Program overview

Geisinger's advanced endoscopy fellowship program will prepare you to perform a full range of advanced endoscopic procedures.  

You’ll train with the advanced endoscopy group within Gastroenterology, which offers the full array of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. It’s a high-volume practice. Each year, we perform more than 1,600 ERCPs and 2,000 EUS procedures. You’ll also be exposed to many complex procedures. We’re a regional liver transplant center and manage complex pre- and post-transplant hepatology patients in collaboration with our transplant team.

Curriculum

The advanced gastrointestinal endoscopy fellowship program provides for personalized EUS, ERCP and other advanced training with the goal of developing future leaders in the field.

When you complete the program, you’ll be able to:

• Use EUS and ERCP to diagnose and manage patients with a variety of GI disorders
• Integrate EUS into the care of patients with GI neoplasms
• Demonstrate proper technique for EUS guided biopsy
• Understand the role and technical details of luminal stenting
• Manage complications of acute and chronic pancreatitis including WON, pseudocysts, pancreatic duct leaks minor papilla access
• Begin the process of teaching these skills and techniques to GI fellows
• Integrate proper reimbursement and billing into their practice

Schedule

Your time will usually be assigned as follows:

• 70% dedicated to performing EUS/ERCP and other advanced procedures
• 10% dedicated to research
• 20% dedicated to clinical service, which includes inpatient procedures and consultation with attending level night call and the supervision of GI fellows

Conferences

Our advanced endoscopy fellows also take part in departmental and multidisciplinary conferences, including the weekly Core Curriculum Conference, weekly multidisciplinary tumor board meetings and monthly Foregut, GI pathology, GI radiology, Journal Club and research conferences.

Scholarly activity

Geisinger has a strong research culture. Here, you’ll be expected to be part of scholarly activity that generates results and information suitable for publication in a major GI subspecialty journal. We require our fellows to produce one manuscript and one video submission. These may include a prospective study, a major subject review, a case series or a retrospective review. You’ll also develop an abstract for at least one of the major national GI meetings (DDW, ACG).

Hands-on labs

Throughout the year there are scheduled hands-on/simulation labs for our advanced endoscopy fellows. You’ll have the opportunity to practice axios, endosuture, FTRD, ESD/POEM and enteral stenting on animal/synthetic models so you can feel comfortable and perfect your technique.

Teaching opportunity

You’ll have opportunities to teach gastroenterology fellows in the endoscopy suite and residents and fellows during conferences and in the inpatient consult service.

Evaluation

You’ll be mentored and monitored during training, to make sure you gain the knowledge and technical skills you need to succeed after leaving the program. Our advanced fellows are evaluated by supervising faculty each month and have semi-annual performance reviews with the program director. Because we want this program to meet your personal goals, you’ll also evaluate the faculty and the program. The fellows also keep a detailed procedure log of all their procedures.

Training facilities and support

You’ll train in dedicated EUS and ERCP rooms with on-site cytology support. The 25,000-square-foot, 10-room endoscopy suite allows us to perform fluoroscopic procedures simultaneously in two rooms and EUS simultaneously in three rooms. The department has a conference room with video conferencing capability, a video library and clinic and office space.

Research program

Clinical research will be an integral part of your fellowship. We have a robust research effort with ongoing single- and multi-center research projects, including industry-sponsored studies.

You’ll be part of regular meetings with advanced endoscopy attendings to design and conduct research protocols, and your research may be in collaboration with other members of the GI Department, the Weis Center or the Henry Hood Center for Health Research.

We encourage you to begin planning for at least one of these studies before you even begin your fellowship. Our research team will be happy to help you with research protocols and IRB paperwork. Browse recent publications and presentations at national/regional conferences by our department.