Like most industries, healthcare is experiencing a shortage of specialized doctors. In the hematology/oncology specialization, many physicians choose the more common of the two, oncology. Doctors who are trained in both also tend to be mostly exposed to oncology work during their fellowships rather than to hematology work where they see patients with rare bleeding disorders.

The number of hematology doctors across the U.S. is dwindling, and as a response to this shortage, Dr. Amy Shapiro and her team with Innovative Hematology/Indiana Hemophilia & Thrombosis Center (IHTC) in Indianapolis created the Partners Physician Academy – designed to support and accelerate career advancement of physicians in fellowship or early in their career working in a leadership role at a hemophilia treatment center. The exposure and training from experienced hematologists in this setting is the only program of its kind in the U.S.

Dr. Mukul Singal always wanted to be a cardiologist; he specifically did not want to be in hematology or oncology. During his fellowship in Rochester, New York, he was exposed to bleeding disorders through great mentors and learned of the Partners Physician Academy in 2022. He changed his mind and decided on hematology because of the mentorship he had and support from experts in the industry. After attending the Academy and completing his fellowship, he was offered a position with Innovative Hematology/IHTC, where he now serves as an adult hematologist.

Partners Physician Academy takes place in Indianapolis Sept. 23-27 with a new group of fellows, early career physicians, and the top hematology leaders across the country to try to reverse the trend of dwindling numbers of physicians entering the hematology practice.

Learn more about Partners Physician Academy >