Breastfeeding Fellowship

The LILAC Fellowship

What is "Lessons in Lactation Advanced Curriculum" (LILAC)?

LILAC is a 2-year fellowship-level curriculum for post-residency physicians and providers who would like to practice full-scope Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine with competence and confidence!

Why LILAC Was Created

We created LILAC in response to the lack of provider-level training in Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine (BFLM). Without a pathway, learners with an interest in BFLM are left to collect education credits from a variety of conferences and online sources that don’t necessarily fit together, result in understanding all aspects of the field, or create confidence in practice.

What is the Value of a Fellowship in BFLM?

More medical providers of all types are stepping into breastfeeding and lactation support. Some will, and most won't, have any comprehensive learning to support their work. As a specialty involving at least 2 patients in a dynamic interplay with several organ systems, the complexity of caring for this population cannot be understated. Fellows will not only excel in the care of these patients, but their medical systems will feel confident in their providers' skills, recruit patients to their health systems by offering this brand-new subspecialty, and expand billing to support their work.

Why URMC is Uniquely Suited to Provide Lessons in Lactation Advanced Curriculum (LILAC)

We are the first and only fellowship site for Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine in the world! The University of Rochester has graduated the only 2 formal fellows in this field, and has unique experience in educating advanced medical learners in this area. Faculty practice full-scope inpatient and outpatient Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine in an interprofessional setting. The Teachers College of Columbia University has provided expertise in nutrition education to deliver content in the most up-to-date interactive methods with a focus on online adult-learning principles.

Does URMC Offer Accreditation in Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine?

There is currently no accrediting pathway for fellowships in Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine. This program covers the content of comprehensive competencies documents. The core faculty is involved with efforts to develop accrediting pathways, and intends to meet all future requirements for certification.

Will CMEs/L-CERPs Be Provided?

Yes. CME and L-CERPs are offered for first week introduction lessons and our module lessons.

Requirements

This curriculum was created for post-residency physicians and advanced learners of other types (CNM, NP, PA). Most providers will come from the fields of pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, family medicine and preventive medicine, but other fields are not necessarily excluded.

Who are the Module Authors?

As a long-time leader in the field, many of the authors are from the University of Rochester. The fellowship director, Dr. Casey Rosen-Carole, is a fellowship-trained physician in Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine and a Fellow of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. For the other modules, we are pleased to partner with leading experts in their content area to provide the most up to date information on each topic.

Modules and Authors (not in order)

Each module includes background readings, a high-level expert video and a clinical skill to master with one’s clinical mentor. The 1.5h online class time will include a learner case presentation, discussion with expert(s), activities depending on the topic, and fellow QI/research updates.

• Bioactive Components in Human Milk Dr. Bridget Young, URMC, NY
• Breastsleeping, bed sharing and sleep safety Dr. Lori Feldman-Winter, Cooper University Health, NJ
• Allergic GI disorders and management of infant food allergies Drs. Kirsi Jarvinen-Seppo and Amy Burris, URMC, NY
• Contraception and Lactation Dr. Sarah Betstadt, URMC, NY and Dr. Cheryl Godcharles, USF, FL
• Substance Use Disorders and legalized drugs Dr. Maya Bunik, University of Colorado, CO
• Cultural Competency and Communication Ms. Nekisha Killings, Lioness Lactation and Melanated Mammary Atlas
• Postpartum Mood Disorders Ms. Michele Burtner, CNM, URMC, NY
• Medications in Lactatio Dr. Rogelio Perez, MotherToBaby, URMC, NY
• Donor Milk Dr. Maryanne Perrin, UNC Greensboro, NC
• Ankyloglossia Dr. Margo McKenna, URMC, NY
• Breast Disorders Dr. Rachel Yang, UCSF, CA
• Breastfeeding and Lactation for Sick Infants Dr. Catherine Krafft, URMC, NY and Dr. Misty Virmani, UAMS, AR
• Pumps and Milk Expression Lisa Anders, PhD, UNC, NC
• Medical Conditions in Mothers and Lactating Parents Dr. Pamela Berens, UT Houston, Tx
• Advocacy and Research Guest: Dr. Ann Dozier, URMC, NY
• Billing and practice management Dr. Karen Bodnar, Inova Childrens, VA
• Education in Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine Dr. Casey Rosen-Carole, URMC, NY
• Skin to Skin and Nurturescience Dr. Dani Dumitriu, Columbia University, NY

How to Use the Curriculum

Step 1: Identify a Clinical and Research Mentor

Fellows are required to identify their own clinical and scholarly mentor. This person should have experience in breastfeeding and lactation medicine, and be able to devote at least 2 hours per month to reviewing cases and advancing the fellow’s scholarly work. A mentor’s letter of support is required for the application, and should describe: the mentor's location of practice, background and experience in breastfeeding and lactation medicine; their assessment of the applicant’s abilities, qualities and strengths in this field of practice; and their commitment to providing the applicant with mentorship on clinical cases and scholarly work.

Learn about the important role of mentors and how they enhance the program. If you are having trouble identifying a clinical mentor, please reach out to us at: casey_rosen-carole@urmc.rochester.edu and kaitlyn_doud@urmc.rochester.edu.

Step 2: Purchase the Curriculum

Individuals or institutions may purchase the curriculum. The curriculum includes all learning materials, including library access, devices, logs and evaluations, and a mentorship stipend.

$6500 USD for Category 1 and Category 2, and $1000 for Category 3 countries.

Please see Step 2.5 below to determine in which Category your country of practice resides. Need-based scholarships are available, please request an application.

Purchase the Curriculum Here
 

Step 2.5: In What Payment Category is your Country of Practice?

Countries in Category 1: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and The United States / Puerto Rico

Countries in Category 2: Andorra, Austria, Bahamas, Brunei, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kuwait, New Zealand, San Marino and Spain

Countries in Category 3: Abkhazia, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua/Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo-Kinshasa, Congo-Brazzaville, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea (North & South), Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Macedonia (FYROM), Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nagorno-Karabakh, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Cyprus, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Somaliland, South Africa, South Ossetia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Taiwan, Province of China, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Transnistria, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Step 3: Complete the Work

Didactic work: There are 18 modules with background readings, an expert video and assessments. Modules are each month with the exception of December and June. Time taken to complete modules varies. On average, modules take fellows 4 hours to complete. Class time associated with each module is 1.5 hours per month. Every 6 months, the fellow and mentor will have a 30 minute SOC (Scholarship Oversight Committee) meeting with the LILAC faculty to review progress.

Clinical work: Fellows should have the ability to work towards 1000 clinical hours over 2 years (average of 10 hours per week), and the ability to obtain specific clinical skills including frenotomy. Because we practice in a growing field with limited resources, completion of 1000 hours is not always achievable. Therefore, at this time it is a goal and not a requirement for graduation.

Scholarship project: Fellows are required to complete a LILAC-specific project in the 2 years of the fellowship. This can be a research, quality improvement or advocacy project. The goal of the project is to systematically and academically approach a topic and end with a product (e.g. a paper, poster, presentation, or program evaluation). To support this goal, we hold a monthly 1 hour research seminar.

 

Important Dates for the Fellowship Class of 2024-2026

First week workshop: July 8–12, 9 a.m.–5:00 p.m. US EST

Seminar Dates:
7/8/24–7/12/24, 8/8/24, 9/12/24, 10/10/24, 11/21/24, 1/9/25, 2/13/25, 3/13/25, 4/10/25, 5/8/25, 6/12/2025, 8/14/25, 9/11/25, 10/9/25, 11/21/25, 1/8/26, 2/12/26, 3/12/26, 4/9/26, 5/7/26, 6/12/26, 6/19/26 (graduation)

Important Dates for the Fellowship Class of 2025-2027

First week workshop: July 7–11, 2025, 9 a.m.–5:00 p.m. US EST

Seminar Dates:
7/7/25–7/11/25, 8/14/25, 9/11/25, 10/9/25, 11/21/25, 1/8/26, 2/12/26, 3/12/26, 4/9/26, 5/7/26, 6/12/26, First week Class of 2028: 7/13/26–7/17/26, 8/13/26, 9/10/26, 10/8/26, 11/12/26, 1/14/27, 2/11/27, 3/11/27, 4/8/27, 5/13/27, 6/10/27, 6/17/27 (graduation)