Academic Career Fellowship
The UIC Academic Career Fellowship in Family Medicine is a 1-year fellowship program designed to prepare family physicians for a successful career in academic medicine. The fellowship is renewable for an optional second year.
The guiding philosophy of the Academic Career Fellowship is to combine practical experience in patient care, teaching, scholarship, and service with exposure to the rich environment that the department, university, and state provide in specific areas of clinical work, teaching and administrative activity. Aspects of the curriculum are individually tailored to each fellow to address career goals.
Program Overview Heading link
Clinical Care
Fellows spend 40% of their time in clinical care, which amounts to 4 half-days per week. Clinical care is conducted in one of the Family Medicine clinical sites: University Village, Pilsen Family Health Center, or Mile Square Health Center (FQHC). Each of our clinics offer the opportunity to practice full-scope family medicine and serve diverse patient populations. Depending on clinical availability and fellow interest, fellows may also opt to participate in our inpatient service and pregnancy call pool.
Academic Development
To aid in fellows’ academic development, fellows are given time to complete graduate level courses or certificates. Previous fellows have pursued a Masters in Public Health, Masters in Health Professions Education, Masters in Business Administration, or other certificate programs offered at UIC such as the Scholars for Teaching Excellence Faculty Fellowship (STEFF) program. Tuition may be covered by the standard employee tuition waiver program. Fellows are required to complete at least one graduate level course or certificate program.
Teaching
Fellows gain teaching experience through providing didactics to the Family Medicine residents. They also work with both pre-clinical medical students as well as medical students on their Family Medicine clerkship. Inpatient and pregnancy care services are optional, and dependent upon availability in the teaching pools. As schedules allow, the fellow may also precept residents in clinic.
Scholarly Work
Fellows complete a scholarly project which is submitted for dissemination at both the local (participation in the Department of Family and Community Medicine’s Scholarship Day), and regional or national level. Dissemination at the regional or national level includes presentations at conferences or submission for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. If the fellow opts for a second year of fellowship, a second scholarly project must be completed, which may be a continuation or 2nd phase of the first scholarly project.
Service
Fellows participate in service activities, which include: participation in application review and interviews for the Family Medicine residency, participation in departmental, hospital, or university committees, and/or participation in committees or other service activities for professional organizations (e.g. STFM). Participation in at least one service activity is required.
Choosing a clinical/academic focus
The fellow’s academic growth is focused on development of excellence in a particular area which serves as the fellow’s area of scholarly and/or clinical focus. For example, previous fellows have identified areas of focus including: HIV/AIDS; Maternity Care; Global Health; Reproductive Health; Medical Student Education; or Health Disparities.
Other Key Features Heading link
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Professional development
Each Fellow meets regularly with the Program Directors to discuss career goals, and professional development strategies. Each Fellow will also be assigned a faculty mentor, who will meet regularly with the Fellow to assess professional development and provide support. Additionally, all fellows are required to attend monthly didactics on professional development topics.
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Evaluation
Fellows will be evaluated by faculty on their individualized goals. Fellows will make appropriate progress on a graduate course or certificate program.
Fellows will be evaluated by students and residents during clinical sessions and didactics. Some of these sessions will also be observed by faculty. Fellows will also receive evaluation by Fellowship faculty according to ACGME Core Competencies.
Application Information Heading link
Reach out to Dr. Julie Loza (jloza@uic.edu) or Dr. Adrienne A. Williams (awms@uic.edu) with any questions or concerns.
Applicants must:
Applicants must:
- Have completed an MD, DO, or equivalent degree.
- Have graduated from a family medicine residency prior to the start date of the fellowship.
- Have passed ABFM or be eligible for Board passage by July 31st of fellowship year.
- Have applied for Full Unrestricted IL Medical License by March 1 of fellowship year.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Interest in pursuing a career in academic medicine
- Demonstrated interest in teaching
- Demonstrated completion of scholarly activities, such as:
- QI projects
- Scholarship day
- Publications
How to Apply
Please submit the following materials to both Program Directors
(Dr. Julie Loza jloza@uic.edu and Dr. Adrienne A. Williams awms@uic.edu.)
A 1-2 page proposal that includes:
- Statement of interest that addresses
- Why are you interested in UIC?
- Why are you interested in this fellowship?
- How do you plan to use this training?
- Description of area of clinical/academic focus
- Topic of interest for scholarly project
- CV
- Two letters of recommendation that speak to teaching skills and/or summary of evaluations of teaching, leadership activities/potential scholarship, and clinical competency.
Applicants must also apply to a graduate or certificate program in time for the Fall deadline.
Where to send the application materials
Applications should be submitted via email to Drs. Williams and Loza.
Application, supporting materials, and letters of recommendation are due December 1st for fellowships beginning the following summer.
