Gastroenterology Fellowship

Welcome to the Gastroenterology Fellowship program at UCI. Our program features faculty experts in the areas of GI bleeding, GI motility, colon cancer, IBD, hepatology, interventional gastroenterology and new technologies in GI. Our mission is to provide outstanding clinical and endoscopic training, along with a foundation in clinical research, to prepare the next generation of gastroenterologists for any type of practice setting. This training program provides care to a diverse patient population and has various training opportunities. We are especially proud of the environment we have created that fosters enthusiasm for the field of gastroenterology, multidisciplinary care and lifelong learning. Our graduates have been very successful in all areas of gastroenterology, including academic medicine, research and community practice. Thank you for your interest in our program! 
 
Sandra S. Park, MD
Fellowship Program Director
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine 

Training takes place at the UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Digestive Disease Center (CDDC) at the UCI Medical Center and the VA Long Beach Healthcare System.
 
UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Digestive Disease Center
 
UCI Health comprises the clinical, medical education and research enterprises of the UCI School of Medicine. UCI Medical Center is an acute care hospital providing tertiary and quaternary care. It is the primary teaching location for UCI School of Medicine, serving a region of more than 3 million people in Orange County, Western Riverside County and Southeast Los Angeles County. UCI Health is the only University-based academic medical center in Orange County, educating more than 400 medical students and training more than 800 residents, while employing more than 8,000 faculty, staff and residents. 

The CDDC, opened in August 2017, provides state-of-the-art care to patients with digestive diseases. This three-story facility features four general GI endoscopy suites, six interventional endoscopy suites, pre- and post-procedure recovery units, multidisciplinary clinics and conference space. There is a classroom for fellow conferences and multiple workrooms for fellows. In recent years the division has continued to see substantial growth. We provide over 17,500 clinic visits and perform more than 17,000 procedures yearly.
 
UCI Health and the Chao Family Comprehensive Digestive Disease Center hold an annual Gastroenterology & Hepatology Symposium. All fellows are encouraged to attend. Activities include patient-centered clinical updates, hands-on training in our state-of-the-art interventional procedure suites, live streaming case demonstrations with real-time Q&A and a networking reception with faculty and industry leaders.
 
VA Long Beach Healthcare System
 
The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated healthcare system. VA Long Beach Healthcare System serves veterans from areas in Southern California. In addition to the main medical center, we offer a number of services to our patients in four community-based outpatient clinics.
 

During clinical training, gastroenterology fellows rotate among our teaching facilities at UCI Medical Center, the Chao Family Comprehensive Digestive Disease Center (CDDC) and the VA Long Beach. These sites give fellows exposure to large and diverse patient populations as well as to an outstanding faculty representing clinical and scientific expertise in all areas of gastrointestinal and liver disease.
 
All fellows attend a weekly continuity clinic throughout their training, which is held at both UCI Medical Center and at the VA Long Beach, to ensure fellows receive appropriate exposure to a wide range of gastrointestinal disorders. Depending on their interests, third-year fellows have the choice to attend a continuity clinic in general GI, hepatology, interventional, motility or IBD. 
 
UCI Rotations

• General GI consults
• Hepatology consults
• Interventional/biliary consults
• Ambulatory rotation
• Inflammatory bowel disease/research rotation

VA Rotations

• General GI consults
• Ambulatory rotation
• Procedures rotation
• Liver rotation
• Interventional rotation
• Research

 
Research electives can be completed at the UCI and VA locations. 
 
Endoscopic Training

Fellows receive rigorous training in endoscopy throughout all three years of their fellowship. Fellows learn the skills needed to perform diagnostic, screening and surveillance upper endoscopy and colonoscopy, as well as therapeutic aspects of endoscopy, such as mucosal biopsy, polypectomy, endoscopic mucosal resection, mucosal injection, hemostasis, stricture dilation and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement. Training in video capsule endoscopy interpretation is also offered. Fellows will perform paracentesis, manometry, Bravo pH interpretation, and pH and impedance testing.
 
Third-year fellows on the interventional rotation will gain experience in therapeutic procedures, including ERCP, double balloon enteroscopy, complex endoscopic mucosal resection, G-J tube placement, RFA and luminal stenting. Motivated fellows will also gain exposure to cutting-edge procedures such as POEM, bariatric endoscopy including endoscopic sleeves, anti-reflux procedures such as endoscopic fundoplication, endoscopic suturing, endoscopic ultrasound-guided rendezvous procedures and endoscopic submucosal dissection.
 

The Division of Gastroenterology has an active roster of educational activities each week. This format encourages faculty, fellow and community physician participation. A number of conferences are provided to complement patient care experiences. UCI has several unique opportunities for learning and faculty interaction, including endoscopy conferences, practice management and quality assurance/patient safety conferences.

To maximize participation of faculty and fellows, Wednesday mornings are designed around educational activities, including clinical and basic science seminars about the pathophysiology of digestive and liver disorders. Special lectures and seminars enrich the program, attracting recognized authorities from elsewhere in the United States and abroad.

Teaching conferences are as follows:

Weekly

• Mondays – gastrointestinal advanced endoscopy conference
• Tuesdays – gastrointestinal Tumor Board and Department of Medicine Grand Rounds
• Wednesdays – clinical and basic science seminars on various topics in digestive disease disorders

 
Monthly (Usually on Wednesdays):

• Surgical gastroenterology conference, emphasizing clinical problems and their management
• Endoscopy Case Conference
• Journal Club and evidence-based medicine, reviewing major advances in leading journals
• Gastrointestinal radiology conferences on cases involving the full spectrum of radiologic imaging
• Research conference, with presentations of planned or ongoing research to colleagues and clinical faculty
• Multidisciplinary clinical case conference focused on general gastroenterology
• Quality assurance conference, focusing on complications of diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures
• Multidisciplinary inflammatory bowel disease program

 
The division also hosts a variety of activities for fellows and community physicians.

Fellows are encouraged to attend national conferences yearly and receive education days and a financial stipend to do so. 

First-year fellows attend the ASGE first-year fellow gastroenterology course and a regional IBD conference. Second- and third-year fellows can attend American College of Gastroenterology and Digestive Disease Week, as well as regional conferences.
 

Clinical research projects are an important aspect of the Gastroenterology Fellowship program. Completion of a research project, including publication, is a graduation requirement. Although the majority of fellows complete clinical research projects, basic research opportunities are available. The Division of Gastroenterology has research laboratories on the University of California, Irvine, campus and at the VA Long Beach.
 
During three years of training, fellows are expected to dedicate at least four to six months to active participation in clinical research. The diverse research interests of division faculty members allow fellows to choose from a wide range of exciting and challenging research experiences. Fellows are encouraged to join a research pod in their first year to facilitate the process of choosing a research project and conceptualizing it during the first year. Research pods include inflammatory bowel disease, esophageal disease, liver disease and interventional endoscopy. Projects are completed during the second and third years. Fellows are required to submit a manuscript for publication and are encouraged to present their research at national meetings.

In addition, fellows are required to work on at least one quality improvement project during their training. Fellows are encouraged to develop process improvement projects within gastroenterology, the division or at any of the rotating sites.
 

The Division of Gastroenterology accepts four new fellows each year.

Applications for the Gastroenterology Fellowship program are accepted starting in early July every year through ERAS. We encourage early applications. For questions about the application process, please go to ERAS online or call 215-966-3940.

To be eligible for the fellowship programs, applicants must have:

• Completed residency training in internal medicine.
• Board-certification or board-eligibility in internal medicine.
• A California medical license before beginning the fellowship.
• U.S. citizenship or have fulfilled residency or visa requirements before starting the fellowship.

 
ERAS applications should include the following:

• Current curriculum vitae.
• A one-page personal statement.
• Scores on the United States Medical Licensing Examination.
• A current photo.
• Dean’s letter.
• At least three letters of recommendation, including one from a past or current program director.

Applications for July 2025 positions will be accepted beginning July 1, 2024. 

Interviews 

Applicants are notified by email if they are selected for interviews. 

Interviews for July 2024 positions have already occurred. FOR THE 2023 INTERVIEW CYCLE, FELLOWSHIP INTERVIEWS WILL BE EXCLUSIVELY VIA ZOOM, PER ACGME. 

For more information, please contact the division fellowship coordinator at 714-456-6745.