Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

The University of Toronto Lupus Clinic is a research clinic studying the course and prognosis of patients with this condition by performing longitudinal collection of clinical and laboratory data in a standardized fashion. Post-Graduate fellows, having completed rheumatology training, who wish to get additional specialized training in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) participate in the clinic for a minimum 12 months with the objective to gain expertise in the assessment, investigation, management and treatment of patients with this complex autoimmune disorder and gain an understanding of current clinical research in this area and develop expertise in research methodology.  This can include participation in advanced degree courses.   
The fellow will devote 100% of his/her professional time to fellowship-related activities including:

• Attending specialized out-patient Lupus Clinics supervised by the fellowship mentors (3 – 4 half days/week) where they will be responsible for the assessment, management and follow-up of SLE patients.  This includes combined specialty clinics in SLE-Dermatology, SLE- Renal and SLE-Antiphospholipid clinics. 
• Participation in journal clubs, inter-disciplinary rounds, and inter-hospital teaching rounds of the University of Toronto Rheumatology training program and Lupus Program teaching rounds.  They will be responsible for teaching medical students participating in the Lupus Clinic. 
• The fellow will be expected to participate and contribute to ongoing lupus research studies (including cohort studies, registries and clinical trials).
• The fellow will propose and carry out new clinical research project(s), i.e., performing literature review, developing study protocol, collecting data and analyzing and interpreting results.  The fellow will present finding of research at appropriate meetings and prepare drafts of manuscripts suitable for publication in peer-reviewed journals.