MGH Melanoma and Pigmented Lesion Center Fellowship
Email: htsao@mgh.harvard.edu
Overview
This one-year subspecialty fellowship offers advanced training in the comprehensive care of patients with melanoma and complex pigmented lesions within a high-volume, academically rigorous setting. The program is designed for dermatology residents seeking focused expertise at the intersection of clinical dermatology, surgical oncology, and translational research.
Fellows gain hands-on proficiency in dermoscopy and polarized light surface microscopy for early melanoma detection, and develop the clinical judgment to navigate some of the most diagnostically challenging entities in dermatopathology, including atypical Spitz nevi, lentigo maligna, pigmented epithelioid melanocytoma, and MELTUMPs. Training emphasizes not only technical skill but the ability to engage patients and colleagues with nuanced, evidence-based perspectives on genuinely controversial topics in melanocytic tumor management.
A core strength of the program is its multidisciplinary environment. Fellows participate in a weekly dedicated clinic and a regular tumor board alongside surgical oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, dermatopathology, and genetic counseling, learning to advocate for patients across a complex academic medical system and to function as a valued contributor within a collaborative care team.
The research curriculum prepares fellows to design and execute patient-oriented studies, with training in epidemiological methods, biostatistics, and molecular techniques including immunohistochemistry, mutation detection, and DNA sequencing. Fellows are expected to complete a scholarly project during their training year.
The academic environment is further enriched by a monthly lecture series that brings internationally recognized leaders in melanoma surgery, pathology, medical oncology, and biology to the institution — offering fellows direct exposure to the field's foremost investigators and clinicians.
How to Apply
For more information please email requests to: htsao@mgh.harvard.edu