The Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship is a 12-month clinical oncology training program provided at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital (BWFH), and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). The fellowship includes rotations at each of these sites and prepares trainees for an academic career devoted to the screening, diagnosis, multidisciplinary treatment and study of patients with breast cancer and benign breast disease.
The program employs an apprenticeship-style approach combined with an intensive multidisciplinary experience in the management of breast malignancies. Fellows work directly with two to three faculty members at a time during the course of a month within a specific disease discipline. The timing of research electives is flexible to accommodate specific academic goals and to allow time for abstract submissions and manuscript preparation.
Program Director, DFCI/BWH Site
Associate Program Director, DFCI/BWH Site
The Fellowship Program aims to:
As a fellow, you will:
Quick Facts
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital are scientific, clinical and academic leaders in Boston with a shared commitment to provide excellence in multidisciplinary patient care, teaching and research. Our Fellowship program features rotations at each of these 3 institutions and our shared culture affords an exceptional environment for training and participation in clinical research.
Our team of experienced breast surgical oncologists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute provide surgical care to patients with benign and malignant breast disease and collaborate with other specialties to establish optimal treatments for our patients. As surgeon-scientists, we are involved in leading research studies across the continuum of care―from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and survivorship. We are committed to training the next generation of surgeons and leaders, and foster an environment that supports the fellow’s participation in all aspects of clinical care and research.
DFCI/BWH Site Program Director
Tari A. King, MD
DFCI/BWH Site Associate Program Director
Olga Kantor, MD, MS
MGH Site Program Directors
Barbara L. Smith, MD, PhD
Michelle Specht, MD
DFCI/BWH Program Coordinator
Linda Cutone
MGH Administrative Manager Surgical Oncology
Mariel Muir
Michaela Mitrano
Current Fellows
Denise Garcia, MD, MEd
Dr. Denise Garcia earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut in diagnostic genetic sciences. She went on to obtain her master’s degree in education from Arcadia University while teaching high school biology in the Philadelphia Public School District. She then served in the Peace Corps focusing on education in rural South Africa. On her return, she was recruited to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to work on oncologic translational research. She received her medical degree at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University where she was a member of the inaugural class. She completed her general surgery training completed at the Medical University of South Carolina where she spent two years as a grant-funded NIH research fellow focusing on oncology translational research in breast cancer and sarcoma. Following her fellowship, Dr. Garcia is committed to continuing translational research in the field of breast oncology as an academic surgeon.
Monika K. Masanam, MD
Dr. Monika Masanam earned her undergraduate degree in biological sciences from Rutgers University, where she was awarded the Presidential Scholarship. She received her medical degree from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School through a 7-year joint bachelor and medical degree program. She completed her surgical training at Georgetown in Washington, DC, during which she served in leadership roles as co-chair of the Medical Society of DC Women in Medicine Section and resident liaison to the American College of Surgeons Board of Governors Surgical Training Workgroup. Her research interests include cancer genetics, breast cancer risk assessment and prevention, and breast cancer disparities. As a future academic breast surgical oncologist, she plans to lead efforts to improve patient outcomes and address gaps in breast cancer care.
Past Fellows
2023-2024
Gabi Barmettler, MD
Nuvance Health in Poughkeepsie, NY
Andreas Giannakou, MD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, NY
2022-2023
Charity Glass, MD MPP
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston-Salem, NC
Robert Pride, MD
Western Surgical Care in Lone Tree, CO
2021-2022
Ashley Newman, MD
Penn Medicine Princeton Health, Princeton, NJ
2020-2021
Meghan Gartska, MD MS
University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
Halley Vora, MD
Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA
2019-2020
Olga Kantor, MD MS
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
Alison Laws, MD
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
2018-2019
Caroline Jones McGugin, MD
Infirmary Surgical Specialists, Mobile, AL
Stephanie Wong, MD
McGill University, Montreal, Canada
2017-2018
Tara Spivey, MD
Ascension Medical Group, Indianapolis, IN
2016-2017
Anvy Nguyen, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
2015-2016
Jennifer Plichta, MD, MS
Duke University, Durham, NC
2014-2015
Maureen McEvoy, MD
Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY
2013-2014
Barbara Wexelman, MD
TriHealth Cancer Institute, Cincinnati, OH
2012-2013
Kari Kansal, MD
University of California-Irvine, Orange County, CA
2011-2012
Melissa Camp, MD, MPH
John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Rachel Greenup, MD, MPH
Duke University, Durham, NC
2010-2011
Suzanne Coopey, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
2009-2010
Elizabeth Kim, MD
Sutter Roseville Medical Center, Roseville, CA
2008-2009
Amanda Wheeler, MD
Stanford University, Stanford, CA
2007-2008
Colleen Murphy, MD
University of Colorado, Denver, CO
Sara Javid, MD
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
2006-2007
Laurie Kirstein, MD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth, Middletown, NJ
2004-2005
Katherina Zabicki Calvillo, MD
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) is located in the Longwood medical and academic area in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of Harvard Medical School's primary teaching affiliates. With Massachusetts General Hospital, it is one of the two founding members of Mass General Brigham, the largest healthcare provider in Massachusetts.
We serve patients from New England, throughout the United States, and from 120 countries around the world. BWH is an internationally-known referral center for the most complex cases in nearly all areas of medicine and surgery. Our Breast Surgery Service cares for patients with benign breast disease and all types and stages of breast cancer, offering specialty programs and a program for those at risk. The Division of Breast Surgery performs over 2500 operative procedures annually across the two Brigham campuses.
Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital (BWFH) is a community teaching hospital located in Jamaica Plain, just 3.4 miles from the Longwood medical area. With a long history of meeting the health care needs of the residents of southwest Boston and surrounding suburbs, BWFH offers comprehensive medical, surgical and psychiatric care as well as complete emergency, ambulatory and diagnostic services.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) is located in the Longwood medical and academic area. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute cares for adults with cancer in specialized treatment centers, focused on specific cancer types. As an affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a Comprehensive Cancer Center designated by the National Cancer Institute, DFCI also provides training for new generations of physicians and scientists, designs programs that promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations, and disseminates innovative patient therapies and scientific discoveries to target communities across the United States and throughout the world. The Breast Surgical Oncology Program at DFCI sees over 1500 new patients annually.
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is located in the West End of Boston. MGH has five multidisciplinary care centers to offer patients comprehensive, state-of-the-art medical care. The Mass General Cancer Center offers a coordinated team approach tailored to the individual needs of each patient. In addition, Mass General for Children provides a full range of pediatric health care services.
We require the following documents to be available for download through ERAS for an application to be reviewed:
The application process for the fellowship is handled through the Society of Surgical Oncology website. Visit this site for more information about applications and supporting documentation.
Selection of Interview Candidates
Each application is reviewed in its entirety with an eye toward a combination of overall academic excellence, leadership ability, career development potential and personal character.
Although we receive applications from many well-qualified candidates, it is not possible to interview all who apply. Those who are invited will be notified approximately one month prior to the date of the scheduled interview.
Interview Dates
The dates for the interview season are spring of the PGY-4 year. All interviews are conducted on a single day.
Interview Format
Interviews are conducted at BWH/DFCI during odd-numbered years and at MGH during even-numbered years.
The interview day begins with a breakfast and introductory remarks by the program directors. Following the introduction, each candidate will meet with faculty from BWH and MGH. As we represent a large and diverse program, our goal is to allow you to meet with as many faculty members as possible, thus interviews are typically conducted with our faculty working in pairs; e.g., two faculty members working as a team to interview candidates. Current fellows, surgery residents interested in breast disease, and our dedicated team of breast surgical physicians assistants and nurse practitioners will also be on hand throughout the day to visit informally with candidates between interviews and to conduct hospital tours.
The interview sessions conclude in the afternoon with an opportunity for a social group gathering before individual departures. For applicants who are able to arrive the night before the interview day, an informal evening reception is held to allow applicants to interact with current fellows, residents interested in breast disease and other members of our clinical teams.
Travel and Hotel Accommodations
For the purposes of making travel arrangements, applicants may anticipate being finished with all interview and tour activities by 4pm. Please visit hotel accommodations for more information.
Tari A. King, MD
DFCI/BWH Site Fellowship Program Director
tking7@bwh.harvard.edu
Olga Kantor, MD, MS
DFCI/BWH Site Fellowship Associate Program Director
okantor@bwh.harvard.edu
Linda Cutone
DFCI/BWH Site Program Coordinator
lcutone@partners.org
Department of Surgery
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship
75 Francis Street
Boston, MA 02115
For over a century, a leader in patient care, medical education and research, with expertise in virtually every specialty of medicine and surgery.
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