In the two-year fellowship in prenatal diagnosis or fetal therapy at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), you will gain broad experience in the clinical arena and academically. The field of fetal diagnosis and therapy is constantly evolving and you will learn from physicians on the cutting-edge of new treatments and surgical techniques, using the most comprehensive diagnostic tools available.

As a fellow, you will help evaluate and manage a wide variety of fetal malformations and genetic syndromes, learn fetal surgical techniques and participate in research that will change the course of fetal therapy for years to come.

Program highlights 

Highlights of this advanced fellowship program include:

• Expanding your understanding of the use of fetal echocardiography, ultrafast fetal MRI and high resolution ultrasound in the evaluation of various fetal malformations and syndromes.
• Participating in fetal interventions including open fetal surgery, ex utero intrapartum therapy (EXIT) deliveries, percutaneous fetal shunt placement, fetoscopic tracheal occlusion for congenital diaphragmatic hernia, and fetoscopic treatment of twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) and twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence.
• This is a fully funded position, including benefits.

The history, expertise and compassion that make Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia unique are also what makes it the best place for medical trainees.

Prerequisites for application

• Completion of recognized OB-GYN residency program
• Completion of fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine or clinical genetics
• Eligibility for Pennsylvania state licensure

Curriculum

Training is conducted at the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Teaching staff include members of the center team, including pediatric surgeons, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, clinical geneticists and pediatric specialists from Children’s Hospital and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

During training, fellows will participate in a variety of educational and clinical components, including:

• Evaluation and diagnosis of a wide variety of fetal malformations and genetic syndromes
• Inpatient and outpatient care of pregnancies complicated by congenital anomalies
• Pre- and post-op care of patients undergoing fetal interventions
• Educational conferences with fetal surgery and maternal-fetal medicine specialists
• Multidisciplinary meetings with new and returning patients
• Clinical research projects

Fellows will also gain experience in fetal surgical procedures, including:

• Fetal shunt placement for bladder obstruction, pleural effusion or cystic lung masses
• Fetoscopic laser photocoagulation for twin-twin transfusion syndrome
• Intrauterine transfusion
• Radiofrequency ablation and bipolar umbilical cord coagulation for the management of complex monochorionic twin gestations
• Open fetal procedures including repair of myelomeningocele, resection of sacrococcygeal teratoma and lung masses
• EXIT procedures for a variety of congenital anomalies
• Therapeutic strategies for fetal stem cell and gene therapy in animal models

To apply or request more information

Call 1-800-IN-UTERO (1-800-468-8376) or fill out our online contact form. Submit inquiries to the attention of Nahla Khalek, MD, MPH.

Other requirements

To carry out its mission, it is of critical importance for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to keep our patients, families and workforce safe and healthy and to support the health of our global community. In keeping with this, CHOP has mandated all workforce members (including trainees) on site at any CHOP location for any portion of their time be vaccinated for COVID-19 as a condition of employment.

This mandate also applies to workforce members or trainees performing work for CHOP at non-CHOP locations. Additionally, all workforce members based in or regularly scheduled to work at any New Jersey location are mandated to be both vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19, with booster timing consistent with applicable guidelines. The CHOP COVID-19 vaccine mandate is in alignment with applicable local, state and federal mandates. CHOP also requires all workforce members and trainees who work in patient care buildings or who provide patient care to receive an annual influenza vaccine. Employees may request exemption consideration for CHOP vaccine requirements for valid religious and medical reasons. Please note start dates may be delayed until candidates are fully immunized or valid exemption requests are reviewed. In addition, candidates other than those in positions with regularly scheduled hours in New Jersey, must attest to not using tobacco products.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other protected category. CHOP is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor seeking priority referrals for protected veterans.

CHOP is committed to building an inclusive culture where employees feel a sense of belonging, connection, and community within their workplace. We are a team dedicated to fostering an environment that allows for all to be their authentic selves. We are focused on attracting, cultivating, and retaining diverse talent who can help us deliver on our mission to be a world leader in the advancement of healthcare for children.

We strongly encourage all candidates of diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.