Structure of the Gastroenterology Fellowship Training Program
at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia Campus

First Year
The first year of the training program is generally devoted to intensive clinical training in gastroenterology.

Inpatient: The majority of the first year is devoted to inpatient rotations in gastroenterology and hepatology. The majority of these rotations are served on the General GI Consult Service at New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia University Medical Center). Fellows may also spend a month each on the Nutrition Consult Service and the Liver Transplant Service. One month of vacation time is required.

Outpatient: All fellows attend weekly General GI Clinic. Patients seen in this clinic have a wide-range of digestive disorders. The fellows are responsible for following their own patients and for performing necessary procedures under the supervision of an attending physician.

Fellows also see patients in a weekly Liver Clinic. This clinic provides an intensive experience in outpatient hepatology.

Fellows see patients in the GI-High Risk Clinic on a rotational basis.

Interested fellows may also see patients in the Liver Transplant Clinic while rotating on the service.

Second and Third Years
The second and third years of the training program can, to a large degree be tailored to fit the interest of the individual fellow. A large majority of the time can be devoted to basic or clinical research under the supervision of a faculty mentor or mentors. Upon entering the second year, fellows still have some inpatient clinical requirements (seven months to be distributed over the remaining two years). These include time spent on the General GI Consult Service, Nutrition Service, Liver Transplant Service, and Interventional GI Service (biliary). The requirements can be adjusted to facilitate long blocks of time devoted to research. We are also able to adjust the schedule to allow for post-graduate course work. Additional rotations in IBD, Esophagus, Small Bowel Diseases are to be introduced.

The Division has been awarded a T32 grant from the NIH to support a revised fellowship program. The aim of this program is to promote the development of promising physician scientists (M.D. and M.D., Ph.D.) postdoctoral fellows as independent investigators and future university faculty members in the area of digestive and liver diseases.

Our GI fellowship program currently only accepts fellows with a serious interest in basic, clinical or translational research. This has resulted in a much stronger fellowship program and a very strong applicant pool for this proposed training program. Three recent trainees have spent productive time in basic science labs and two of our trainees are pursuing M.Sc. degrees and working with established investigators.

It is a major goal of our program that our trainees acquire a very broad view of research and are able to navigate the full landscape of translational research. In addition, we believe that fellows should be cross-trained, with some exposure to both basic and clinical research methodology, and that post-doctoral fellows pursuing primarily clinical research have rigorous training including a full master's program. Thus, it is our expectation that fellows in the clinical epidemiologic track obtain a M.Sc. or M.P.H. degree along with 1 or 2 courses in basic sciences. Fellows in the basic science track will be required take a course that covers epidemiology and biostatistics.

Trainees for the revised program will be identified during the fellowship interview process, based on their record of accomplishments and their expressed research interests. This will be solidified during the first year of clinical fellowship.

Procedural Training
Fellows acquire proficiency in all basic GI procedures by the end of the first year (EGD, esophageal dilatation, flexible sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, percutaneous liver biopsy, PEG, GI motility study, non-variceal hemostasis, variceal hemostasis).

During the second and third years, fellows become proficient in advanced techniques. Procedures include ERCP, biliary manometry, EUS, endoscopic mucosal resection, fine needle aspiration, stent placement for luminal strictures, PDT, laser therapy.


The "ideal applicant"
GI fellows must be eligible for certification by the ABIM, with the expectation that they pass the ABIM exam during the first year of fellowship. The candidate should have academic aspirations. Experience in the field is a plus. Research experience is almost a requirement. Our program is also attracted to a resident's clinical strength.

Application Requirements
All application material is to be submitted through ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service). We will also participate in the NRMP (National Residency Matching Program) Medical Specialty Matching Service (SMS). Applicants must register separately with NRMP to participate in the Specialty Matching Service. For fellowships beginning July 2011, the deadline for receipt of complete applications is December 31, 2009.

1.   Fill out all required ERAS application fields.
2.   Include your social security number.
3.   Your personal statement should summarize your career goals in gastroenterology and any prior relevant experience.
4.   Submit a recent photograph to ERAS (optional but preferred).
5.   Provide ERAS with three or four letters of recommendation: one from your residency program director (required)
      and two to three additional letters of support for your application.
6.   You do not have to submit USMLE transcripts.
7.   Graduates of International Medical Schools must be certified by the ECFMG. International medical graduates may apply to the       program and are advised that NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital will not petition or sponsor H visas. Only J visas will be supported.       Please note that neither New York-Presbyterian Hospital nor Columbia University Medical Center assumes responsibility for any       associated fees or expenses related to the petition.

Current Fellows 2009-2010

3rd year Fellows:
Susana Gonzalez, MD
Residency: NYPH-Columbia University Medical Center
Benjamin Lebwohl, MD
Residency: NYPH-Columbia University Medical Center
Elizabeth Verna, MD
Residency: NYPH-Columbia University Medical Center

2nd Year Fellows
Rupa Mukherjee, MD
Residency: Yale New Haven Hospital
Reem Sharaiha, MD
Residency: NYPH-Cornell University Medical Center
Jennifer Su Thompson, MD
Residency: Massachusetts General Hospital

1st Year Fellows
Juan Baez, MD, PhD
Residency: Montefiore Medical Center
Randy Longman, MD, PhD
Residency: NYPH-Columbia University Medical Center
Aimee Lucas, MD
Residency: NYPH-Columbia University Medical Center

Advanced Endoscopy Fellow:
Tamas Gonda, MD
GI Fellowship: NYPH-Columbia University Medical Center
Residency: NYPH-Cornell University Medical Center