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Our Philosophy
The faculty within the Divisions of Gastroenterology and Hepatology hold to the philosophical educational belief that clinical ability or competence is multi-dimensional and that no single method can be used to teach clinical skills, nor can one single tool be utilized to adequately assess a fellow’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Therefore, to ensure effective teaching and assessment of competence, the program utilizes a multi-faceted approach. From several hundred applications nationally, we invite about 30 applicants who trained or are training in an ACGME-accredited internal medicine training program for an interview; of those, 5 trainees are selected annually.
Our requirements mirror those described in the Electronic Residency Application System, as we participate in the National Resident Matching Program; our deadlines for applications are as per the NRMP. ERAS opens for applicants on July 1 of the year prior to fellowship start date (July 1 of the following year); interviewees are chosen in August with a couple of interview dates in September and October. Interviews are conducted at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine with faculty from all participating sites. Rank lists for applicants and programs are due in November with the match in early December, about 6 months prior to the start of fellowship.
The fellowship program draws upon the resources of our four affiliated hospital centers. Trainees receive formal training at the UHealth Tower and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Jackson Memorial Hospital (JMH), and the Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC).
Rotations through these institutions occur throughout the 36 months of training, with the majority of experience taking place at the University of Miami and JMH sites. Jackson Health Systems is the sponsoring GME institution and the primary affiliate of the medical school. Rotations are specialty-based (Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Hepatology, Pancreas/Small Bowel, Advanced Endoscopy, Motility, Nutrition, GI Oncology) and hospital-based (cognitive and endoscopic training at each participating hospital). In addition, all fellows have a continuity clinic throughout the 3 years of training. There is a minimum of 3 months of time dedicated to research, with opportunity for up to a full year of research for those who choose to pursue this. In the final year of training, fellows have the opportunity to spend more time in the subspecialty of their choice.
At the conclusion of formal training, residents should be competent in the cognitive and procedural skills that qualify them to sit for the ABIM specialty board certifying examination in gastroenterology. All fellows completing the program in the last several years have taken the subspecialty board examination with a pass rate of 100%. We are also part of a pilot program that allows fellows interested in transplant hepatology to complete training and be eligible for the Boards in both gastroenterology and transplant hepatology after their 36 months of training. In the current system, a certificate in transplant hepatology otherwise requires an extra year of formal training (for which our institution has 2 ACGME-accredited positions), the only subspecialty in gastroenterology with such a certificate.