Strengths

• Skilled and mature academic Gynecologic Cancer Surgeons who have a temporally proven commitment to excellence in Patient Care, the Academic Pursuits, and Education that can serve as Mentors
• The full breadth and depth of expertise of the non-Gynecologic Oncologist fellowship faculty members. These non-Gynecologic Oncologist faculty members include: a Medical Oncologist, Radiation Oncologist, Hepato-biliary Surgical Oncologist, experts in Molecular Biology and Vaccine Research, as well as a World Famous epidemiologist and an individual who is widely recognized as being, if not the pre-eminent Gynecologic Pathologist, one of the leading Gynecologic Pathologists in North America.
• Faculty members who are full-time NCI scientist/investigators who bring not only a unique vision, but access and exposure to resources to which fellows are rarely exposed.
• Patient volume and mix, both of disease processes and socio-cultural demographics, such that the Fellow is fully exposed to all diseases that a Gynecologic Oncologist must be expert at managing.
• An opportunity to spend "discovery" block time in one of numerous disciplines:
  
  • Public Health
• Cancer Control and Prevention Access to Care
• Outcomes Research
• International Women's Cancer Care: focus on Developing Countries
• Health Care Financing
  • o Basic Laboratory Sciences
• Growth factor and bio-marker expression and oncogenesis
• Cancer immunology and vaccine development
• Unique resources available at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Medical Institutions:
  • Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health
  • Johns Hopkins Program in International Education in Gyn/Ob (JHPIEGO)
  • Johns Hopkins University School of Accounting and Business Administration
  • Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Proximity to the NCI
• NCI designated Comprehensive Cancer Center with all of the anticipated shared core-facilities, which is part of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
• A new (calendar year 2000) in-patient facility and Cancer Center with the most recent and, in select settings, uniquely available developing technology (Imaging, Interventional Radiology, Surgical Technology,
• Off-Site Real Time Surgery, etc).
• Total integration of the Training Program into the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Medical Institutions (JHMI)-Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC) Gynecology and Obstetrics universe. JHMI-GBMC has a completely integrated Residency Review Committee approved, four year Obstetrics and Gynecology post-graduate training program extant.
• Minimal distance (9.5 miles) and travel time (20 minutes during peak traffic volume) between facilities.
• A relatively inexpensive community in which to live.
• The opportunity to participate in a formally structured and funded international health care experience.
• The cultural and geographic advantages of the Greater Baltimore-Washington area.
• The high-quality of JHMI residents.

Weakness

• A new and unproven Fellowship Program.
• Limited options for employment in the surrounding metropolitan area after completing fellowship.
• The physical and psychological rigors of the two clinical years.
• The high level of expectations of fellow's performance, particularly regarding surgical skill and commitment to the academic pursuits
• The weather of the Mid-Atlantic Coast.
• Location of the sponsoring / "mother" Institution in East Baltimore.