Taking Call

Typically, fellows take call every third week for the Adolescent specialty clinics and as part of our in-patient consult service at Children’s Wisconsin. All fellows are expected to provide in-house consultative service at the hospital between 8AM and 4PM on weekdays and can take call from home on weekends and holidays. Common consultation requests include the management of Eating Disorders, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Sexually Transmitted Infections and Abnormal Uterine Bleeding, prevention of Re-feeding Syndrome, Contraceptive counseling and initiation, and Fertility Preservation among others.

All fellows are expected to work at least one major (Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s) and one minor (4th of July, Labor Day, Memorial Day) holiday each academic year.

Receiving Feedback

Fellows are provided constructive feedback semi-annually with respect to their achievement of the ACGME milestones. Fellows are encouraged to provide feedback about the program at these sessions as well. Our department is committed to creating learning opportunities that optimize our fellows’ professional growth.

Opportunities to Teach and Learn

In addition to their clinical responsibilities, all fellows will have the opportunity to refine their teaching skills as they work with learners at all levels of medical training. Furthermore, fellows are responsible for organizing and/or providing educational lectures at departmental didactics on Friday mornings. Fellows also assist with providing noon conferences and assistance in board preparation to the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals residents. Throughout the year, fellows are also expected to attend Pediatric Grand Rounds on Friday mornings and Professor Rounds on Thursday afternoons in order to get a well-rounded educational experience.

-Dr. R. Kiran Chawla

1st Year Fellows

Elizabeth Hovel, MD, MPH
Medical School: University of Wisconsin
Residency: University of Michigan

Suzanna Sellars, DO, MEd
Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children

"I’m extremely grateful for my training at MCW! I graduated well-prepared to take care of teens."

-Kelly Curran (2014 graduate)

"I chose to do fellowship at MCW because it was close to home, has 4 seasons (for the most part) and the culture. I get to not only work with a diverse team but a very diverse patient population which is what I have always wanted since medical school. MCW is a big advocate for education and research development and it gives me the support I need to get them off the ground."

-Sinduja Lakkunarajah (2022 graduate)

Our talented, experienced and supportive faculty are excited to train you and work alongside you during your fellowship.

Meet Our Team

2022

Sinduja (Sindu) Lakkunarajah
Marshfield Clinic (Marshfield, WI)

2021

Alexandria Holliday
Advocate Children’s Medical Group (Evergreen, IL)

2020

Raj Kiran Chawla
Children’s Wisconsin Teen Health Clinic (Greenfield, WI)

2019

Mary Guillot
Mt. Sinai Adolescent Health Center (NY)

2018

Keisha Adams
USF Health, South Tampa (FL)

2017

Tasneem Alaqzam
KU School of Medicine (Wichita, KS)

About the Medical College of Wisconsin
With a history dating back to 1893, the Medical College of Wisconsin is dedicated to leadership and excellence in education, patient care, research and community engagement. More than 1,400 students are enrolled in MCW’s medical school and graduate school programs in Milwaukee, Green Bay and Central Wisconsin. MCW’s School of Pharmacy opened in 2017. A major national research center, MCW is the largest research institution in the Milwaukee metro area and second largest in Wisconsin. In the last ten years, faculty received more than $1.5 billion in external support for research, teaching, training and related purposes. This total includes highly competitive research and training awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Annually, MCW faculty direct or collaborate on more than 3,100 research studies, including clinical trials. Additionally, more than 1,600 physicians provide care in virtually every specialty of medicine for more than 4.0 million patients annually.

About Children’s Wisconsin
Children’s Wisconsin is the region’s only independent health care system dedicated solely to the health and well-being of children. The hospital, with locations in Milwaukee and Neenah, Wisconsin, is recognized as one of the leading pediatric health care centers in the United States. It is ranked in nine specialty areas in U.S. News & World Report’s 2019-20 Best Children’s Hospitals report. Children’s provides primary care, specialty care, urgent care, emergency care, community health services, foster and adoption services, child and family counseling, child advocacy services and family resource centers. In 2019, Children’s invested more than $130 million in the community to improve the health status of children through medical care, advocacy, education and pediatric medical research. Children’s achieves its mission in part through donations from individuals, corporations and foundations and is proud to be a member of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

At MCW and within the Department of Pediatrics, we have several programs and resources focused on fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. Our departmental and institutional focus is confronting negative perceptions and welcoming our community. Below is just a sampling of the efforts across our institutions to embed the principles of diversity and inclusion into our culture.

• DOP Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council | Our Diversity Council, led by Dr. Mike Levas, the DOP Vice Chair for Diversity and Inclusion, and comprised of faculty, staff, administration, and trainees, is focused on connecting with partners across our system and within the community to ensure the DOP is a diverse, equitable and inclusive employer.
• DOP Fellowship and Residency Diversity and Inclusion Committees | In a city filled with its own diversity and rich cultural history, our fellows and residents recognize the importance of addressing diversity, health equity, and inclusion within our programs. As such, the program is proud to recognize the presence and work of its Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
• DOP Unconscious Bias Training | The AAMC has partnered with Cook Ross, Inc., a leading consulting firm, to create training focused on the science behind unconscious bias to help academic medical staff and faculty mitigate disparities. Seven members of our team have earned a certification as unconscious bias trainers through Cook Ross. These trainers have translated what they’ve learned into a two-hour training for our faculty and staff. By learning how to identify and confront unconscious bias, it is possible to mitigate the impact and promote respect for all groups.
• Trauma-Informed Workplace Training | This committee has undertaken actions including a department-wide survey and the creation of four online training modules sharing the principles of trauma-informed approach and how to recognize signs and symptoms of trauma in ourselves and others. This group started as part of Fostering Futures, a state-wide initiative aimed at infusing a trauma-informed approach into all the systems and organizations that touch the lives of Wisconsin citizens with the goal of expanding across the state to make Wisconsin the first trauma-informed state in the nation.
• Office of Diversity and Inclusion | Established in March 2016, the MCW Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) partners within MCW and with community partners to foster and drive inclusion excellence as an effective, empowering enabler of MCW mission and strategic goals.
• Spring Festival of Cultures | The annual Spring Festival of Cultures encourages an increased awareness and celebration of the visible and non-visible identities among our MCW community. This three-day event is an opportunity to promote the fostering of diversity, inclusion and unity at MCW.
• President’s Diversity and Inclusion Award | MCW’s President's Diversity and Inclusion Award recognizes the accomplishments of faculty, staff, students, residents, trainees, and community members in contributing to diversity and inclusion through exemplary leadership.
• Institute of Health and Equity | The Institute for Health & Equity is focused on researching the root causes of health disparities in our communities, and advancing the best ideas to foster health equity throughout the world. We target populations with abnormally high rates of disease and injury – urban and rural alike – and then we find out why. Partnering with community health collaborators who live and work closest to the most vulnerable populations, we are making an impact on reducing those disparities, one community at a time.
• GMF-MCW Partnership | Through their overall partnership, MCW and GMF will bring complementary expertise on a range of strategies to invest in the health, equity and economic well-being of people across Milwaukee, beginning with the neighborhoods adjacent to the new development. Guided by community priorities and data, the GMF-MCW Partnership will be a catalyst for additional investment and community impact. Together, the partners will:
  • Engage resident and community partnerships
  • Improve social determinants of health
  • Catalyze change that leverages resources and investment

Learn about MCW's Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Milwaukee is one of the Midwest’s best-kept secrets and a prime location for the Medical College of Wisconsin’s main campus. A one-of-a-kind city with a vibrant and diverse culture, this charming, yet metropolitan must-see is just 90 minutes north of Chicago and nestled on the coast of Lake Michigan. Whether you’re catching a show at Summerfest, the world’s largest music festival, immersing yourself in the old world charm of the Historic Third Ward or taking in the sights and sounds of one of the many cafés, beer gardens or restaurants that line the city’s riverbank and shoreline, Milwaukee never disappoints. Find out why MCW students, faculty and employees take pride in calling Milwaukee home.

Learn about housing and rental options.

More about Milwaukee

Fellows are employed by the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals (MCWAH).

See MCWAH Benefits, Conditions & Terms of Employment for information regarding vacations, leaves, insurance, stipends and professional liability.

Our 3-year fellowship program is ACGME accredited and begins on July 1 each year. We accept one fellow each year through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Applicants must have completed a US-accredited residency program. Applications from prospective applicants are accepted from July through October via the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). We will access your application and contact you to make interview arrangements.

Complete applications should include the following:

• ERAS application form
• At least 3 letters of reference including Program Director letter
• Medical Student Performance Evaluation/Dean's Letter
• Curriculum Vitae
• Personal statement
• MD Applicants: USMLE scores - Steps 1, 2, and 3 or
• DO Applicants: COMLEX scores – Levels 1, 2 and 3
• ECFMG certificate for foreign medical school graduates (see visa information below)

Our program currently accepts the following visas:

• Permanent Resident Visa
• Visitor Exchange Visa sponsored by ECFMG (J-1)
• For additional visa information please visit MCW’s office of Graduate Medical Education.

Apply on ERAS