About the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program

Welcome to the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship training program website. The Division of Hematology-Oncology and Palliative Care at the VCU School of Medicine offers a one-year fellowship training program in hospice and palliative medicine (HPM). Our fellowship program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.  There is an additional year of training for select candidates who have successfully completed the one year fellowship available through the advanced hospice and palliative medicine academic/research track.

The HPM fellows will receive comprehensive training through direct patient care in a variety of settings in the VCU Health System (VCUHS) and the Central Virginia VA Health Care System. These opportunities include an up-stream inpatient palliative care unit at VCU, a well-established inpatient hospice at the VA, robust inpatient consultation services at both hospitals, and ample ambulatory opportunities in the VCU supportive care clinics. The VCU Medical Center is a large 1,125-bed tertiary referral center with a full complement of outpatient clinics, and the Central Virginia VA Health Care System is a 399-bed tertiary VA hospital that provides comprehensive outpatient, acute inpatient, and long-term care for veterans. In addition to the opportunities provided at VCU and the VA, HPM fellows will engage in rich community hospice experiences with local hospices.

During their training, fellows are required to participate in scholarly activity and will be provided with mentorship, resources and protected time for these endeavors. Fellows are also directly involved in education of medical students, residents, and fellows.

Vacation Time
Each fellow is allowed three weeks of vacation time per year.

Night Coverage
Palliative fellows do not take any in-house call. Fellows will take call from home for palliative patients intermittently throughout the course of the year with an attending physician for back-up, supervision and escalation.

GME Resident & Fellow Well-Being
Graduate Medical Education training is not easy. With the GME Physician Well-being program, we first and foremost assert our commitment to your well-being, resilience and all aspects of a healthy lifestyle. VCU and VCUHealth are dedicated to ensuring that you have the tools you need to be your best. (Learn more)

All About VCU, VCUHealth, and RVA
First things first. We fondly refer to Richmond as RVA.  People love this city because it’s awesome. And Virginia Commonwealth University is in the middle of it all.  Learn more about VCU, VCUHealth, and RVA!

• Daniel Cannone, DO
• Anita Kuzhiyil, MD
• Meghan Townsend, DO
• James O’Connor, MD
• Sudeep Pandey, MD- Fellowship Program Director
• Emily Rivet, MD
• Ruchir Shah, MD - Medical Director, Hospice & Palliative Care at VAMC
  

Interdiscplinary Faculty

• Beth McNeil, RN, Program Manager
• Amy Owens, Palliative Care Unit Manager
• Naomi Kiragu Blakey, Palliative Care Unit Clinician
• Hope Coley, Palliative Care Nurse Navigator
• Jennifer Mouton, Palliative Care Nurse Navigator
• Candace Blades, Advance Care Planning Manager
• Kerri Anderson, Palliative Care Social Worker
• Jason Callahan, Palliative Care Chaplain
• Bart Bobb, Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner
• Brenna McCarty, Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner

Class of 2025

Kristine Landrian, DO 
Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine – Virginia Campus 
Residency: WakeMed Health and Hospitals

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Eligibility Requirements

Applicants for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Training Program must be graduates of an ACGME-accredited residency program in one of the following specialties: Internal Medicine, Radiation Oncology, Psychiatry, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Emergency Medicine, Anesthesiology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, General Surgery, Family Medicine and Neurology. Physicians from other specialties such as Radiology and Pathology may be considered on an individual basis.

How to Apply

The Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship training program at VCU is a participant in the NRMP Match. All applications will be accepted through Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and follow ERAS deadlines.

Required Documentation

• Application
• Curriculum Vitae
• USMLE score reports
• Medical School transcripts
• A personal statement
• An evaluation from your program director
• 3 letters of recommendation
• A photograph

If applicable, please provide the following:

• A notarized copy of your ECFMG certificate
• A notarized copy of your Medical School Diploma (with translation if necessary)
• Front and back of permanent residency card or IAP-66

Application Timeline

Interviews for the upcoming year will occur August-September 2025. 

Attention:  In support of our applicants, we will be flexible in providing virtual and on-site fellowship interview opportunities.  We understand that applicants may have restrictions on travel during this time.  Our interview schedule may change as we approach the late summer and fall. 

Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship
Department of Internal Medicine
Box 980230
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0230

Program Director

Sudeep Pandey, MD
Phone:  (804) 828-9723
Email: sudeep.pandey@vcuhealth.org

Program Coordinator

Karen Carr, MD
VCU School of Medicine
Department of Internal Medicine
Box 980509
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0509
Phone: (804) 828-1444
Email: imfellowships@vcuhealth.org

For training verification requests, please visit us at https://intmed.vcu.edu/education/verification/