The American Society of Hematology (ASH) strongly believes in training the next generation of hematologists and offers a variety of scholarships, programs, and other resources to help trainees succeed. Whether you are a medical student, graduate student, resident, or fellow, ASH has opportunities to help you on your hematology journey — read on to learn more!
ASH Membership
Fellows in training can apply to become Associate Members of ASH at a deeply discounted rate to stay up to date on the latest ASH news and opportunities and access members-only resources, including ASH publications, podcasts, webinars, recordings of previous annual meetings, and the Consult-a-Colleague program. In addition, ASH offers free membership to medical students, graduate students, and residents who want to gain access to these benefits.
ASH Trainee Council
The ASH Trainee Council provides hematology trainees the opportunity to meet on a quarterly basis to advocate for issues that impact trainees and to represent their educational needs to ASH leadership. Additionally, participants help develop recruitment and retention strategies for the next generation of hematologists, organize ASH-a-Palooza and other trainee events at the ASH annual meeting, and support other ASH programs for trainees, such as the Hematology Review Series.
Hematopoiesis
Hematopoiesis is a quarterly newsletter written for trainees by trainees that covers the latest ASH trainee resources, opportunities in the field, and tips for success from the rising generation of hematologists. The newsletter is also accompanied by a podcast that is produced and curated by the ASH Trainee Council.
ASH-a-Palooza
It’s never too soon to look forward to the annual meeting’s ASH-a-Palooza, a medley of micro-learning, mentorship, networking, and more! Participants can attend ASH Talks and Blood Drop micro-learning sessions, explore interactive booths, sign up for a one-on-one Blood Buddy mentoring session with a faculty member, and mingle at the Trainee Welcome Reception.
Online Educational Resources
- Hematology Course Learning Objectives: Though these objectives are designed to aid hematology course directors in curriculum development for second-year medical students, they can also be used by students to prepare for the hematology sections of the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam.
- ASH Image Bank: This online image library offers a comprehensive collection of high-quality, peer-reviewed images relating to a wide range of hematologic topics.
- Blood Detectives: This documentary — available on YouTube — focuses on hematologists’ work and offers valuable insights on diseases and conditions such as leukemia, blood clots, sickle cell disease, and more.
- ASH Teaching Cases: These interactive resources are designed to simulate the steps involved in diagnosing patients and cover topics such as bleeding disorders, transplant and cellular therapy, and lymphoproliferative disorders.
Awards and Training Programs
- Abstract Achievement Awards: Each year, ASH offers merit-based awards to select trainees who are presenting their work at the annual meeting. Awards include the Abstract Achievement Awards for trainees with high-scoring abstracts, the Outstanding Abstract Achievement Awards for trainees with the highest scoring abstract in each category, and other field-specific honors, including the Mary Rodes Gibson Memorial Award in Hemostasis and Thrombosis, ASH-IPIG Abstract Achievement Award for Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria, and more.
- Medical Student, Resident, and Graduate Student Awards: ASH offers short- and long-term opportunities for aspiring hematologists in medical school or residency to conduct research under the supervision of ASH member mentors. Opportunities include the new ASH Graduate Hematology Award and the ASH Medical Student Physician-Scientist Award, both with application cycles that open in September. Additionally, ASH offers an unbroken pathway of career development awards — starting at the trainee level and extending through academic leadership — intended to help foster an inclusive hematology workforce that reflects the diversity of our society at large.
- Hematology-Focused Fellowship Training Program: ASH has invested $19 million to fund 10 new classical hematology-focused fellowship tracks within existing hematology/oncology programs at nine institutions across the U.S. to increase the number of opportunities for trainees interested in a career focused on classical hematology. Awardees will benefit from a comprehensive and innovative curriculum in classical hematology, in addition to stipends for visiting rotation, attendance at the ASH annual meeting, and scholarly research. Visit hematology.org/education/educators to learn more about participating institutions. Applications are now open.
- Training Programs: ASH offers training programs that allow for in-depth, collaborative study of specific topics to help advance one’s hematology career. Among the many programs available are the ASH Clinical Research Training Institute, which provides education and mentorship on clinical research methods, research collaborations, statistical analysis, and balancing a career and family, and the ASH-European Hematology Association (EHA) Translational Research Training in Hematology program, a year-long training and mentoring experience focused on helping early-stage researchers in North America and Europe gain the tools necessary to build successful careers in blood-related translational research.
- Early-Career Investigator Awards: ASH offers multiple funding opportunities for early- to mid-career hematologists. Opportunities include the ASH-Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program (AMFDP) Award, a four-year postdoctoral research grant for scholars from backgrounds historically underrepresented in medicine; the ASH Global Research Award, which supports future international leaders in hematology in between completion of training and establishment of their careers; and others.
“Every trainee I have spoken with who has engaged with ASH shared a common takeaway,” said Maya Abdallah, MD, assistant professor of hematology and medical oncology at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine who recently completed her term as chair of the ASH Trainee Council. “They developed strong professional networks and meaningful connections. Building a network is instrumental to one’s success, and we can never start building it too early.”
Dr. Abdallah also shared that the ASH Trainee Council is now “working on improving representation of international medical graduates in ASH’s many trainee-directed initiatives,” and added that another project will be announced soon, hopefully by the 2024 ASH annual meeting.
For more information on all of ASH’s trainee resources and how to get involved, visit hematology.org/education/trainees.