Our two-year Allergy and Immunology Fellowship Program provides comprehensive training across all areas of allergy and immunology, preparing fellows for successful careers in their field. Our well-rounded program combines didactic learning with hands-on experience.

Allergy and Immunology Fellows on the Internal Medicine Track spend more time in the Internal Medicine Allergy Division’s clinical facilities and focus their research efforts on hypersensitivity diseases. Under the leadership of an attending physician, Allergy and Immunology Fellows learn to evaluate and treat a diverse patient population presenting with a wide variety of hypersensitivity disorders. Trainees gain experience in respiratory allergies, skin disorders such as urticaria and contact dermatitis, drug allergies, food allergies and primary immune deficiency disorders. Fellows have the option to rotate through multidisciplinary clinics, including the Montefiore Einstein Asthma Center and the Comprehensive Sinus and Allergy Center at Montefiore Einstein.

Inpatient consultations are shared between the Internal Medicine and Pediatric Divisions, giving our fellows the opportunity to consult on both child and adult inpatients. Our Allergy and Immunology service performs between five and 15 consults each week, treating conditions including drug allergy and desensitization, severe cutaneous adverse reactions, eosinophilia, poorly controlled asthma, immunodeficiency and food allergies. Fellows see inpatient consults alone before discussing recommendations with the appropriate attending and care team. Inpatient consults are rounded on with the attending at a later time.

Our fellows participate in extensive cross-training between the Internal Medicine and Pediatric Divisions, including mandatory six-month rotations through pediatric and internal medicine outpatient clinics during each year of training. All fellows participate in inpatient consultations on pediatric and adult patients, and Internal Medicine Track Fellows have the opportunity to work in the faculty practices of the pediatric attendings as part of their elective rotations. Fellows and attendings from both divisions typically meet for care discussions and a formal lecture each Friday; these lectures, for the time being, are delivered online.
 

Allergy and Immunology Fellows learn to prepare and administer allergy immunotherapy extracts by shadowing the research associate in charge of mixing allergen immunotherapy. Fellows are not responsible for mixing extracts or administering allergy shots on a regular basis. We offer additional opportunities for hands-on practice to fellows who desire more exposure to allergy immunotherapy.
 

Fellows from the Internal Medicine and Pediatric Tracks share inpatient consultations and perform consult call in one-week blocks, typically every four or five weeks. Internal Medicine Track Fellows perform consults in Jacobi and North Central Bronx Hospitals, while Pediatric Track Fellows do not. To balance the workload, Internal Medicine Track Fellows never have any weekend call responsibilities, while Pediatric Track Fellows take call on weekends. Fellows consult with Internal Medicine Division attendings for internal medicine inpatients and with Pediatric Division attendings on pediatric inpatients. Pediatric Track Fellows handle almost all HIV-related consults.

Internal Medicine Track Fellows have the opportunity to design their elective rotation schedules based on their unique educational needs and interests. Available blocks include ear, nose and throat (ENT), dermatology, pulmonology, primary immunodeficiency, rheumatology and bone marrow transplant.
 

Our fellows receive informal feedback throughout the year, along with scheduled biannual evaluation sessions. Attendings submit written evaluations of each fellow, while fellows submit written evaluations of the attendings and program. Fellows and attendings then meet individually to review the evaluations, discuss their performance and plan improvements if necessary.
 

All Allergy and Immunology Fellows participate in weekly lectures and conferences in basic immunology and clinical allergy and immunology, along with board review sessions. Additionally, Medicine Track Fellows attend a weekly journal club and literature review. Fellows also participate in Department of Medicine grand rounds and a research methods course, among other learning opportunities. Fellows are recommended to participate in the AAAAI board review course and are encouraged to become members of the New York Allergy and Asthma Society (NYAAS).
 

Our fellows are encouraged to participate in New York Allergy Society meetings and to present original research and cases at meetings of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) and American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). These meetings provide excellent networking opportunities for our fellows. Throughout fellowship, attendings are always available to offer advice and guidance to fellows about post-fellowship life.
 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, our division transitioned to a mix of telehealth medicine and in-person visits within our allergy clinics. Our Allergy and Immunology Fellowship has not been impacted by this change, as our precepting and case discussions were maintained and our allergy immunotherapy and biologics administration schedules and allergy-related procedures were adapted to comply with social-distancing recommendations. During the surge in COVID-19 cases, we provided inpatient electronic consultations (e-consults) for COVID-19-positive patients as a way to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission to patients and providers, and to preserve personal protective equipment. Our division also established a joint task force with Rheumatology to address the inflammatory complications of COVID-19, and several research projects related to COVID-19 are ongoing.