The 3 year gastroenterology fellowship curriculum is designed to provide the fellow a well-rounded, cutting edge clinical and academic experience with the goal to become an expert clinical and scholarly gastroenterologist.
Emphasis in the first 18-27 months is placed on building fundamental skills and knowledge grounded in pathophysiology and core concepts to the depth expected of a tertiary consultant. Educational experiences are structured to allow for supervised independence, leading to full autonomy at a pace appropriate for the trainee. The process of becoming an independent, expert consultant occurs through a variety of learning environments, from traditional hospital based and outpatient clinic rotations to innovative multidisciplinary electives.
During the 3 year fellowship, fellows spend 9 months on the inpatient GI consult service, 6 months on the inpatient hepatology service, and 6+ months on outpatient endoscopy rotations. 5 months of training are focused on developing the knowledge and skills necessary to manage functional bowel diseases. Fellows participate in outpatient GI and hepatology continuity clinic one half day a week throughout the 3 years of training.
As the fellow matures into a junior attending, each is encouraged to adopt an area of focus within general or subspecialty gastroenterology/hepatology. As such, the curriculum provides flexibility to be tailored to the individual’s interests and career aspirations. 4-6 months of elective time over the second and third year may be tailored to the fellow’s curricular goals. The program director and faculty mentors work closely with each fellow to insure that their educational needs are being met throughout the training process.
Fellows are encouraged to explore themes that are of personal interest in a longitudinal fashion throughout the course of training. Critical thinking and participation in research and new discovery is expected. As such, 6 months are set aside for research over the course of 3 years. Self reflective learning and participation in quality improvement initiatives is emphasized in order to prepare fellows to be responsible clinicians and lifelong learners.
The curriculum is reviewed regularly to identify areas for innovation and improvement by the program evaluation committee (PEC), which fellows are an integral part of.
For more information, please review the complete curriculum (PDF).