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Endocrinology

Education

The Yale Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship accepts one to two fellows per year, for a three to four year training period. The Fellowship is approved by the American College of Graduate Medical Education and is underwritten by two NIH Training Program grants as well as private funding.

Curriculum
The first year is spent in clinical training, with the remaining years in research. We expect each fellow to participate in the didactic curriculum of the Yale University School of Medicine and in mentor-based training by faculty of the Section of Pediatric Endocrinology. The opportunity to pursue a Ph.D. while in the Fellowship exists through the Program in Investigative Medicine. Fellowship trainees are expected to pursue academic careers with a focus on developing as independent investigators.

Clinical Training
Our clinical service cares for a diverse patient population with disorders of carbohydrate and mineral metabolism as well as the entire spectrum of pediatric endocrinology conditions. This service includes a multi-disciplinary program for children with diabetes which conducts a 5 half-day clinic each week. Both Type 1 and II Diabetes forms this patient base. Another 4 ambulatory sessions are devoted to general endocrine problems including those of growth, puberty, the thyroid, and disorders of bone and mineral metabolism.

Research Opportunities
Our research effort includes clinical and basic laboratory research. Clinical research projects are concentrated in the General Clinical Research Center, an NIH supported unit of which Dr. Tamborlane is Deputy Program Director and in which a large number of research protocols in all areas of endocrinology and metabolism are ongoing. At present, Drs. Caprio and Tamborlane are using "state-of-the-art" techniques (insulin clamp, stable isotope turnover, and indirect calorimetry) to examine how age and pubertal stage affect glucose and amino acid metabolism in normal children and children with diabetes, growth hormone deficiency, and other conditions that might alter insulin responsiveness. Dr. Carpenter's primary interest is in calcium and mineral metabolism. Specific laboratory projects are focused on models of hypophosphatemic rickets syndromes. Both clinical and basic studies of bone and mineral metabolism are ongoing. Dr. Scott Rivkees is actively investigating the development of biology of the adenosine receptor in the CNS, and control of circadian rhythm. Finally, Dr. Stuart Weinzimer is performing studies related to insulin delivery and real-time glucose sensing as aids in the therapy of Type 1 Diabetes, and Dr. Tania Burgert, the most recent addition to our faculty, is performing studies related to the metabolic consequences of obesity in children.

Active liaison with the Endocrinology sections in the Departments of Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Human Genetics provide additional opportunities for clinical and laboratory research.

We currently use U.S. government funds to support post-doctoral trainees, which limits the availability of the fellowships to U.S. citizens. However, we have been able to support post-doctoral fellows from Britain, Europe, Asia and Israel who have been able to obtain home sources of funding (both governmental and private) for their training interests.

Application
Should you wish to apply to our program, please submit an application through the Department of Pediatrics.

Thank you for your interest in Yale Pediatric Endocrinology!

Thomas Carpenter, M.D.
Program Director
Yale Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship