Endocrinology, Diabetes, & Metabolism Fellowship

Division Head: Arti Bhan, M.D.
Program Director: Shobana Athimulam, MD
Associate Program Director: Rebecca Simon, DO
Program Coordinator: Ashley Hare

The Henry Ford Health/Henry Ford Hospital Endocrinology and Metabolism Fellowship Program has been training fellows in the field for over 50 years. This two-year program is designed to prepare physicians for board certification in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism through the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). 

Fellows gain:

• Extensive hands-on clinical experience in a wide range of endocrine and metabolic disorders
• Opportunities for meaningful clinical research and academic development
• A strong foundation in scholarship, supported by a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment
• Program Overview

Duration: 2 years
Positions Available: 3 per year
Eligibility: Applicants must have completed 3 years of internal medicine training and be certified (or board-eligible) by the American Board of Internal Medicine before or during the fellowship.

• Clinical & Didactic Training

  Fellows receive comprehensive training from faculty in the following specialties:

  • Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Bone & Mineral Disorders
  • Nuclear Medicine
  • Radiology
  • Cytopathology
  • Clinical Chemistry
  • Urology
  • Neurosurgery

  Second-Year Electives:
  Opportunities to rotate with:

  • Reproductive Endocrinology (off-site)
  • Pediatric Endocrinology (off-site)

  Core Curriculum

  Our robust educational program includes:

  • Endocrinology Grand Rounds
  • Patient Case Conference
  • Journal Club
  • Research Conference
  • Weekly Didactic Fellows Conference
  • Cytopathology Conference
  • MRI Conference
  • Thyroid Tumor Board
  • Adrenal/Pituitary Case Discussions

  Clinical Experience

• Fellows participate in 2–8 half-day general endocrinology clinics per week, depending on the rotation.
• Specialty Clinics:
  • Multidisciplinary Thyroid Cancer Clinic
  • Insulin Pump Clinic
  • Adrenal Disorders Clinic
• Second-Year Rotations Also Include:
  • Nuclear Medicine
  • Clinical Chemistry
  • Urology
  • Bone & Mineral Clinic

Overview of the Program

Henry Ford Health provides a full spectrum of endocrinology services in our clinics. Some of the many activities fellows will be involved in are listed below.

• Active practice in adult general endocrinology, diabetes mellitus, lipid disorders, obesity, bone and mineral disorders, adrenal and pituitary disorders, thyroid disease, gonadal disorders, and gender dysphoria including both inpatient and outpatient consultations, the utilization of diagnostic procedures, continuing care in the subspecialty, and an opportunity for teaching junior residents and medical students
• Learning how to diagnose and treat all thyroid disorders, interpret radionuclide imaging, dose radioactive iodine therapy, perform and interpret thyroid ultrasound, perform ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration, and interpret cytologic and molecular testing results. We have a multidisciplinary approach to thyroid cancer and work closely with endocrine surgery, oncology, pathology, and nuclear medicine.
• Experience in the use of insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring
• Opportunities to manage diabetes in adolescents and in pregnant women. 
• An optional week at the Michigan summer camp for children with diabetes (Camp Midicha)
• Interpreting hormone assay results and adjunctive testing
• Participation in the pediatric endocrinology clinic
• Participation in reproductive endocrinology clinic and urology clinic to learn about treatment of female and male infertility and male hypogonadism
• Gain experience caring for transgender and gender non-conforming patients. Learn about cross-sex hormone therapy and other issues in transgender care
• Gain experience caring for patients with adrenal and pituitary disorders
• Learn to manage obesity with lifestyle changes in addition to pharmacotherapy
• Participation in the inpatient and outpatient care of patients with metabolic bone disease, parathyroid disorders and kidney stones
• Learning the laboratory, radiologic, and histologic diagnoses of metabolic bone disease, and the current concepts of therapy of these disorders
• Opportunities to participate in clinical research

Educational Activities:

1. Core Curriculum lectures
2. Thyroid tumor board
3. Cytopathology review
4. Fellow directed case conference
5. Endocrine Grand Rounds
6. Journal Clubs
7. Weekly fellow lectures on core endocrinology topics
8. Pituitary MRI Conference
9. Adrenal/Pituitary Case conference
10. Board Review Sessions
11. Quarterly Morbidity and Mortality Conferences
12. Opportunities to attend and present research at the Medical Education Henry Ford Health Research Forum in addition to national meetings including Endocrine Society, American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE), American Diabetes Association, American Thyroid Association, American Society of Bone and Mineral Research and conferences organized by Endocrine Fellows Foundation.
13. Attendance of Endocrine University sponsored by AACE
14. Attendance at Pituitary Fellows Conference organized by Pituitary Society
15. Participation in local Michigan Association of Endocrinologists Chapter meetings (fall meeting) and quarterly Michigan Endocrine Club meetings.

Scholarly Activity and Research Activities

Fellows all participate in scholarly activity including:

1. Journal clubs 
2. Clinical research project – quality improvement or other. Fellows work with a senior staff mentor and are guided through the process of writing an IRB, collection of data, and submission of an abstract/poster and eventually a manuscript. Henry Ford Hospital has an abundance of services including librarian-assisted literature searches, statistical help from the Department of Public Health Sciences, and manuscript editorial services.
3. Submissions of case reports as posters or abstracts for local and national meetings.

For recent published articles, book chapters, and abstracts by our Endocrinology faculty, see: https://scholarlycommons.henryford.com/endocrinology/

Message from the Program Director

Dear Prospective Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in the Henry Ford Health/Henry Ford Hospital Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism Fellowship program. Our two-year adult fellowship offers a comprehensive and immersive clinical training experience, combining the expertise of a renowned teaching faculty with access to a highly diverse patient population.

The fellowship is based at our flagship downtown Detroit campus, providing an ideal environment for hands-on learning and advanced clinical exposure. Our program emphasizes excellence in both patient care and academic development, with extensive opportunities for clinical research and quality improvement initiatives.

Fellows gain in-depth training across the full spectrum of endocrinology, with particular emphasis on:

• Thyroid disorders and thyroid cancer: including thyroid ultrasound and ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration, performed in our clinic under direct faculty supervision.
• Diabetes management: including the use of insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitoring systems, and other advanced treatment modalities.
• Bone and mineral metabolism: including diagnosis and management of osteoporosis, parathyroid disorders, and expertise in bone density interpretation.
• Adrenal and Pituitary Disease: including diagnosis and management of complex pituitary and adrenal disorders, and expertise in interpretation of MRI pituitary and Adrenal cross-sectional imaging.
• Gender-affirming care: including the management and prescription of cross-sex hormone therapy for transgender and gender-diverse patients.

The first year of training is heavily focused on inpatient and outpatient clinical care, while the second year allows for additional research involvement and advanced outpatient training. Our division has a strong track record in leading clinical trials in diabetes, and clinical research in bone metabolism, adrenal disorders, pituitary disorders, and thyroid disease.

Our program is designed to prepare fellows for board certification in Endocrinology through the American Board of Internal Medicine and for success in independent clinical practice or academic careers. Graduates of our program have pursued diverse paths, including roles as clinician educators and leaders in private or institutional practice.

We are proud of the robust, dynamic training experience our fellowship provides and invite you to reach out with any questions or for further information. We look forward to welcoming the next generation of endocrinologists.

Shobana Athimulam, M.D, FACE
Program Director

Mission

The mission of the Henry Ford Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Fellowship is to train highly motivated physicians to become exceptional clinicians, equipped with comprehensive expertise across all areas of endocrinology. Our program emphasizes culturally competent care for a diverse patient population, fosters a commitment to lifelong learning, and encourages ongoing scholarly activity. Graduates are well-prepared to pursue successful careers in either academic medicine or private practice.