Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Wake Forest University School of Medicine
1 Medical Center Boulevard
Winston Salem, North Carolina 27103
631-565-4502 (V)
Website


1 Position Available

Program Type: Both ERCP & EUS

Authorized Administrative Official: Varun Kesar (email)

Program Director: Varun Kesar (email)
Program Director Phone: 631-565-4502

Duration: 1 Year

Inclusive Dates of the Program: 7/1/2027 to 6/30/2028

Accepts applicants from outside of North America? No

Accepts applicants with J1 visas? No

Accepts applicants with H1B visas? Yes

Accepts applicants with E3 visas? Yes

Type of Interview Offered: Both In-Person & Virtual

Supervised Procedures

Procedure		 Faculty Involved in AEF Training Total Annual Volume Average Annual Volume with Hands-on AEF Involvement per Fellow
ERCP 3 1200 400-600
Diagnostic EUS 5 1500 400-600
Interventional EUS 3 300 100
Deep enteroscopy 3 100 50
Luminal stenting 4 200 50-100
ESD 2 100 Based on interest
Bariatric endoscopy 3 50-100 Based on interest
POEM 2 75 Based on interest
Endoscopic management of GERD and Barrett’s 2 300 100
Other (specify)
Endohepatology (100-200) 		3 100-200 20

Unsupervised Trainee Activities

Procedure		 Value
General GI procedures (per year) 0
Inpatient general GI service (weeks/year) 0
Inpatient advanced endoscopy service (weeks/year) 2
Ambulatory clinics (per year) 0
Committed time for research (days/month) 1

Requirements for Application

  1. Standard ASGE Application Packet
    • ASGE Application
    • Post-Undergraduate Education
    • USMLE Scores
    • Certification of Completion of Residency
      1. Prior to appointment in the advanced endoscopy fellowship, fellows should have completed a three-year ACGME-accredited gastroenterology fellowship
      2. Fellows from non-ACGME-accredited programs must have completed at least three years of gastroenterology education prior to starting the fellowship
    • Personal Statement
    • Curriculum Vitae
    • 3 Letters of Reference

Additional Information about Program

The Advanced Endoscopy Team at Wake Forest University consists of 5 faculty members. The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology supports four categorical gastroenterology fellows annually as well as one advanced endoscopy fellow. Our Advanced Endoscopy faculty perform over 1200 Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures and 1500 Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) procedures annually in addition to. The members of the division also perform endobariatric , third space, and endohepatology procedures. This volume and variety allows advanced fellows to tailor their training and pursue their field of interest.


Applicants considered for the advanced endoscopy fellowship must be currently enrolled in or have completed an accredited three-year gastroenterology fellowship.


Endoscopy rooms

The hospital facility consists of 11 endoscopy rooms. The Advanced Endoscopy Team utilizes four advance endoscopy rooms to perform cutting edge procedures including ERCP, EUS (interventional and diagnostic), deep enteroscopy, ESD and other complex endoscopic resection, endoscopic suturing for gastric sleeve, outlet reduction and fistula closure, cryoablation, radiofrequency ablation (biliary and esophageal), electrohydraulic lithotripsy, enteral stenting, bariatric therapies, and POEM, among others.

The advanced endoscopy room has an attached workroom which has live streaming capabilities.


Inpatient Pancreaticobiliary /advance endoscopy Service

There is an advanced endoscopy consult service which is staffed by two advance care practitioners, advance endoscopy attending, advanced endoscopy fellow, gastroenterology fellow, residents, and medical students.


Educational Objectives

The advanced endoscopy fellowship (AEF) is designed to train the individual in various aspects of advanced diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy.

The goal of the AEF is to teach the requisite cognitive and technical aspect of interventional endoscopy. This includes: understanding relevant disease processes and their presentation and management (including but not limited to pacreatico-biliary disease, gastrointestinal malignancies, pre-cancerous lesions of the GI tract); analysis and interpretation of serologic and radiographic data; understanding the indications and contraindications for the procedures; pre- and post-procedure care of the patient; recognition and management of complications; appropriate documentation and reporting; appropriate communication with the patient.

The advanced endoscopy trainee will be mentored under direct supervision of full-time Advanced Endoscopy faculty. The trainee’s progress will be monitored throughout the 1-year fellowship program. At the completion of the training period, the fellow is expected to be fully proficient in performing all aspects of advanced diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy techniques, including: ERCP, EUS (interventional and diagnostic), endoluminal stenting, endoscopic mucosal resection, small bowel enteroscopy, suturing, complex fistula and stricture management, and endoscopy in post-surgical anatomy. ESG, ESD and POEM training would only be available depending on fellow’s interest and competency, on a case-by-case basis.

The trainee will be involved in the management of inpatients interventional GI service and participate in GI division and multi-disciplinary conference. The fellow is expected to participate in endoscopic research, present at national meetings, and publish manuscripts during their tenure.

Advanced Endoscopy Faculty:

1. Girish Mishra, MD, MD, FASGE, FACG

A. Current Appointments:
i. Professor of Internal Medicine
ii. Chief, Section on Gastroenterology and Hepatology
iii. Executive Director, Digestive Health Service Line
iv. President, North Carolina Society of Gastroenterology
v. Governor of NC Chapter, American College of Gastroenterology

B. Areas of Interest: Endoscopic Ultrasound

c. Advanced Endoscopy Training: Medical University of South Carolina

2. Jason D. Conway, MD, FASGE
A. Current Appointments:
i. Associate Professor of Internal Medicine
ii. Director of Endoscopy

B. Areas of Interest: Endoscopic Ultrasound, Barrett’s Esophagus

C. Advanced Endoscopy Training: Medical University of South Carolina

3. Andrew C. Storm, MD, FASGE
A. Current Appointments:
i. Associate Professor of Internal Medicine
ii. Director of Medical Device Trials, Endobariatrics, and Endoscopic Innovation

B. Areas of Interest: Endobariatrics, Device Development

C. Advanced Endoscopy Training: Mayo Clinic, Rochester


4. Darius A. Jahann, MD, FASGE
A. Current Appointments:
i. Associate Professor of Internal Medicine
ii. Director of Interventional Endoscopy and Endoscopic Tissue Resection
B. Areas of Interest: Endoscopic Resection, Interventional EUS
C. Advanced Endoscopy Training: University of Virginia

5. Varun Kesar, MD
A. Current Appointments:
i. Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine
ii. Director, Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship

B. Areas of Interest: 3rd space endoscopy, Inteventional EUS and endohepatology

C. Advanced Endoscopy Training: University of Maryland

Please Note: All data in this program description is entered on a voluntary basis