Pediatric Obesity Medicine Fellowship Program

Fellowship Program Director

Sarah Raatz, MD, MS
[email protected]

Fellowship Program Coordinator

Michelle Stepka
[email protected]
(612) 624-4912

Obesity is the most prevalent chronic disease affecting our youth. Effective management of childhood obesity, particularly severe obesity, requires specialized, multidisciplinary therapies including behavioral, pharmacological and surgical options. However, there are few medical providers who are competent in delivering such care because medical schools and residencies do not provide significant formal education in this topic. The Pediatric Obesity Medicine fellowship addresses this gap by providing comprehensive training in state-of-the-art treatment of childhood obesity for pediatricians seeking to work in this newly recognized specialty.

Pediatricians completing this fellowship will be able to sit for the American Board of Obesity Medicine certification examination. For interested fellows, when funding is available, a second year of training in obesity research may be an option during which time a Master’s of Clinical Research degree from the School of Public Health can be earned.

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We appreciate your interest in the University of Minnesota's Pediatric Obesity Medicine Fellowship Program and look forward to reviewing your application. Please feel free to contact the Program Director Sarah Raatz at [email protected], if you have any questions not answered here on the webpage.

Please Note:

The University of Minnesota demonstrates a commitment to leveraging the transformative power of equity and diversity to advance excellence in teaching, learning and community engagement. Applications from individuals who self-identify as members of underrepresented groups are particularly welcome.

The Pediatric Obesity Medicine fellowship is a one year clinical program with the option for a second year to pursue research and scholarly activity, as funding is available. The clinical year includes a combination of guided observation and shadowing, direct patient care under the supervision of an attending physician, and didactics. The fellow is directly supervised for the first 8 weeks of training with shared visits and observation of patient interactions and counseling. Once the fellow demonstrates competence in managing treatment protocols and various strategies, they begin to see patients independently with oversight provided by the assigned attending in the Pediatric Weight Management Clinic. In this setting, the fellow briefly discusses the case with the attending to review the assessment and plan. The level of responsibility gradually increases again after 8 weeks and proficiency will be demonstrated with many of the common case presentations.

With the first year of training focusing on clinical care to prepare and ensure eligibility for American Board of Obesity Medicine certification exam (need 500 hours of obesity training) the goal of the optional second year is to prepare the clinical researcher to independently execute a clinical research project. Research faculty are experts in the field of pediatric obesity medicine. The fellowship director and Center co-director, Dr. Claudia Fox, is a nationally recognized leader in the clinical management of severe pediatric obesity and Dr. Aaron Kelly, Center co-director, is an internationally recognized researcher in the treatment of severe pediatric obesity.

This page provides access to information on stipends and benefits for medical residents & fellows.

Additionally, each medical fellow receives:

  • Funding of the ABP General Pediatrics Certifying Exam
  • MN medical license
  • AAP membership with subspecialty section membership
Current Fellows
 A headshot of a smiling woman with long dark hair, wearing a brown top, against a dark background.

Silpa Nadella, MBBS
Fellowship Dates: 2025-2028
Medical School: Emory University School of Medicine
Residency: Deccan College of Medical Sciences
[email protected]

Faculty

Claudia Fox, MD, MPH
Program Director
[email protected]
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Aaron Kelly, PhD
Associate Program Director
[email protected]
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Eric Bomberg, MD, MAS
 

Carolyn Bramante, MD, MPH
Adult and Pediatric Obesity Specialist
[email protected]
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Amy Gross, PhD, LP, BCBA
Pediatric Obesity Medicine Psychologist
[email protected]
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Daniel Leslie, MD
Bariatric Surgeon
[email protected]
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Megan Oberle Bensignor, MD, MSHP
Pediatric Endocrinologist
[email protected]
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Shalamar Sibley, MD, MPH
Adult Endocrinologist
[email protected]
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Sarah Raatz, MD, MS
Assistant Professor, Fellowship Program Director
[email protected]
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Gail Turnberg, RN, CPNP
Nurse Practitioner
[email protected]