Why Choose Mount Sinai?
Our gastroenterology fellowship training program is designed to promote the health and quality of life of people with gastrointestinal disorders by providing the most innovative and highest quality gastroenterology care, leading advances in the science of gastroenterology, training the next generation of academic gastroenterologists. Whether you decide to focus on Inflammatory Bowel Disease, advanced endoscopy, hepatology, general gastroenterology, to become a researcher or to join an academic medical center, the Mount Sinai Health System provides the very best training ground for you.
From left: Drs. Gordon Oppenheimer, Burrill Crohn, Leon Ginzburg
A Storied History & Reputation
Mount Sinai has been on the forefront of research, identification, and treatment of gastrointestinal illness since the division's early days. Along with that commitment to research has been our dedication to being one of the top institutions for training gastroenterologists. Today, you'll find some of the nation's top physician-scientists in GI at Mount Sinai devoted to your education.
In the first part of the twentieth century, gastric secretion and duodenal contents were studied with the use of Rehfus tubes. An outpatient clinic was founded and devoted solely to GI diseases in 1913. Some of the key researchers of that era, including Drs. A.A. Berg, Burrill Crohn, Eli Moschcowitz, Leon Ginzburg, Ralph Colp, Percy Klingenstein, and Gordon Oppenheimer, gave their medical and surgical services to Mount Sinai. In 1920, Drs. Eli Moschcowitz and A.O. Wilensky published a clinical and pathological study of intestinal granulomas.
Mount Sinai was the source of the seminal paper in 1932 by Drs. Crohn, Ginzburg, and Oppenheimer describing "regional ileitis." Dr. A.A. Berg, a disciple of Dr. Henry Billroth, perfected the subtotal gastrectomy for the treatment of peptic ulcer. In 1933, the drip treatment for peptic ulcer was described by Dr. Asher Winkelstein. 1936 saw the establishment of a dedicated research laboratory for the study of gastric secretions by Dr. Franklin Hollander, who originated the Hollander Test for completeness of vagotomy.
Stimulated by rapid technological advances, important new understanding of and approaches to gastroenterological problems burgeoned in the middle of the century. Drs. Hans Popper and Fenton Schaffner made great discoveries that expanded our knowledge of cirrhosis and hepatitis. Drs. Bernard Wolf and Richard Marshak elucidated the radiological changes in esophagitis, hiatal hernia, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Dr. John Garlock perfected the surgery of esophageal malignancy and inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Henry Janowitz contributed to our understanding of peptic ulcer, elucidated the natural history of inflammatory bowel disorders, and together with Dr. David Dreiling, studied pancreatic secretion in the normal and diseased states. In 1958, the National Institutes of Health recognized the importance of Mount Sinai as a research center with a grant for gastroenterology fellowship training. The important role of immunosuppressive therapy in inflammatory bowel disease was defined by Drs. Daniel Present and Burton Korelitz. Drs. David Sachar and Adrian Greenstein elucidated the risk of small and large intestinal cancer, and catalogued the extraintestinal manifestations of IBD. Dr. Richard Warner’s expertise in serotonin metabolism illuminated the diagnostic and therapeutic management of patients with neuroendocrine tumors. Dr. Jerome Waye pioneered and perfected the use of GI endoscopy without fluoroscopy, making colonoscopy a practical tool for every gastroenterologist. Dr. Lloyd Mayer’s work enhanced the field of mucosal immunology with his discoveries on oral tolerance and physiological inflammation. Drs. Bruce Sands and Jean-Frederic Colombel are among an elite group of investigators worldwide whose leadership of multicenter clinical trials serve as the foundation for the latest therapies for IBD. Dr. Steven Itzkowitz was among the first in the nation to demonstrate that patient navigation improves screening colonoscopy rates, thereby helping to create equity in the delivery of this important public health intervention to underserved populations. A list of the top 50 most influential gastroenterology professionals of the 20th Century included six individuals from Mount Sinai — more than any other institution in the nation.
Additionally, the Division of Gastroenterology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is ranked the 3rd best university nationwide for teaching Gastroenterology and Hepatology by US News & World Report. That same publication also ranked The Mount Sinai Hospital as the 13th best hospital for the care of GI patients for 2022-2023. So with its long, storied history and excellent reputation, the Division of Gastroenterology at Mount Sinai is truly the very best place for you to continue your training.
Dr. Jerome Waye
Location
Mount Sinai is unique because it is located at the crossroads of one of the richest areas in the United States and one of the poorest. This nexus allows for an amazingly diverse patient population that is both highly demanding and highly in need of care. And this offers you a unique opportunity for your training—one that most physicians don't get in their entire careers.
And of course, as a fellow at Mount Sinai you will live in New York City—one of the greatest, most diverse and exciting cities in the world. Physically, our main campus is right next to Central Park, which provides a quick escape into natural beauty for runs, walks, bike rides or just relaxation. You can participate in all the cultural and recreational activities that New York City can offer: theater, museums, music, restaurants, and sporting events.
Our fellows are provided the opportunity to get housing near the main campus on the Upper East Side through the Mount Sinai Real Estate Services Department. Our fellows are considered Category 1 trainees, meaning they are eligible to apply for and are guaranteed housing near Mount Sinai Hospital if they choose to do so.
But not everyone wants to live around their workplace and we make sure that our work and training schedule allows for our fellows with families to commute and reside anywhere in the New York City area.
Highlights of Our Training Program
Clinical
- Opportunity to care for an amazingly diverse patient population throughout the Mount Sinai Health System.
- Ever since Drs. Crohn, Ginsburg and Oppenheimer walked the halls of Mount Sinai a century ago, we have been a world leader in inflammatory bowel disease.
- We were the first institution in NYC to perform liver transplantation, and perform more liver transplants than any other hospital in NYC.
- Each fellow manages their own panel of outpatients (with attending supervision), in our state-of-the-art Center for Advanced Medicine and The Susan and Leonard Feinstein Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center.
- Exceptional training in endoscopy from skilled preceptors.
Research
- With more than 25 full-time faculty and more than $14 million in annual research funding from the NIH, CCFA, other foundation grants and sponsored clinical trials to name a few, our Division is one of the best places to do gastroenterology research.
- A majority of graduates over past 10 years now hold full-time academic faculty appointments.
- Several grads have active NIH and other Career Development Awards. and several others converted from K to independent R01 funding in past five years.
- Many of our faculty are on editorial boards of leading medical journals
- Opportunities for participation in Mount Sinai’s Clinical and Translational Science Award program
- Opportunities for participation in clinical trials
Conferences & Environment
- Board Review sessions with key faculty.
- Annual GI Board Review Course administered by GI Faculty.
- Weekly fellows’ Case Conference, Core Curriculum, Journal Club, and Research conferences.
- GI Grand Rounds: State of Art presentations from local, regional and international experts. Includes Quality Improvement/Patient Safety conference.
- Endoscopy conference run by fellows, with faculty contributions.
- Wellness Program with mandatory quarterly Wellness Day for each fellow.
- Careful faculty mentoring of fellows.
- Opportunities to learn from, and participate in, innovative medical education projects and clinical trials.
Our Faculty
As a fellow in the Gastroenterology Division, you will work with an amazing group of physicians. We have one of the largest divisions nationwide and we have experts in a wide range of specialties. Regardless of what specific aspect of gastroenterology you are interested in pursuing, we have a faculty member who can mentor and work with you.
Advanced Fellowships
Our fellowship program provides the very best training for your career in gastroenterology. Should you be interested in pursuing further specialization, we also offer you four advanced fellowships.
Fellows completing the standard three-year GI Fellowship graduate with considerable expertise in inflammatory bowel disease. For fellows trained at programs with less exposure to IBD, we offer a year of intensive training in IBD under the tutelage of world class IBD faculty experts. The Advanced IBD Fellow will spend most of their time conducting original research in preparation for a career as an independent investigator in the field.
Given the complexities and the rapid advances in endoscopic technology, a dedicated year of training in therapeutic endoscopy is available to the interested fellow. Fellows are closely supervised in all of the latest advanced endoscopy techniques, while they conduct clinical research in an area of their interest.
Fellows in the standard three-year GI Fellowship program can avail themselves of training in transplant hepatology during their third year of training. Alternatively, and for fellows from outside programs, a dedicated fourth year of training as a Liver Transplant Fellow is available. Fellows are exposed to an enormous array of very complex liver diseases.
T32 Research Fellowship: Training in Investigative Gastroenterology
This NIH funded program supports fellows with a strong interest in an academic research career. The program provides 2 years of funding along with dedicated mentorship and a core research curriculum, and supports a broad range of research endeavors including clinical, translational and basic science research. Fellows can apply into the program during their 2nd year of fellowship.
The Strength of Our System
As a GI fellow of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, you have the opportunity to leverage the expertise and resources of the largest health care provider in the New York City area. As part of the Mount Sinai Health System, our fellows have access to world-class educational, research and clinical resources at our seven hospitals across the system.
These hospitals vary from our main campus institution, The Mount Sinai Hospital, where the majority of your educational and research work is done. Fellows have the opportunity to do electives at Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West, which serve a diverse group of patients on the west side of Manhattan. Additionally, we have a large clinical and research presence at the James J. Peters Bronx Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Applicants may also want to apply to the GI Fellowship program based at Mount Sinai Morningside/West.
Contact Us
Nicolia Grierson Fellowship Coordinator Division of Gastroenterology nicolia.grierson@mountsinai.org
1 Gustave L. Levy Place Box 1069 New York, NY 10029 (212) 241-8788