Fellowship Programs

The Academic Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship Program (one year) is offered to residents after successfully completing the two-year residency training in Pediatric Endocrinology. This additional training aims to provide structured individually tailored academic training; most trainees will use this time to complete a graduate degree in Epidemiology, Education, Public Health or Ethics. Alternatively, this additional time is generally used to complete basic science or clinical research projects, under staff supervision. Generally, research activities will be linked to a formal academic program such as a PhD or Masters.

Trainees will spend more than 90% of their time involved in these activities; one clinic per week may be arranged to provide clinical contact. This limited contact will not dilute the clinical exposure of any of the more junior house staff. Trainees will not be involved in any on-call activities. All clinical activities will be arranged according to the trainee’s interest, as these are not considered a mandatory component of the Fellowship. 

Dependent on trainee interest, opportunity exists to participate in a number of didactic educational activities including tutoring first year medical students in endocrine physiology tutorials or teaching of junior house staff. The trainee is invited to participate in all Department of Pediatrics academic activities including those within the Division. Prior to the onset of the fellowship, the trainee and program director will together predetermine an individualized set of training goals. Goals of the fellowship and trainee performance will be reviewed quarterly. The trainee will have reciprocal opportunities to assess their supervisors and the training program.

Program length: 1 year
Average number of trainee per year: 2

The Academic Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship Program (two years) is essentially tailored for trainees to complete a graduate degree in Epidemiology, Education, Public Health or Ethics. Alternatively, this additional time is generally used to complete basic science or clinical research projects, under staff supervision. Generally, research activities will be linked to a formal academic program such as a PhD or Masters.

Trainees will spend more than 90% of their time involved in these activities; one clinic per week may be arranged to provide clinical contact, usually only in the first year. This limited contact will not dilute the clinical exposure of any of the more junior house staff. The fellows will not be involved in any on-call activities. All clinical activities will be arranged according to the trainee’s interest, as these are not considered a mandatory component of the Fellowship. 

Dependent on fellow interest, opportunity exists to participate in a number of didactic educational activities including tutoring first year medical students in endocrine physiology tutorials or teaching of junior house staff. The trainee is invited to participate in all Department of Pediatrics academic activities including those within the Division. Prior to the onset of the fellowship, the fellow and program director will together predetermine an individualized set of training goals. Goals of the fellowship and trainee performance will be reviewed quarterly. The trainee will have reciprocal opportunities to assess their supervisors and the training program.

Program length: 2 years
Average number of trainee per year: 2

The Shriners Hospital for Children in Montreal offers the Pediatric Metabolic and Genetic Bone Disorders Fellowship Program. The fellowship is suitable for MDs who have completed their pediatric or genetic training and who wish to specialize in pediatric bone diseases.

The Montreal Shriners Hospital for Children is 1 of 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children in the U.S., Canada and Mexico that provide specialized care for children. Services are provided at no charge, regardless of the country of origin of the patients. The Montreal Shriners Hospital is a 25-bed inpatient facility that provides the full spectrum of care for pediatric orthopedic and metabolic and genetic bone disorders. An interdisciplinary team approach is used in patient care programs. Patients are followed and treated up to the age of 21 years.

Osteogenesis imperfecta is a major focus of the clinical care and clinical research activity at the Shriners Hospital. More than 400 children and adolescents with osteogenesis imperfecta are followed at the Shriners Hospital. The clinical part of the program is run by the multidisciplinary osteogenesis imperfecta team. Team members deal with all aspects of osteogenesis imperfecta patient care in both the inpatient and the outpatient setting. In particular, team members run a common clinic, the multidisciplinary osteogenesis imperfecta clinic, which attracts osteogenesis imperfecta patients not only from North America, but also South America, Europe, and the Middle East.

The trainee is a key member of the team that cares for patients with metabolic and genetic bone disorders. The trainee sees all patients that are followed in this highly specialized environment and discusses each case with a staff member. Prior to the onset of the fellowship, the trainee and the program director will together predetermine an individualized set of training goals. Goals of fellowship and trainee performance will be reviewed quarterly. The trainee has reciprocal opportunities to assess their supervisors and the training program.

Program length: 1 or 2 years
Average number of trainee per year: 1

Research Activities:

Apart from providing family-oriented clinical care, the Shriners Hospital includes one of the major research centers in the pediatric bone field. The research center supports both clinical and basic science research and receives support from the Shriners of North America as well as national and international granting agencies. The overarching topic of the basic research component is the biology of bone development and bone regeneration. Clinical research programs focus on metabolic bone disorders and pediatric orthopedic conditions. The Metabolic and Genetic Bone Disease program makes use of the pediatric bone histomorphometry unit (quantitative evaluation of bone histology), as well as state of the art radiological methods for measuring bone density and bone geometry.

A major topic of the Metabolic and Genetic Bone Disease program is the pharmacological treatment of children with osteogenesis imperfecta. The results obtained in this program have made intravenous bisphosphonate treatment the worldwide standard of care for children and adolescents with moderate to severe osteogenesis imperfecta. The program also has led to the discovery of new types of osteogenesis imperfecta and has identified new gene defects associated with heritable brittle bone conditions. Translational studies on mouse models of brittle bone disorders are also performed.

The trainee chooses research topics and performs research projects in close collaboration with the Fellowship Program Director. Research projects depend on the trainee’s interest and prior knowledge and can include any of the clinical or laboratory methodologies available at the Shriners Hospital. Trainees are expected to spend about 50% of their time on research-related activities.

The Shriners Hospital for Children in Montreal offers the Pediatric Metabolic and Genetic Bone Disorders Fellowship Program. The fellowship is suitable for MDs who have completed their pediatric or genetic training and who wish to specialize in pediatric bone diseases.

The Montreal Shriners Hospital for Children is 1 of 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children in the U.S., Canada and Mexico that provide specialized care for children. Services are provided at no charge, regardless of the country of origin of the patients. The Montreal Shriners Hospital is a 25-bed inpatient facility that provides the full spectrum of care for pediatric orthopedic and metabolic and genetic bone disorders. An interdisciplinary team approach is used in patient care programs. Patients are followed and treated up to the age of 21 years.

Osteogenesis imperfecta is a major focus of the clinical care and clinical research activity at the Shriners Hospital. More than 400 children and adolescents with osteogenesis imperfecta are followed at the Shriners Hospital. The clinical part of the program is run by the multidisciplinary osteogenesis imperfecta team. Team members deal with all aspects of osteogenesis imperfecta patient care in both the inpatient and the outpatient setting. In particular, team members run a common clinic, the multidisciplinary osteogenesis imperfecta clinic, which attracts osteogenesis imperfecta patients not only from North America, but also South America, Europe, and the Middle East.

The trainee is a key member of the team that cares for patients with metabolic and genetic bone disorders. The trainee sees all patients that are followed in this highly specialized environment and discusses each case with a staff member. Prior to the onset of the fellowship, the trainee and the program director will together predetermine an individualized set of training goals. Goals of fellowship and trainee performance will be reviewed quarterly. The trainee has reciprocal opportunities to assess their supervisors and the training program.

Program length: 1 or 2 years
Average number of trainee per year: 1

Research Activities:

Apart from providing family-oriented clinical care, the Shriners Hospital includes one of the major research centers in the pediatric bone field. The research center supports both clinical and basic science research and receives support from the Shriners of North America as well as national and international granting agencies. The overarching topic of the basic research component is the biology of bone development and bone regeneration. Clinical research programs focus on metabolic bone disorders and pediatric orthopedic conditions. The Metabolic and Genetic Bone Disease program makes use of the pediatric bone histomorphometry unit (quantitative evaluation of bone histology), as well as state of the art radiological methods for measuring bone density and bone geometry.

A major topic of the Metabolic and Genetic Bone Disease program is the pharmacological treatment of children with osteogenesis imperfecta. The results obtained in this program have made intravenous bisphosphonate treatment the worldwide standard of care for children and adolescents with moderate to severe osteogenesis imperfecta. The program also has led to the discovery of new types of osteogenesis imperfecta and has identified new gene defects associated with heritable brittle bone conditions. Translational studies on mouse models of brittle bone disorders are also performed.

The trainee chooses research topics and performs research projects in close collaboration with the Fellowship Program Director. Research projects depend on the trainee’s interest and prior knowledge and can include any of the clinical or laboratory methodologies available at the Shriners Hospital. Trainees are expected to spend about 50% of their time on research-related activities.