Stem Cell Transplantation

Many residents in either their junior or senior year spend a two week block as part of the 13-bed inpatient hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT) team at Boston Children’s Hospital. This is an opportunity to take responsibility, under the supervision of a fellow and attending, for patients preparing for and recovering from autologous or allogeneic transplants and those readmitted for complications following SCT. Rotation goals include: understanding the indications for SCT, donor selection, anticipated complications and time course relative to transplant, long-term effects of transplant, and the psychosocial challenges faced by children and families undergoing intensive therapy and long hospitalization. Besides the resident the team members include: a SCT attending, one first-year fellow, a nurse practitioner, and a pharmacist. The overnight call is covered by a dedicated BMT NP.  The rotation includes daily morning teaching sessions, a weekly SCT staff development conference and the Longwood Medical Area SCT conference.