Rheumatology & Immunology Fellowship Program

The goal of the Rheumatology Fellowship Program at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is to provide strong training in clinical rheumatology, research investigation, and in developing the fellow as a teacher.

Clinical Training

Our Rheumatology Fellowship offers robust, hands-on clinical training with a strong emphasis on outpatient care. Fellows evaluate patients in multiple outpatient settings, including Rutledge Tower, MUSC Health West Ashley, MUSC Health East Cooper, and the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center. With over 10,000 outpatient visits annually, fellows gain deep experience in managing a wide range of rheumatic diseases.

Each fellow has dedicated continuity clinics at these sites, meeting weekly under the close supervision of experienced faculty. This structure ensures progressive responsibility and a consistent learning environment throughout the program.

Inpatient training is equally comprehensive. Fellows provide consultative care at MUSC’s University Hospital, Ashley River Tower, MUSC Children’s Hospital, and the VA Medical Center. These diverse settings expose fellows to a broad spectrum of rheumatologic conditions in both adult and pediatric populations.

The program is anchored at the MUSC University Medical Center, a leading academic hospital system with 709 licensed beds across four inpatient facilities. Clinical training spans general and subspecialty rheumatology, including pediatric rheumatology, as well as areas of particular clinical emphasis including:

• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Scleroderma
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Vasculitis

Research

Each rheumatology fellow participates in a research project during the course of fellowship training. Each fellow identifies a faculty mentor early in the first year of training and works closely with this faculty mentor on a clinical or basic science research project. The fellow is involved in the project design and Internal Review Board approval process. Rheumatology fellows also are given the opportunity to participate in clinical trials that are ongoing in the Division of Rheumatology. 

Education

Rheumatology fellows participate in several areas to enhance their skills as teachers. The fellows serve as the teaching fellow on a monthly rotational basis and are responsible, in conjunction with a teaching attending, for the weekly rheumatology division rounds. The teaching fellow participates in informal didactic teaching sessions with the medical students and internal medicine house staff rotating on the rheumatology service. The rheumatology fellows are given the opportunity to present their research at the local, regional, and/or national level.

Rheumatology fellows attend conferences on a regular basis which include both weekly and monthly conferences. The weekly conferences are Rheumatology Division Grand Rounds and Internal Medicine Grand Rounds. Other conferences include Pathology conference, Radiology conference, Radiology tutorial conference, Professors’ rounds, Basic Science conference, Carolina Fellows’ Conference, and Journal Club. Other opportunities available to rheumatology fellows include utilizing a three-year training period to enhance training as a research fellow and/or to obtain a Masters in Clinical Research. These opportunities are available and require specific discussion and planning with the rheumatology division.

More information on fellowship training is available on the American College of Rheumatology website.

Fellowship Training Application Form

Rheumatology at MUSC participates in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and the national match process. The application is available online and three letters of recommendation, as well as all application materials, can be submitted online. Any questions should be directed to the Fellowship Coordinator at muscrheumfellowship@musc.edu.

All correspondence should be directed to the Fellowship Director:

Dr. Faye Hant
96 Jonathan Lucas Street
Suite 822, MSC 637
Charleston, SC  29425