Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center

Training Program Director: Robert Buras, MD, FACS
Associate Program Director: Steven Woodward, MD

Breast surgery has emerged as a distinct specialty and the required preparation for a career in this specialty has become extensive.

Goal:

To rigorously train surgeons for a career in breast surgery and equip them with extensive knowledge and skills to 1) provide superb and compassionate clinical care, 2) stimulate intellectual curiosity and foster a lifelong commitment to innovation and breast disease research, 3) direct and understand the many facets and multidisciplinary aspects of a Breast Center, 4) provide leadership for colleagues, Breast Center teams, governmental agencies, insurance companies, and industry to improve breast disease care, 5) be an advocate for patients, and 6) articulate research, clinical and patient information in a collaborative and carefully planned manner.

Program Description and Rotations:

All of the surgical rotations occur at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center (LHAAMC). Subspecialty rotations include the Risk Assessment and Prevention Program, Pathology, Psychosocial/Counseling, Radiation Oncology, Medical Oncology, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Breast Imaging, Clinical Trials, Rehabilitation and the Lymphedema Clinic and integrated training and preparation in Breast Program Leadership. The Faculty consists of renowned experts who have been chosen for passion in their field and their teaching abilities.

Patient Volume:

Our breast specialists evaluate and manage over 600+ patients with recently diagnosed breast cancer per year. As a fellow in the program, you will have the opportunity to perform surgical procedures including nipple-sparing, skin-sparing and aesthetically flat-closure mastectomies, wire-localized and ultrasound-guided partial mastectomies, oncoplastic partial mastectomies, nipple explorations, sentinel node and completion axillary node dissections, assist in reconstructive procedures and see an extensive variety of patients with benign and malignant breast conditions in clinic. Fellows will be taught partial mastectomies with wire localization, non-wire localization systems (ie localizer), and intra-operative localization as well as receive extensive experience in ultrasound-guided procedures. 

The Rebecca Fortney Breast Center in the Belcher Pavilion:

The Breast Center’s location, in beautiful historic Annapolis, is lovely and provides a wide array of cultural, recreational and educational activities. It has been a destination site for breast patients locally, regionally and nationally for 20 years and has been extensively supported financially by the community and prominent national leaders. The research program at the Fortney Breast Center is well funded from many granting agencies for innovative projects and well staffed with research nurses and coordinators, data managers, and information technology. The Center is also actively involved in breast research sponsored by large cooperative groups including NSABP, ACOSOG, and RTOG. The Center consists of state-of-the-art facilities including digital mammography with tomosynthesis, dedicated breast MRI, procedure and biopsy rooms, and a dedicated breast disease library and extensive on-line resources for patients, providers and staff.

Courses and Meetings:

It is anticipated the Fellow will attend and participate in the following: ASBrS Breast Fellow’s University Breast Surgical Oncology Fellows course (oncoplastics/ultrasound); SSO Breast Surgery Fellows course (oncoplastics/ultrasound) and ASBrS Annual Meeting. The Center actively attends/participates in the Maryland Breast Cancer Consortium which meets regularly throughout the year with lectures given by leaders in the field.

Expectations of the Fellow:

The Fellow is expected to: participate in all aspects of clinical care of patients at all the participating centers under the supervision of the faculty; attend and present at weekly breast tumor boards; adopt 2 – 3 research projects; submit at least 2 abstracts, 2 manuscripts and a review paper on a topic of their choosing; participate in grant submissions, IRB protocols, and the generation of consents and protocols as well as prepare and present talks on breast disease at our breast surgery courses and participate in community outreach programs.

The Fellow is expected to achieve Human Subjects Research Ethics and Compliance (CITI) certification as well as enroll and complete the NIH Introduction to the Principles and Practice of Clinical Research (IPPCR) course.

Our Teaching Philosophy:

Our approach to teaching is no different than our approach to patient care – kind and supportive. We train our fellows to provide outstanding patient care, advocate for patients and their families, be on the forefront of breast disease research and to become national leaders in breast surgical care.

Number of Positions: One

Length of Fellowship: One Year

Contact Information