The first 12 weeks are spent at UF Health Jacksonville, a 695-bed, Level I trauma center with a Level III neonatal intensive care unit and an active cardiac surgery program. In this block, the fellow performs immunohematology tests and demonstrates understanding of pathophysiology of transfusion reactions, apheresis technology and indications. During the second 13-week block in the transfusion service at UF Health Jacksonville, the fellow evaluates transfusion reactions, antibody workups and massive transfusion cases and interprets coagulation results. The fellow performs blood utilization reviews and facilitates therapeutic apheresis procedures. The third transfusion service block is 12 weeks long and the fellow collaborates with clinical staff regarding appropriate transfusion therapy, applies massive transfusion protocols, evaluates hemolytic anemia cases, manages blood inventory and discusses regulatory, accrediting and ethical issues in transfusion medicine.

The fellow spends one four-week rotation at OneBlood, which is the blood supplier for UF Health Jacksonville and the community. During the OneBlood rotation, the fellow demonstrates an understanding of blood collection, component preparation, donor testing, apheresis donation and therapeutic phlebotomy. OneBlood serves as the regional reference laboratory for complicated antibody cases and the fellow evaluates these cases and discusses them with the medical director. The fellow collaborates with the medical director regarding donor deferral counseling, look-back procedures, quality assurance and administrative management.

The fellow spends two weeks in the transplant serology laboratory at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville (Mayo) to understand and manage histocompatibility test results and their relevance to organ transplantation.

The fellow rotates in the microbiology laboratory at UF Health Jacksonville for a week to focus on serology and molecular testing of blood donors.

There is an eight-week rotation at Mayo to collaborate in stem cell collection, transplantation, hematopoietic cellular engineering and solid organ transplantation. During this rotation the fellow also participates in ongoing research projects.

The curriculum includes daily teaching rounds, discussing the daily cases with the attending. The fellow also participates in monthly clinical pathology resident case presentations, monthly transfusion medicine departmental quality assurance conferences, monthly transfusion medicine core lecture series and bi-monthly board reviews and quarterly journal club/research conferences. The fellow presents cases to pathology residents and to residents and fellows from other specialties rotating in the pathology department. The fellow attends additional teaching rounds and quality meetings during outside rotations.

The fellow teaches technical skills to first-year residents in the transfusion medicine rotation and serves as a resource to residents in the daily BB/TM practice.

Research

It is expected that each fellow participates in at least one research project during the fellowship year. The fellow collaborates with supervising faculty to bring to completion at least one project for presentation and publication.

The University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville encourages resident and fellow research through the availability of Dean’s Fund Research Awards. Every spring an annual Research Day is held, where residents and fellows from all disciplines have the opportunity to present their work either as oral or poster presentations. The best projects are recognized by platform and poster presentation awards. Funding is made available for the fellow to present at regional and national meetings.