Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship

The educational environment for our fellowship program is robust with a mixture of didactic lectures, case conferences, interactive multidisciplinary conferences, journal clubs, outside speaker conferences, and endoscopy/pathology review sessions. The weekly core curriculum is divided into sections based on the various areas of GI and Hepatology, with didactic, fellow-driven, and board review learning sessions. There is also a separate multidisciplinary conference dedicated to reviewing interesting endoscopy/pathology/radiology cases, esophageal disorders, and inflammatory bowel disease cases. The weekly GI faculty/fellow conference rotates between case conference, journal club, and outside expert speakers. The weekly Hepatology conference rotates between case discussions, pathology, journal club, research conference, and internal/external visiting speakers.

Clinical fellows participate in a three-year Gastroenterology and Hepatology fellowship program in either a clinical track, where the training emphasizes clinical patient care and research, or in a research track where the latter two years of the fellowship are devoted largely to either clinical (T32) or basic science research.  Our training model is one that emphasizes a respect for research diversity and enables a more comprehensive approach to study pathophysiology associated with gastrointestinal disorders.  Inter-disciplinary collaborative research opportunities are also available. Fellows are expected to publish their work in peer-reviewed journals as well as present their work at national meetings.

We offer state-of-the-art facilities in the heart of downtown Chicago at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago.  Northwestern has state-of-the-art GI endoscopy procedure rooms, inpatient and outpatient facilities, conference facilities and an electronic medical record for inpatient and outpatient encounters.  Fellows learn through clinical rotations, outpatient clinics, specialty electives and numerous educational conferences.

During their training, Gastroenterology/Hepatology fellows train in both gastroenterology and hepatology.  Trainees have a major role in the diagnosis and treatment of the full range of diseases/conditions of the GI tract and are given many opportunities to hone their endoscopic, diagnostic and therapeutic skills in order to prepare them for careers in academic medicine or private practice.

The typical 3 year Gastroenterology fellow rotates through several clinical rotations based on the year of training as well as interest of the fellow. The fellowship is generally divided by obtaining the essential core skills in the first 18 months and filling the gaps in knowledge, experience, and academic productivity in the remaining 18 months. In addition, clinics at the VA and Northwestern (GI and Hepatology) serve as the continuity clinics throughout the fellowship. The rotations and time spent in each are variable but are in general as follows:

General GI Consult Service (Northwestern): 4-6 months

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Inpatient/Outpatient Service: 3-4 months

Inpatient Hepatology Service: 4-6 months

Interventional Gastroenterology Service: 2-3 months

VA Endoscopy: 4-6 months

Research: 6-8 months

Hepatology Outpatient Subspecialty: 1-2 months

Gastroenterology Outpatient Subspecialty: 2-3 months

VA Consult Service: 1-2 months

In addition to the General GI track, we offer a number of modified tracks based on clinical and academic interest. They are as follows:

1) T32 Transplant Hepatology Research Track: 2^nd and 3^rd year with 25% clinical, 75% protected time for research and obtaining a Master Degree in Clinical Investigation at Northwestern

2) 3 year pilot Transplant Hepatology Track: 1^st 2 years in the General GI program, 3^rd year in Transplant Hepatology; Eventual ABIM certification in both GI and Transplant Hepatology

Finally, there are opportunities to pursue a 4^th year of additional training for those in the General GI track or Research tracks. These include areas such as nutrition, inflammatory bowel disease, transplant Hepatology, interventional gastroenterology, esophageal diseases, and basic science training.

Fellowships in Gastroenterology and Hepatology are offered to MDs who have completed at least two years of post-graduate training in internal medicine in an ACGME-accredited program. All applicants are expected to be board eligible in internal medicine when beginning the fellowship.  Applicants must be eligible for an unrestricted Illinois Medical License. International graduates must possess a valid ECFMG certificate and valid visa or permanent resident status.

The fellowship application process is through ERAS. Fellowship selection occurs after the interview process and takes place through the NRMP fellowship match program. 

When submitting an application through ERAS, please be sure to include the following documents in addition to the ERAS common application:

1. A current CV
2. A minimum of three letters of recommendation
3. Medical Student Performance Evaluation
4. Medical School Transcript
5. United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Score Transcript
6. Personal Statement

Housestaff training through McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University provides diverse and challenging clinical experiences and world-class education located in the heart of the beautiful city of Chicago. Learn more via the links to the McGaw website below.

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