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Gastroenterology Fellowship Program            

The Gastroenterology Fellowship Program at The Western Pennsylvania Hospital is a three year program with the purpose and goal to produce highly trained gastroenterology consultants who are skilled in all of the major endoscopic procedures. The program is an integral part of the internal medicine training program and the overall graduate education mission of The Western Pennsylvania Hospital, which includes training programs in the departments of surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, family practice, and radiology.


Program Overview

The Western Pennsylvania Hospital serves as the primary training site for the Gastroenterology Fellowship Program. The GI fellow begins his/her training with an in-depth study of the spectrum of gastrointestinal diseases and learning to perform routine endoscopic procedures. The wide range of digestive disease disorders in patients seen at the Hospital and the more than 4,000 major endoscopic procedures performed yearly in the Gastrointestinal Laboratory allow the GI fellow to acquire the knowledge and skills of a gastroenterology consultant in the first two years of training. In the third year of training, the GI fellow concentrates on individual areas of interest such as advanced training in interventional and therapeutic endoscopy, advanced study of liver diseases, or advanced clinical research.

The interaction of the GI fellow with other subspecialty fellows and residents from the departments of medicine, surgery, radiology, obstetrics and gynecology, and family medicine and with medical students enables the GI fellow to develop those skills necessary for a subspecialty consultant to interact with his fellow physicians to provide comprehensive patient care. These interactions also enable the GI fellow to develop skills as a teacher and educator, not only of fellow physicians and healthcare personnel, but also of the community.

Resident Rotations

Year One Number of Months
GI Teaching Service 11 months
GI Radiology 1 month

Year Two

Number of Months
GI Teaching Service 7 months
Liver Transplant 2 months
GI Pediatrics 1 month
Research 2 months

Year Three

Number of Months
Advanced Endoscopic Biliary Disease 8 months
Research 4 months

Gastrointestinal Laboratory
The GI lab at The Western Pennsylvania Hospital is a well-equipped facility in which patients may undergo routine procedures or highly technical procedures such as interventional endoscopy, esophageal motility or 24 hour pH studies, endoscopic ultrasound, or YAG laser treatment.

External Rotations
The senior GI fellow serves two rotations outside The Western Pennsylvania Hospital. The first is a two-month rotation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, specifically in liver transplant medicine. The second is a one-month rotation at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh in pediatric gastroenterology.

Conferences
Academic interaction in the form of lectures and conferences is a critical component of developing a strong foundation of knowledge of the pathophysiology of digestive diseases. GI fellows are expected to participate in a monthly journal club and GI conference. Combined GI/Radiology and GI/Surgery conferences are offered, and a GI liver pathology conference is held monthly. In addition, visiting professors present the latest information on basic science and pathophysiology of gastrointestinal diseases.


The Western Pennsylvania Hospital GI fellows participate in the annual Intracity Fellowship Rounds. At this program, each of the four hospital centers with GI fellowships presents a program of interesting cases for discussion. The Intracity Fellowship Rounds program is well attended by members of the GI community in the Pittsburgh and Allegheny County area. Research - There is ample opportunity for the GI fellow to engage in meaningful clinical research. This has led to local and national presentations and numerous published articles. The Western Pennsylvania Hospital participates in a liver disease research program that focuses on protocols for treating chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C. In addition, there are clinical trials regarding treatment of IBS and IBD patients.

 

Application Information

The Gastroenterology fellowship program only accepts applications through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).  Once the application is completed our staff reviews the application and applies the specific criteria that we use for granting interviews. Personal interviews are by invitation only and are required for acceptance to our program. Deadline for applying to our fellowship program is December 31, 2006. Applications are now being accepted for the 2008-2009 academic year.

ERAS

  • Completed Application Includes:

    • Completed application including photograph
    • Dean's Letter
    • Medical School Transcript
    • USMLE Scores
    • Letter of recommendation from the Internal Medicine Residency Program Director
    • One letter of recommendation from a Gastroenterologist
    • ECFMG certificate (International Graduates Only)
    • Copy of Visa (International Graduates Only)
    • Internal Medicine Residency Completion Certificate (upon entering program)

Interviews:

If you have any other questions regarding our program, the application process, or the status of your application, please contact Rose Santonastaso (412) 578-6929 or (800) 545-4WPH or E-mail her at: rsantona@wpahs.org


Recommended Places to Stay:

The Western Pennsylvania Hospital has an agreement with the Shadyside Inn which is less than 1 mile from the Hospital at $79.00/night. Please be sure to mention The Western Pennsylvania Hospital (use code # 6054SF-1) when booking your room. The other recommended Hotel is the Marriott Courtyard with a special interviewing rate at $109.00/night.  Both hotels provide shuttle service to and from The Western Pennsylvania Hospital.

Thank you for your interest in our Gastroenterology Fellowship Program

 

Peter J. Molloy, M.D.
Program Director, Gastroenterology Fellowship Director

The Western Pennsylvania Hospital
Department of Medicine

4800 Friendship Avenue, 2800 NT
Pittsburgh PA 15224
(412) 578-6929 or 1-800-545-4WPH