Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Fellowship

The Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition offers a three-year fellowship program designed to provide training and expertise in medical and clinical care, translational and/or basic science research for graduates to pursue careers as independent investigators in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition.

About our Program

Program Curriculum

Year 1

GI inpatient + consults + inpatient procedure 6.5 months
Ambulatory (general GI clinic, subspecialty clinics, procedures, elective) 2.5 months
Mentored Research 3 months
Vacation 4 weeks (Vacation will occur in 1-week blocks during elective or ambulatory rotations)

Year 2

GI inpatient + consults + inpatient procedure 2.5 months
Liver Transplant / Intestinal Transplant 1 month
Mentored Research 8.5 months
Weekly Fellows clinic / Weekly Procedure day / Elective Optional
Vacation 4 weeks
Year 3
PRE-Tending 2.5 months
Weekly Fellows clinic / Weekly Procedure day / Elective Optional
Mentored Research 9.5 months
Vacation 4 weeks

Program Goals & Objectives

  • To prepare the fellow in acquiring comprehensive skills in the evaluation, management, and procedural interventions related to gastroenterology, hepatology and nutritional disorders.
  • Fellows will be trained on patient safety, QI, and cost-effectiveness, necessary components for success as a subspecialist.
  • To train highly qualified fellows in clinical, translational or basic science research, and to inspire and prepare them for a future career as leaders in academic medicine and as physician scientists.
  • To teach fellows strategies to maintain wellness, build resilience and minimize burnout.
  • To establish a concrete career development plan for the fellow, in order to maximize the potential for success in their future academic position.

After completing 3-year training program, you will be able to:

  • Care for both common and complicated gastrointestinal, hepatic and nutritional disorders.
  • Provide high quality consultations for gastrointestinal, hepatic and nutritional complications of primary disorders involving other organ systems.
  • Perform standard gastrointestinal diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
  • Design and complete a research project in an area related to the practice of pediatric gastroenterology.
  • Teach the fundamentals of gastrointestinal pathophysiology and clinical gastroenterology to medical students, residents, fellows and practicing physicians.
  • Serve as an advocate for providing comprehensive and compassionate care for children with gastrointestinal, hepatic and nutritional disorders.
  • Provide administrative leadership in an academic and/or clinical pediatric gastroenterology practice, using knowledge of current trends in health care funding.
  • Obtain subspecialty certification by the Sub-Board of Pediatric Gastroenterology after passing the certifying examination.

Clinical Experience

Inpatient Responsibilities

Inpatient duties of the first-year trainee include the care of patients (direct admissions and consultations) on a daily basis. Trainees are expected to see all consultations and patients admitted in the hospital, including but not limited to the Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition service and intensive care units. They are also expected to supervise the residents and/or students rotating in Pediatric Gastroenterology.

The trainees have daily inpatient rounds and patient care rounds with the on call attending faculty, as well as a weekly presentation of selected inpatients to the faculty. Each of the full-time faculty members in the Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition department serves as the primary inpatient teaching attending for a set period. Therefore, during their training experience, the fellows are exposed to different management styles and faculty with differing expertise within pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition.

Faculty members are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week during this rotation. Fellows are expected to see every patient seen by the fellow, to discuss every patient with the fellow daily and answer management questions as they arise. The faculty assumes ultimate responsibility for the care of the patients.

In the last month of their fellowship, the inpatient will act as “acting GI attending.” The fellow makes most of the decisions with minor surveillance from the faculty attending.

Outpatient Responsibilities

The fellows have direct responsibility for each of the patients they see during their required three-year outpatient continuity practice. The fellows prepare for these sessions by familiarizing themselves with the patient’s problems, as outlined in the electronic medical record. Fellows are responsible for the primary visit and for the initial decision-making. They present the patient problem and their decision making to the attending faculty, who then also sees the patient and works with the fellow to develop a management plan for the patient. Fellows are responsible for communicating with the primary care physician gathering any obtained laboratory studies and reaching further management decisions, under the direction of the supervising attending. Fellows will learn all aspects of outpatient care from the basics to today’s current hot topics, which includes contact with the patient and family regarding test results, medication appeals and denials, active drug monitoring.

An informal teaching session occurs before and/or after the outpatient visit session to discuss patient management issues or topics of particular interest. Each fellow is responsible for keeping log of all outpatients that he/she sees.

Procedures

Specialized tools and techniques have been developed that are an integral part of the diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary diseases in patients of all ages. In recognition of the importance of becoming proficient in the performance of endoscopic procedures and learning the indications and interpreting the results of interventional and diagnostic tests, fellows will receive dedicated routing and emergency endoscopy training throughout the 3 years. A faculty attending is always available to teach and supervise the fellows in the performance of all procedures.

Program Research

Current Studies

  • Environmental Risk Factors and Phenotypic Characteristics in a Hispanic Pediatric and VEOIBD Population at a Tertiary Center in South Florida
  • Tacrolimus As Bridge Therapy For Vedolizumab And Ustekinumab In Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Experience And Outcomes In A Tertiary Center In South Florida

QI Projects

  • Improving the Management of Acute Pancreatitis With Most Updated NASPGHAN Guidelines
  • Qi completed DVT prophylaxis in pediatric IBD patients.
  • IBD H&P

How to Apply

We accept the common application available through ERAS and we are a participating program in the National Residency Matching Program. Interviews for selected applicants are held on Thursdays from September through November.

Our fellowship program accepts applicants with U.S. citizenship or ECFMG certified J1 visas without bias towards visa status. There must be a minimum of three years remaining on the applicant’s visa in order to complete fellowship training. Our institutional Graduate Medical Education and ACGME accreditation requirements specify that all applicants must be board eligible/certified in pediatrics as determined by the American Board of Pediatrics.


About Us

ProgramLeadership

Luis Caicedo Oquendo, MD
Program Director
Lina Felipez, MD
Assistant Program Director
Carla Perez, MD
Assistant Program Director
Annette L. Medina, MD
Assistant Program Director

Contact Us

Nancy Vega
Program Coordinator
Phone: 786-624-2829
Fax: 305-669-6531
E-mail
 
Luis Caicedo Oquendo, MD
Program Director
Phone: 786-624-3400
Fax: 305-668-8005
E-mail

Meet the Team

The broad support for the training program by faculty in multiple departments throughout Nicklaus Children’s Hospital underscores the rich opportunities for interdepartmental contacts in our program structure. The training program utilizes both clinical and laboratory resources.