The program is a three year Fellowship that emphasizes the development of experience and proficiency in clinical, investigative, and educational aspects of gastroenterology and hepatology. The structure of the program will be flexible so that trainees may equip themselves for a career as either clinical or investigative gastroenterologists. In general, the first year emphasizes the acquisition of basic skills in clinical gastroenterology and hepatology. The second and third years involve a continued role in patient care, with the balance of available time individualized toward the pursuit of specific research interests, either clinical or basic science oriented. Advanced endoscopic procedures will be stressed only after the first year. Medical-Surgical, Pathological, Radiology, Problem Case Management, G.I. Journal Club, and Research conferences are also held, primarily for the education of Fellows. At the present time, our gastroenterology and hepatology program will have a total of nine funded clinical fellowships (not per annum).
Training is conducted at University Hospital, the UNM Cancer Research and Treatment Center, and the Veteran's Administration Medical Center. Joint conferences, including a weekly division-wide GI clinical conference and a GI journal club, are regularly scheduled.
Fellowship Program Director, Martin G. Kistin, MD. |
This is a three-year program for the education and training of physicians seeking to qualify as American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) board-certified Gastroenterologists. Currently, there are nine positions, based at two hospitals, the University of New Mexico Health Science Center (UNMH) and the New Mexico Regional Federal Medical Center (VAMC). All fellows will rotate between both institutions. Before completing the program, all fellows must achieve competence and proficiency in all of the areas necessary to function as a subspecialist clinician in an academic medical center, in the core areas of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Exposure to related disciplines will also be provided, including Pathology, Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, Nutrition, and Pediatric Gastroenterology.
During a total of 12-months (not necessarily all at one time) the fellow is essentially not on-service and is required to pursue training in some aspect of Research, under the close supervision of an experienced mentor, who is an established investigator in a field relevant to GI/Hepatology, but not necessarily a member of the divisional faculty. It is expected that the fellow will identify a mentor and area of potential research by the termination of the first year of training, to be presented at a formal research conference.
Beyond the core training required for all, fellows should identify as soon as possible, but not later than the end of their second year, which track they wish to pursue among Clinician, Clinical Investigator and Basic Scientist. Research time will then be allocated to further training for the career track chosen. For motivated fellows, every effort will be made to provide additional specific training beyond the third year, but this is not mandatory and will usually involve obtaining a grant from some outside source. The major focus of the program will be to prepare people for academic careers, in any of the above tracks, but other needs may also be taken into account.
As fellows progress through the 3 year training period, increasing responsibility will be given to more senior fellows, allowing the most senior, qualified fellow to act as a resource and junior mentor for the group. This will be reflected by faculty support of this concept. Each year is broadly similar in format consisting of 4-month rotations divided between the UNM and the VAMC. Scheduling will reflect both the Core Curriculum which, in broad terms, involves both in- and out-patient services and research.
