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Gastroenterology Fellowship Program
PHILOSOPHYThe Indiana University School of Medicine established Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition as an independent discipline in 1969 under the direction of Dr. Joseph F. Fitzgerald. It was one of the first pediatric GI programs in the U.S.A. Subspecialty board certification was not instituted until 1990. The fellowship training program is ACGME-accredited and designed to prepare outstanding physicians to be excellent clinicians, with emphasis on an academic career. We strive to educate young physicians in the provision of care to children with thoughtfulness and compassion, along with unsurpassed expertise in the field of gastroenterology. Clinical and bench research are integrated into the training program to promote the trainee’s preparation for active participation in the academics. GOALSThe goal of our program is to provide a complete clinical experience in all areas of pediatric gastroenterology that will provide the resident fellow with the skills on which to build a career in patient care, research and teaching. The resident fellow will become proficient in all of the procedures that are employed in the evaluation and management of the patient with dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract, liver or pancreas. The resident fellow will also develop experience in nutritional assessment and in the design of enteral and parenteral nutritional rehabilitation options during the fellowship program. Time will be allotted during all three years of the training program for the development of clinical and bench research skills. Finally, the resident fellow will participate in the preparation and presentation of clinical observations and data generated by well-designed research protocols. The resident fellow will be an active participant in the generation of manuscripts for publication. CLINICAL ACTIVITIESYear l: The resident fellow is on the clinical service for 6 of the 12 months. During this period he/she oversees the performance of the pediatric house officers and students in the management of all inpatients. He/She will participate in inpatient consultations and complete inpatient endoscopic procedures while on the clinical service. He/She will conduct his/her own continuity clinic once a week and attend 1-2 half-day outpatient GI clinics per week throughout the duration of the fellowship training. Additional months are spent in the Department of Radiology, in the Department of Surgical Pathology, with the Division of Pediatric Surgery and with the Department of Nutrition as core building months. The first year fellow is encouraged to enroll in the Molecular Biology Course taught by the faculty members of the Division of Molecular Pathology during the final month of his/her first year of training. One month during the first year is a true elective month which can be spent in research or in manuscript preparation. GI/Pathology Conferences are conducted weekly. Fellows’ Book Club, Faculty Didactic Sessions, and GI/General Surgery/Radiology Conferences are held once each month. Morbidity and Mortality Conference is held quarterly. Year 2: The resident fellow is on the clinical service for 4 of the 12 months. Two additional core assignments include months spent on the Hepatology Service and with the adult GI Endoscopy Service. The resident fellow attends the Hepatology Clinics and both pediatric and adult Liver Transplant Clinics while on the Hepatology Service. He/She will also attend the weekly Liver Transplant Meeting during that month. The remaining six months are devoted to academic growth in clinical or bench research areas. The fellow will attend two half-day outpatient clinics per week during these months. The second year fellow has the option of attending one Endoscopy Clinic per month during his/her research months in order to maintain endoscopy skills. Year 3: Two of the twelve months are spent on the clinical service at the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children. The remaining ten months will be solely devoted to the continuation of clinical and bench research activities. The fellow will attend two half-day outpatient clinics per week during these months. He/She will be provided the opportunity to attend one Endoscopy Clinic per month to maintain endoscopy skills. The fellows have out of hospital call responsibilities during all three fellowship years. The call responsibilities are equally divided among the fellows. Year 4 (Hepatology): The Pediatric GI/Hepatology Section occasionally accepts a 4th year fellow devoted to hepatology/transplant training. RESEARCHOpportunities for educational, clinical, and bench research abound in our division. Major research activities currently conducted by the Pediatric Gastroenterology faculty and fellows include clinical trials on reflux esophagitis, non-reflux eosinophilic esophagitis, inflammatory bowel disease, esophageal pH monitoring, G.I. motility, hepatitis B and C, enteral nutrition and steatohepatitis. We will support the resident fellow who demonstrates a strong interest in bench research in other G.I. related topics by sending him/her to the appropriate scientific research facility on-campus or in the vicinity. Junior fellows are encouraged to participate in ongoing research activities in preparation for developing their own research interests as senior fellows. A monthly Research Conference allows for discussion of new research ideas and evaluation of the progress of the ongoing studies. All are encouraged to present research data at national scientific meetings and generate manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals. In the academic year 2006-2007, two of our fellows presented their research data at 3 national meetings: Digestive Disease Week (DDW), North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) Annual Meeting and American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Annual Meeting. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMSThe resident fellow experiences scheduled educational activities in addition to the teaching at the outpatient clinics, inpatient wards and endoscopy suites. Monthly Fellow’s Conference with assigned faculty allows informal discussion of selected clinical topics. A Book Club, where textbook chapters are systematically reviewed with the faculty, is conducted by a resident fellow monthly. Interesting case histories and radiologic findings are presented and management discussed at the monthly Multidisciplinary GI/Pediatric Surgery/Radiology Conference. The weekly Pathology Conference allows the resident fellow to correlate clinical and endoscopic findings with histopathologic diagnoses. Experts in other fields of Pediatrics and Medicine are invited for small group discussions of pertinent topics. Pediatric Grand Rounds are held every Wednesday and “Art of Medicine” conferences are conducted by the Department of Pediatrics twice a month. The fellows are required to attend courses in Research Methods, Grant-Writing, Molecular Biology and Biostatistics conducted by Indiana University faculty. The strength of our educational program is reflected in our fellows’ pediatric GI in-service exam scores which were above the national mean since 2002. The resident fellow has the opportunity to teach house staff and medical students during clinical rounds, scheduled Pediatric GI lectures and during Pediatric Morning Report. Indiana University has been funded by the National Institute of Health through a K-30 grant to develop and implement the Clinical Investigator Training Enhancement (CITE) program. This provides the interested resident fellow an opportunity to complete a two-year formal clinical research curriculum, at the end of which a Master of Science in Clinical Research degree will be awarded. Training in Clinical Pharmacology is also available. BENEFITSSalary and standard benefits are determined by university policy and include medical, dental and malpractice insurance. The resident fellow is allowed four weeks of paid vacation annually. A yearly allowance is available to cover educational expenses including participation at regional or national conferences. Childcare for infants and children is available on campus. FACULTYThe section of Pediatric Gastroenterology currently includes nine subspecialty board-certified faculty members of the Pediatrics Department of Indiana University School of Medicine. All are well-published and active members of national and international pediatric and adult gastroenterology organizations. Dr. Joseph F. Fitzgerald is one of the pioneers in Pediatric Gastroenterology. He is an excellent clinician, teacher and mentor. He was the recipient of the 2002 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy “Master Endoscopist Award”, the American College of Gastroenterology “Master Award”, the 2003 American Gastroenterological Association “Distinguished Clinician Award” and the 2003 North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition “Distinguished Service Award”. All of the faculty are well-respected experts in the field with special interests in specific areas of gastroenterology. Dr. Jean P. Molleston is the Section Chief and she has received multiple teaching awards. She conducts funded research of NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) and hepatitis C diseases. She is a Certified Transplant Hepatologist and directs the Pediatric Liver Program. Dr. Mark R. Corkins conducts research on nutrition. Dr. Joseph M. Croffie’s clinical and research expertise is in pediatric gastrointestinal motility disorders and biofeedback treatment of constipation. Dr. Sandeep K. Gupta conducts research on the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux and eosinophilic esophagitis. Dr. Marian D. Pfefferkorn is the Fellowship Training Director. Her main clinical and research focus is inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Joel D. Lim’s interests are short gut and small bowel transplantation. Dr. Steven J. Steiner studies protein metabolism as it relates to Crohn’s disease and other disease states. Dr. Girish Subbarao is a Certified Transplant Hepatologist and serves as Medical Director of the Pediatric Liver Transplantation Program. LIVING IN INDIANAPOLISIndianapolis is the nation’s twelfth largest city. With a metropolitan population of over one million people, Indianapolis offers the advantages of a city with a diverse, thriving economy combined with “Hoosier Hospitality”. The downtown area has become a focal point of the city with the 1996 opening of Circle Centre, a downtown shopping mall and entertainment complex. Downtown landmarks include the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, the Indiana Repertory Theater, the Indianapolis Zoo in White River State Park, the NCAA headquarters, and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art. Sometimes termed the “Amateur Sports Capital of the World”; the city has hosted the Pan American Games, the National Swimming and Diving Championships, the RCA Hardcourt Tennis Championships, the World Gymnastics Championship and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four Championship along with many other sporting events. Professional teams include the Indiana Pacers of the NBA and the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL. The Triple-A Indianapolis Indians play baseball in Victory Field, a new downtown stadium. CHL Indianapolis Ice games are available to hockey fans. Professional soccer is represented by the Indianapolis Twisters. Indianapolis is considered the “Automobile Racing Capitol of the World”. In addition to the Indianapolis 500 race held each May, the National Hot Rod Association’s US Nationals and the Brickyard 400 NASCAR races are held here yearly. The Indiana University Natatorium, site of the 1996 Olympic swimming and diving trials, is conveniently located near the IUSOM campus. Big Ten Conference athletics at Indiana University and Purdue University are within an hour’s drive. Recreational possibilities abound at Eagle Creek Park which offers biking, sailing, swimming, fishing and cross-country skiing. Two major tennis complexes and over 30 public golf courses are conveniently located throughout the city. The world’s largest Children’s Museum features numerous exhibits for kids of all ages. Cultural events are offered at Clowes Hall on the Butler University campus, at Deer Creek Music Center, at the restored Murat Theater and at the Circle Theater, home of the well-endowed Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. The Indianapolis Museum of Art is the seventh largest in the U.S. Other cultural activities include dance and opera companies, professional and amateur theater, jazz clubs, comedy clubs, and art leagues and galleries. Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) offers 170 degree programs. Part-time or graduate students can complete studies here or at other local universities such as Butler University, the University of Indianapolis or Marian College. The city also has a variety of public, private and parochial schools to meet the educational needs of family members. There are affordable new and renovated apartment complexes downtown and in neighborhoods near Eagle Creek Park, as well as at other locations within 20 minutes of the hospitals. House rentals are also available. Housing costs are reasonable and many resident fellows find they can purchase a home. Childcare is available on campus. These are only some of the attractions which make Indianapolis an ideal place to live. The facilities and resources are typical of those of a large city, but without the crowding, congestion and other problems that have troubled many large cities. The people of Indianapolis are friendly. They are proud of their community and treasure it as a great city in which to live, work, play and raise a family. APPLICATIONSPhysicians who are in residency training in a program accredited by the American Board of Pediatrics and/or who will be eligible for board certification may apply. A completed application form including three letters of recommendation from physicians familiar with the applicant’s graduate training (including one letter from the Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology), official medical school transcript, medical school diploma, curriculum vitae and a personal statement must be received before consideration for interview. International medical graduates should submit their ECFMG certificate, National Board scores and visa information. A J-1 visa (or better) is required by Indiana University. Further information and application forms may be requested from Vicki Haviland, 702 Barnhill Drive, Room ROC 4210, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5225; Office (317) 274-9610; Fax (317) 274-8521; e-mail: vhavilan@iupui.edu.
(GI Fellowship Brochure) Click here to view the complete fellowship brochure. |
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