Gastroenterology/Hepatology Fellowship

Curriculum
Faculty/Scholarly Activity
Research
Partner Hospitals
Accreditation
UMKC School of Medicine
Application

Residency Information

The three-year Gastroenterology/Hepatology Fellowship Program at the UMKC School of Medicine was established in 1986. Since then, 20 fellows have received training through the program. There are three  fellowship positions, one in each of the three levels.

Curriculum

Fellows receive training in the cognitive aspects of consultative gastroenterology and hepatology, and in a wide range of physiologic, endoscopic and hepatologic procedures. Opportunities for research also abound, due to a large patient base and strong encouragement from faculty. Each fellow has a private office assigned in the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine.

Training experiences are supplemented with weekly conferences covering a broad spectrum of topics. Journal Club is held weekly as are case, pathology. GI-surgery-radiology, physiology and research conferences. An active visiting professor program allows fellows to meet with national and international experts in the field.

Two primary hospitals - Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill and Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City -  participate in the gastroenterology training program. The hospitals are primary teaching hospitals for the School of Medicine. Fellows also rotate through Children’s Mercy Hospital which is also a teaching hospital for the school.

• Year 1: Most training takes place at Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill with 50 to 100 new consults and more than 200 endoscopies performed monthly. Rotations at Saint Luke's Hospital are scheduled at the end of the first year and in the second and third years of training, and provide experience in community medicine. First year fellows become proficient at diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic and hepatologic procedures including upper endoscopy, esophageal dilatation, sclerotherapy, esophageal band ligation, endoscopic hemostasis, colonoscopy, polypectomy, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy and liver biopsy.
• Years 2-3: Second- and third-year fellows continue to expand their experience in the basic procedures and also perform esophageal manometry, ambulatory pH testing, anorectal manometry and ERCP. Required rotations include pediatric gastroenterology at Children's Mercy Hospital, nutrition, hepatology/liver transplantation, GI-radiology, GI-surgery, research, pathology and biliary endoscopy.

A wide range of experiences in the management of liver disease is available at TMC Hospital Hill and Saint Luke's. Faculty at both institutions are active in pre-transplant evaluation, liver transplant referrals and the care of the post-transplant patient. Experience in clinical hepatology and liver transplantation is enhanced by a month-long rotation at St. Louis University under the direction of Drs. Bruce Bacon and Michael Presti.

Faculty

Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill
Laura Alba, MD, Staff Physician
Stuart Chen, MD, Associate Program Director
Saliou-Diallo Gaston,, MD, Staff Physician

Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City
Wendell K. Clarkston, MD, FACP, Director of GI Fellowship
Mark J. Allen, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine
Donald R. Campbell, MD, Professor of Medicine, Arthur W. Robinson, MD, Missouri Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine
Richard S. Hart, MD, FACP, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Joseph E. McCullough, MD, FACP, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Glen L. Portwood, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Mark S. McPhee, MD, FACP, FACG, Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Academic Officer, Saint Luke’s Hospital
Owen J. Smith, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine
Mark D. Uhl, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine

Children's Mercy Hospital
Craig Friesen, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine
Charles Hodge, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine
Charles C. Roberts, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine

Research

Both laboratory-based and clinical research opportunities are available and strongly encouraged.

At the present time several protocols are being conducted in the treatment of hepatitis C, the study of lipid and glucose metabolism in those with hepatitis C and the study of antibiotics in the prevention of PEG infection. Additional protocols are comparing treatment regimens for GERD and studying gastrointestinal transit in those mechanically ventilated.

One morning of each week is reserved as protected time for first year fellows to read and plan research protocols. It is expected that at least one major research project will be initiated during each year of training. Fellows are expected to present the results of their research at both national and regional meetings.

Partner Hospitals

Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill provides a broad array of acute and outpatient services to a diverse patient population. The medical center is known for excellence in emergency and level I trauma services and also is recognized for programs in asthma care and research, diabetes, HIV/AIDS services, obsteterics/ high risk obstetrics, ophthalmology, and women's health. Truman maintains state-of-the-art videoendoscopy equipment and all procedural reporting is fully computerized. On an annual basis, the 237-bed medical center admits more than 11,500 patients, provides more than 212,000 outpatient visits and has over 54,000 emergency department visits. TMC has 329 physicians on staff.


Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, a 629-bed tertiary care referral center serving a six-state region, has established some of the finest specialized clinical services and support programs in the area. Some of these include the Level I Trauma Center, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Mid America Heart Institute, Mid America Brain and Stroke Institute, and programs in arthritis care, sexual assault treatment center, and  comprehensive cancer care. Saint Luke's admits more than 20,000 patients annually with over 200,000 outpatient visits. There are 466 physicians on staff. The hospital recently received the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for 2003.


Children's Mercy Hospital provides the highest level of medical care and services, tailored to meet the intricate needs of pediatric patients from birth to age 18. More than 40 pediatric subspecialties and 500 pediatric physicians serve children from western Missouri and eastern Kansas. Children’s provides Fellows exposure to a variety of congenital and acquired disorders of the alimentary tract, as well as the unique opportunity to experience the evolution of those chronic diseases that require life-long management.  The 241-bed hospital operates the region’s only level I pediatric trauma center and has one of the busiest neonatal/pediatric transport programs in the United States. It is nationally recognized for cardiac surgery, asthma/allergy/immunology, minimally invasive surgery, clinical pharmacology, nephrology and neonatology. CMH was ranked as one of the 10 best children's hospitals in America in 2003 by Child Magazine. 

Accreditation

The Gastroenterology/Hepatology program holds full accreditation from the ACGME. The next site visit will be August 2007.

UMKC School of Medicine

The UMKC School of Medicine offers 32 ACGME-sponsored residency and subspecialty residency programs. The School also offers an innovative six-year baccalaureate/doctor of medicine degree program that provides progressively increasing clinical experience beginning in year one. Students enter the medical school directly out of high school. The School of Medicine and its programs include more than 600 medical students, 547 full-time and 670 volunteer faculty, and 375 residents and fellows. The School of Medicine partners with Children’s Mercy Hospital, Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, Truman Medical Centers and Western Missouri Mental Health Center.

 

Application

The Gastroenterology Fellowship program selects the best qualified candidates regardless of race, sex, creed, color, national origin, handicap or age.
Candidate requirements include:

• A completed application form through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).
• Letter of recommendation from applicant's current program director.
• Recommendation letters from two faculty members.
• Personal Statement.
• ECFMG certification, if applicable.
• Copy of USMLE score.
• Most current Curriculum Vitae.

Based upon the above criteria, a personal interview may be scheduled. Final selection or ranking of candidates are made by the Gastroenterology Selection Committee. Criteria utilized by the committee for selection are academic achievement, clinical competence, moral and ethical qualities, compassion, social responsibility, collegiality, and enthusiasm.


For more information, contact:

Meg Vanderliest
(UMKC School of Medicine)
Saint Luke's Hospital
Office: 816.932.8232
Fax: 816.932.5179
mvanderliest@saint-lukes.org