Program Overview

The Section of Rheumatology at Rush University Medical Center offers outstanding training in both the clinical and research aspects of rheumatic diseases. Our faculty members provide fellows with a broad range of expertise in basic sciences and clinical rheumatology. The Rheumatology Fellowship is a two-year program, with an optional third year available. It is offered to physicians who have completed two to three years of postgraduate training in Internal Medicine. For general information about residency and fellowship programs at Rush refer to the Graduate Medical Education section.

Clinical Focus
Fellows work under the supervision of faculty members in a clinically oriented program at the office-based private rheumatology practice at Rush, developing assessment skills of patients with musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases, and formulating diagnoses and care plans. In addition, fellows provide consultation to other inpatient services at Rush and at John H. Stroger, Jr., Hospital of Cook County; fellows provide outpatient consultation services at Rush, John H. Stroger, Jr., Hospital of Cook County and other outpatient clinics in the community.

Interdisciplinary Approach
At Rush, we emphasize an interdisciplinary approach to patient care. We seek to develop an understanding of the role for allied health professions as well as other medical specialists in the treatment of rheumatic diseases:

• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Orthopedic surgery
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation
• Pharmacology

Fellows continue to see patients throughout their fellowship training, and learn the management of acute and chronic diseases over time.

Program Conferences
Conferences are an important part of fellowship training at Rush. The Section of Rheumatology sponsors an active program of conferences, including:

• Clinical conference (weekly)—includes the core curriculum. Held in conjunction with the rheumatology section of John H. Stroger, Jr., Hospital of Cook County.
• Journal Club (monthly)—review of the latest literature and research.
• X-ray conference (triweekly rotating)—interpretation of radiographs, studies by CT scanning, nuclear imaging, angiography and MRI scanning.
• Research conference (triweekly rotating)—with invited guest speakers.
• Rheumatology Grand Rounds (monthly)—fellows case presentation and discussion.

Research and Collaborative Opportunities
Fellows are encouraged to identify and pursue an area in basic science or clinical research. The faculty in Rheumatology includes clinical investigators with primary interests in osteoarthritis, the role of biomechanics in the rheumatic diseases, systemic lupus, and scleroderma. Basic science interests include animal models of inflammatory arthritis, mechanisms of degeneration of articular cartilage, biomarkers, and basic cartilage biology. In addition, the Section of Rheumatology maintains strong research affiliations with the Departments of Biochemistry, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Orthopedic Surgery, and Immunology, and fellows are encouraged to collaborate across departments for their research projects. All fellows are encouraged to present the results of their research at the important national rheumatology conferences.