UC Irvine Interventional Endoscopy Training Program

University of California, Irvine
101 The City Dr S
Building 22C
Orange, California 92868
714-456-6745 (V)

1 Position Available

Program Type: Both ERCP & EUS

Authorized Administrative Official: Christopher Paiji (email)

Program Director: Jason Samarasena (email)

Duration: 2 Years

Inclusive Dates of the Program: 7/1/2027 to 6/30/2029

Accepts applicants from outside of North America? Yes

Accepts applicants with J1 visas? Yes

Accepts applicants with H1B visas? No

Accepts applicants with E3 visas? No

Type of Interview Offered: Undecided

Supervised Procedures Procedure	Faculty Involved in AEF Training	Total Annual Volume	Average Annual Volume with Hands-on AEF Involvement per Fellow
ERCP	4	1000	450
Diagnostic EUS	4	600	250
Interventional EUS	4	450	100
Deep enteroscopy	0	0	0
Luminal stenting	4	75	35
ESD	2	100	50 (Year 2)
Bariatric endoscopy	1	25	12 (Year 2)
POEM	2	60	30 (Year 2)
Endoscopic management of GERD and Barrett’s	2	150	70
Other (specify) Endohepatology	2	100	50

Unsupervised Trainee Activities Procedure	Value
General GI procedures (per year)	0
Inpatient general GI service (weeks/year)	4
Inpatient advanced endoscopy service (weeks/year)	0
Ambulatory clinics (per year)	0
Committed time for research (days/month)	4

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

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The goal of the UC Irvine Interventional Endoscopy (IE) Training Program is to train academic gastroenterologists in the full spectrum of advanced endoscopic procedures. Our trainees will develop the necessary cognitive and technical skills to excel in establishing an interventional endoscopy practice at their future institutions. In addition to extensive procedural exposure, our program provides mentorship in scholarly endeavors including clinical research, innovation, and quality improvement. Fellows are expected to initiate and lead their own projects. Over the course of the rigorous 2-year program, we strive to provide the requisite training, guidance and resources for our trainees to have successful careers in academic interventional gastroenterology following graduation.

Fellows will receive structured training and experience in the following procedures:
• Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) – diagnostic and therapeutic
• Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
• Altered anatomy ERCP
• Endoscopic dilation therapy
• Endoscopic incisional therapy
• Endoscopic stent placement
• Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR)
• Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD)
• Endoscopic full-thickness resection
• Mucosal ablation therapy
• Endobariatric procedures
• Difficult colonoscopy with overtube assistance
• Endoluminal Functional Impedance Planimetry
• Gastrojejunostomy tube placement
• Gastroenteric anastomosis creation using lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS)
• EUS-guided gallbladder drainage
• Endoscopic Ultrasound-directed transgastric ERCP (EDGE)
• EUS-guided portosystemic pressure gradient measurement
• EUS-guided liver biopsy
• EUS-guided shear wave elastography
• EUS-guided gallbladder drainage
• Per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) procedures
• Transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF)

FACULTY
Fellows will train under the guidance of 4 core faculty members: Jason Samarasena (Program Director), Christopher Paiji (Associate Program Director), John Lee and Frances Dang.

DIDACTIC SESSIONS
Fellows are expected to attend and actively participate in all conferences.
• Dr. Samarasena Teaching: 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of every month
• Gastroenterology Modules Teaching: Wednesdays

Bimonthly Sessions:
• Quality Assurance Conference: 4th Wednesday morning every second month
• Endoscopic Case Conference: 2nd Wednesday morning every second month

Monthly:
• Interventional Endoscopy Case Conference / Journal Club: 1st Thursday of every month

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Under the guidance of faculty mentors, fellows are expected to conduct novel research during training with the goal of presenting at national meetings and multiple publications in peer-reviewed journals. Fellows will be provided 0.5-1 day per week to dedicate to scholarly activities. Furthermore, there will be ample support from UCI Center for Clinical Research in addition to opportunities to receive additional research training from UCI School of Medicine.

HOW TO APPLY
We are participating in the ASGE Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship Matching Program.

If you have any questions about the UC Irvine Interventional Endoscopy (IE) Training Program, please contact our program leadership, Dr. Jason Samarasena ([email protected]) and Dr. Christopher Paiji ([email protected]).

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