Fellow Responsibilities
- Diagnosis and management of patients with all forms of chronic liver disease, in the inpatient and outpatient settings
- Evaluation of patients for liver transplantation including patient selection, management, operative procedures, and postoperative management, including immunosuppression
- Observation of transplant surgery and participation in donor operations
- Familiarity with interpretation of liver biopsies and diagnostic imaging studies
- Follow-up of patients in liver diseases clinic with management of their own panel of patients in this outpatient setting
- Endoscopic procedures in patients with liver disease, including management of esophageal varices
- Percutaneous liver biopsies (certification is now optional as per ACGME)
- Participation in scholarly activities during the course of the fellowship, with the results often presented at prestigious national meetings, and published in major gastroenterology and hepatology journals. These research projects are undertaken in conjunction with liver medicine and/or liver surgery faculty
- Receipt of written performance evaluations and regular feedback throughout the fellowship, and a certificate upon completion of the one-year hepatology fellowship
Rotations
Outpatient Practices
Transplant Hepatology fellows will see patients in the following practices:
- Liver Fellows Continuity Practice: Every Tuesday morning, fellows will see their own patient panel of referrals from other clinics or other institutions for a variety of liver diseases, with an emphasis on continuity of care. Fellows will also perform endoscopies on their patients during the outpatient rotation. The clinic is equipped with ancillary support to help coordinate care with all non-physician tasks. A specialized team of patient care navigators also help ensure access to care in patients prescribed anti-viral therapy for HBV and HCV.
- RMTI Faculty Transplant Practice: During the outpatient rotation, fellows will assist in managing patients both before and after transplantation. Fellows will evaluate patients referred for transplantation and individuals referred as potential living-related donors. Fellows will learn about outpatient care of the liver transplant recipient, including management of immunosuppression, complications of immunosuppression, and recurrent disease after transplant, such as recurrent HCV. - Outpatient Transplant Apprenticeship: Throughout the year (except while on the Pre-Transplant Inpatient Service), fellows will join an assigned faculty member for a half-day weekly during each of their transplant office hours. Each fellow will be assigned to apprentice with two different faculty members each for 6 months of time during their fellowship. This apprenticeship model provides rich mentorship and continuity in post-transplant management.
- RMTI Faculty General Hepatology Practice: During the outpatient rotation, fellows will also attend office hours with senior faculty to gain knowledge and acquire expertise in the basic management of liver disease, including treatment of viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Fellows will also participate in the evaluation of abnormal liver tests.
- RMTI Faculty Liver Surgery Practice: Fellows will have the opportunity to work with our liver surgeons caring for patients with complicated hepatobiliary disease, including HCC, cholangiocarcinoma, metastatic liver tumors, and gallbladder cancer.
Clinical and Academic Conference Schedule
Immunosuppression Review
11:30am - 12:30pm
Liver Division Lecture Series
1:00pm - 2:00pm
Didactic conferences are held twice weekly throughout the year. The first three months of the year start with a Summer Lecture Series that covers high yield topics in hepatology. Other conferences include journal club which is presented jointly by the hepatology attendings and fellows, updating the group on topics within their respective fields of hepatology/gastroenterology research. Hepatology fellows also present interesting inpatient cases and/or a comprehensive review of topics pertaining to liver disease throughout the year. Invited speakers present a variety of lectures spanning basic science, clinical, and translational interests within hepatology.
Hispathology
3:00pm - 4:00pm
Daily histopathology is reviewed by Swan Thung, MD, Maria Isabel Fiel, MD, Steven Ward, MD, and the liver pathology fellows. We strongly encourage transplant hepatology fellows to attend these sessions to gain familiarity with liver biopsy interpretation. The conference is complemented by a monthly CPC review of challenging cases.
Contact Us
Jessica Dumont Fellowship Program Coordinator Transplant Hepatology jessica.dumont@mountsinai.org