Rheumatology

The Pediatric Rheumatology fellowship program at Floating Hospital for Children in Boston is one of the few Accredited Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited training programs in this specialty in the United States.

The program is devoted to preparing young people for careers in academic pediatric rheumatology. Established in 1995, the program has trained more than 20 fellows, many of whom now serve as division chiefs or department chairs throughout the United States.

Our training program is centered on the care of children with rheumatologic conditions, or diagnostic problems. Fellows may see patients eight clinic sessions per week at Floating Hospital, and four clinics sessions per month at the satellite offices in Chelmsford. The multi-disciplinary clinics are staffed by a pediatric rheumatology nurse and a social worker. Pediatric orthopedists, physiatrists and radiologists share the clinic space and are readily available for consultations. Inpatient care and consultation services are other important aspects of the training program. We have a large population of patients with childhood rheumatic diseases who come to us from all over New England and indeed from all over the world.

This program includes one year of intensive clinical training in pediatric rheumatology followed by two or more years of research training which can be either laboratory based bench research, translational research or clinical research depending on the preferences and planned carrier path of the fellow. We accept one new fellow per year.  

Fellows are expected to attend regular conferences, including weekly clinical and x-ray conference, immunology/rheumatology conference, and Journal Club. Attendance at regular pediatric conferences such as Morning Report, Grand Rounds, and Noon Conference are also encouraged. Fellows also attend regional, national, and international conferences in Pediatric and General Rheumatology.  

Pediatric rheumatology provides a very rewarding and interesting career opportunity. There is a great need for well-trained pediatricians in this field in the USA. 

The second and third years of fellowship focus on the research aspects of rheumatology. The research experience is supervised either combined with the Pediatric and Adult Rheumatology faculties, as some of our fellows were supported by a combined NIH training grant in the past.

Our fellows can apply to the Clinical Research Graduate Program, which is a well-established fellowship program in the Clinical Care Division of the Tufts Medical Center. Learn more about the Masters in Clinical Care Research program.

Rima Nawaf Mohammad Khasawneh, MB BS

Clinical Rheumatology Fellow
NPI: 1336456847

Specialties + Interests

Clinical specialties: General pediatrics, infectious diseases, rheumatology

Research focus: Educational research

Training + Certifications

Medical School: Jordan University of Science and Technology (Jordan)

Residency: Pediatric Residency at University of Kansas Medical Center (2010-2012); Pediatric Residency at Jordan University of Science and Technology (1999-2003)

Fellowship: Current Fellow in Pediatric Rheumatology (2015-2017); Fellowship in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at University of Nebraska Medical Center (2012-2015)

Board Certification(s): American Sub-board of Pediatric Infectious Diseases (2015); American Board of Pediatrics (2012); Certificate of the Arab Board of Pediatrics (CABP) (2006); Jordanian Medical Board in Pediatrics (JMBP) (2006)

Biography

I was born and raised in Jordan, attended medical school there with a life dream of becoming a pediatrician. I graduated from Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) and after a year of multispecialty internship, I joined the pediatric residency program at that University to fulfill my life’s dream- that is to become a pediatrician. Afterwards, I worked at many pediatric job positions in Jordan (private sector, hospitalist at the Jordanian Ministry of Health and primary care pediatrics at JUST Family Medicine Health Center before arriving to the United States in 2008. I did masters in Audiology at University of Kansas Medical Center at which I eventually joined the pediatric residency program. My ambitions took me to University of Nebraska Medical Center to do a fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases then brought me to Tufts Medical Center to pursue further training in pediatric rheumatology. My long and interesting journey in pediatric training has always been driven by a genuine passion for developing my precious pediatric career. Beside the clinical work, teaching has always been a major interest to me as well. I am a mother of two wonderful kids and a daughter of an amazing supportive mother. In my free time, I enjoy reading Arabic poem, listening to classical music and cooking. 

Contact Information