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 provide ambulatory care in multiple settings, including the Children’s Wisconsin Subspecialty Adolescent Medicine Clinic, Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, Midtown Clinic (primary care for AYA), the Juvenile Detention Center and College Health. They also complete focused electives such as Child Advocacy, Toxicology, Sports Medicine and Psychiatry. Additionally, fellows provide inpatient care as part of our consult service at Children’s Wisconsin and provide subspecialty guidance to providers in the community via phone.

Fellows will participate in clinical conferences, including formal didactics, resident teaching and journal clubs. Our program participates in FAMLI, a multi-institute fellow curriculum strategically designed to broaden trainees’ clinical competencies and align with objectives for the Adolescent Medicine Boards.

The MCW Joint Fellowship Curriculum is an interdisciplinary 3-year curriculum that connects Adolescent Medicine fellows with their colleagues across pediatrics to further develop their skills in the six core competencies of Medical Knowledge, Professionalism, Systems-based Practice, Interpersonal and Communication Skills, Patient care, and Practice-based Learning and Improvement.

First year fellows are encouraged to participate in the Quality Improvement and Safety Elective to support development of a QI project early in their training.

During their first year, subspecialty fellows will begin to develop their research projects and identify members of their Scholarly Oversight Committees. 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.

Second-year fellows continue to advance their clinical training while expanding their research focus. In addition to ambulatory clinics and consult service, fellows will continue to explore additional electives. Fellows on consult service take a larger role in running rounds and mentoring pediatric and med-peds residents. Additional time in the second year is devoted to scholarly pursuits. By the end of this year fellows should have completed data collection and preliminary analysis, so the third year can be dedicated to drafting and publishing.

The third-year fellow continues to advance their autonomy and supervisory skills, both clinically and through the education of other trainees. They continue to advance their scholarly activity through presentations and publications.

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. 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.

Fellows are strongly encouraged to attend and/or present at local and national conferences such as the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM), the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology (NASPAG), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS), and the International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED).

Taking Call
Typically, fellows take call for the Adolescent specialty clinics and as part of our in-patient consult service at Children’s Wisconsin in 1-week blocks on a rotating basis. Common consultation requests include the management of Eating Disorders, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Sexually Transmitted Infections, Abnormal Uterine Bleeding, Contraceptive Counseling and Initiation, and Fertility Preservation, among others.

Receiving Feedback
Fellows are encouraged to seek feedback on a regular basis from faculty. The Clinical Competency Committee provides formal 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 clinical responsibilities, all fellows will have the opportunity to refine their teaching skills as they work with learners at all levels of medical training. Fellows regularly lead didactics for the residents and lead journal clubs and case reports for our interdisciplinary section. Fellows also assist with providing noon conferences and assistance in board preparation to the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals residents. In addition to Adolescent-specific conferences, fellows are expected to attend weekly Pediatric Grand Rounds and Professor Rounds. Additional research, Quality Improvement and educational conferences are strongly encouraged.

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

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.

As a fellow, you will participate in the FACTS Program and embark on a journey that not only enhances your professional skills but also fosters meaningful connections with peers across various pediatric subspecialties. FACTS is a comprehensive curriculum designed to enhance your education through career development, scholarly activities, and personalized learning experiences. FACTS offers centralized education on core topics relevant to all pediatric subspecialties, promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing among fellows. The curriculum emphasizes individualized education by providing multiple offerings in certain time slots, allowing you to tailor your learning to your specific interests and career goals. Through shared learning sessions and collaborative projects, you'll build lasting relationships that support both your personal and professional growth, preparing you to excel as a well-rounded pediatric subspecialist.

Learn about our curriculum

Sinduja (Sindu) Lakkunarajah | 2022
Marshfield Clinic (Marshfield, WI)

Alexandria Holliday | 2021
Advocate Children’s Medical Group (Evergreen, IL)

Raj Kiran Chawla | 2020
Children’s Wisconsin Teen Health Clinic (Greenfield, WI)

Mary Guillot | 2019
Mt. Sinai Adolescent Health Center (NY)

Keisha Adams | 2018
USF Health, South Tampa (FL)

Tasneem Alaqzam | 2017
Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia)

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

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

Meet Our Team

"I’m extremely grateful for my training at MCW! I graduated well-prepared to take care of teens."
Kelly Curran, 2014 Graduate
Chief of Adolescent Medicine at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

"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

"MCW is close to home for me, but ultimately I chose to come here for the second-to-none GYN experience and excellent community-based training opportunities. Neither of these disappointed! I also found natural, meaningful partnerships across other divisions like heme/onc, endocrine, and hospital medicine- people are excited to work with adolescent medicine here, and this has really filled my cup. I have also found Children’s Wisconsin to be the perfect blend of safety net hospital and major tertiary care center.

I’m a big Milwaukee fan. In summer and fall, it’s perfect. I swim in, paddle in, or run along Lake Michigan almost every day and frequent farmers markets/beer gardens/regular outdoor music events. When it’s not so nice out, I love the winter hikes, cross country skiing, intimate concert venues, restaurants, breweries, and coffee shops. We also have great museums and the Bucks/Giannis! Lastly, I love to travel; you can’t beat living <10 minutes from the Milwaukee airport and about an hour from O’Hare!"
Elizabeth Hovel, Current Third Year Fellow