Clinical Chemistry Fellowship

Program Description

Begun in 1972, this ComACC-accredited postdoctoral training program has a rich history of producing leaders within the field of Clinical Chemistry. Fellows receive two-years of intensive training in both the analytical and clinical aspects of clinical chemistry and are prepared to enter laboratory medicine in clinical service, educational, or research roles. Training takes place primarily within the McLendon Clinical Laboratories Core and Specialty Laboratories which occupy ~10000 sq.ft. of clinical laboratory space. The Core and Specialty Laboratories currently handle ~ 4000 samples per day and exceed 5,000,000 procedures annually. The testing menu along with the work produced through referral testing assures the trainee receives exposure to an extensive range of testing.

Training is flexible and dependent upon the fellow’s previous experience. During the initial six-month period, the fellow rotates through the major clinical chemistry sections: automated chemistry (general, high-volume testing), special chemistry (electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, etc), toxicology and therapeutic drug monitoring, and critical care (blood gases and point of care) testing. Throughout this period and into the second year as fellows demonstrate mastery of previous assignments, they are given additional responsibilities and activities of increasing complexity. Examples of such include test interpretation, method troubleshooting, on-call responsibilities, referral testing review, method/instrument evaluations, procedure revisions, and inspection readiness. The fellow is expected to participate in a variety of educational activities to supplement the rotations. These include didactics and informal discussions, Clinical Pathology Residents and Fellow’s Conference, Grand Rounds, and the McLendon Clinical Laboratories continuing education program. In the second year, the fellows are encouraged to devote a portion of their time to at least one research project, and serve as Acting Director of a laboratory section further expanding their participation in the leadership and management aspects of laboratory medicine.

Program Requirements

To be considered for the program, prospective fellows must have:

1. Earned doctoral degree (PhD) in a chemical, biological or clinical laboratory science or an MD or DO degree from an appropriately accredited university or college.
2. Successfully completed a minimum of 30 semester hours of undergraduate and/or graduate level courses in analytic, organic, physical, general chemistry, biochemistry, and/or others, to qualify for certification eligibility with the American Board of Clinical Chemistry prior to admission into this fellowship training program.
   • Candidates possessing an MD or DO must be certified in anatomic and clinical pathology by the American Board of Pathology or the American Osteopathic Board of Pathology or have met the requirements to take the Board examination.​

Stipends

The salary for the first year trainee is equal to that of a PGY1 resident at UNC Hospital’s salary scale.  This will increase to a PGY2 level following satisfactory completion of the PGY1 training year.

Program Director

Nichole Korpi–Steiner, PhD, DABCC, FADLM

Faculty

• Steven Cotten, PhD, DABCC, FADLM – Clinical Chemistry, Neonatal Drug Testing, Clinical Data Analytics, and Quality Assurance
• Nichole Korpi-Steiner, PhD, DABCC, FADLM – Clinical Chemistry, Point-of-Care Testing, Mass Spectrometry and Quality Assurance
• Stephanie Mathews MD – Hematopathlogy, Urinalysis, Protein Electrophoresis
• Melissa Miller, PhD, D(ABMM), F(AAM) – Clinical Microbiology and Clinical Molecular Microbiology
• John Schmitz, PhD, D(ABMLI), F(ACHI), F(AAM) – Clinical Immunology, Histocompatibility and Flow Cytometry
• Karen Weck, MD – Clinical Molecular Genetics
• Herbert Whinna, MD, PhD – General Clinical Chemistry, Coagulation, Protein Electrophoresis
• David Williams, Jr, MD, PhD – Hematopathology, Hemoglobin Variant Analyses

Application Process and Timeline

Beginning January 1st, 2024, applications will be accepted for the July 1, 2025 start date.

The application packet must include the following and be submitted to program coordinator (Janice Badstein) and/or program director (Nichole Korpi-Steiner)​:

1. Letter of interest.
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Three letters of recommendation (submitted directly from referees)
4. Official Transcripts (undergraduate and graduate or medical school transcripts). If education is obtained at institutions outside the United States or Canada, the candidate must have their credentials evaluated by a credentialing agency at their own expense and results submitted to the program.

If selected for a formal interview, the applicant will be asked to complete an electronic UNC Hospitals GME application prior to the interview day.

For additional information, please contact…

Janice Badstein
Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
UNC School of Medicine
Campus Box #7525
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7525

Phone:  919-966-4678