The Preceptorial in Metabolic Bone Diseases, sponsored by the Endocrine Fellows Foundation, is conducted at the Columbia University Medical Center, Division of Endocrinology.  The faculty that will be conducting this Preceptorship in the Metabolic Bone Diseases Unit is comprised of Drs. John P. Bilezikian, Ethel S. Siris, Elizabeth Shane, Shonni J. Silverberg, Edward Guo, Mishaela Rubin, Aubrey Stoch, Allison Pack, Patricia Ducy, Stavroula Kousteni, Serge Cremers, Angela Carelli,Aline Costa, Tom Nickolas, Marcella Walker, Adi Cohen, Robert Lindsay, David Dempster, Felicia Cosman, Jeri Nieves, Ronald Staron, Donald McMahon, Stavroula Kousteni, Natalie Cusano, Wylie Hembree, Emily Stein, James Lee, Randy Yeh, and Michael Yin.

The faculty engages in a vigorous clinical research program as well as in an active practice. Their expertise extends also to more fundamental research initiatives in the mechanisms of calciotropic hormone action and bone cell biology.  Diagnostic and therapeutic approaches used by the group are on the cutting edge of the field, and in many instances, have been defined by their efforts.  These approaches include bone mass measurement techniques; application of calciotropic hormones and metabolic bone marker measurements to evaluation and therapy; bone biopsy with histomorphometric analysis (in collaboration with the Regional Bone Center of Helen Hayes Hospital, an affiliate of the Columbia University Medical Center), basic bone cell biology, transcriptional control of bone cell function and the most recent advances in the therapeutics of bone disorders. The Columbia Faculty at Helen Hayes Hospital includes Robert Lindsay, David Dempster, Felicia Cosman, and Jeri Nieves.

The fellows who are selected to participate in this program will gain experience in all these areas.  The discipline of clinical investigation will be introduced also with individual tutorials on protocol design, acquisition, and interpretation of data, and statistical testing.  Additionally, the preceptorial will consist of regular conferences replete with clinical case discussions, journal club, and research seminars.  The preceptorial will also emphasize heavily the clinical approach to the patient with metabolic bone disease. The diagnostic and therapeutic approach to a wide variety of clinical problems will be reviewed case by case with the fellow.  During the two-week training period, there will be many opportunities to have discussions with many members of the faculty.