Philosophy
Training
Clinical Team 
Faculty
Inpatient Service/Consulting Service
Gastroenterology Clinics
Subspeciality Clinic and Rotations
Procedures
Conferences
Current Fellows
Program Graduates 
Gastroenterology Fellow Application

Philosophy:  

Provide an environment that encourages the development of the cognitive clinical, procedural, and critical research skills to undertake a career in academic pediatric gastroenterology. 

Training:       

The clinical services provided by the division are not dependent upon fellows; thus, the fellowship program is structured primarily as a learning experience for the fellows.   The fellowship program consists of three years of training.

The first year will emphasize acquiring knowledge and clinical skills in gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition.   A research project will be identified during this year.  The fellow will focus on a basic science project or clinical investigation during the subsequent 2 years.  For basic science projects, emphasis will be given to experimental design, acquiring laboratory skills and understanding concepts of basic science. For clinical investigation, emphasis will focus on development of skills for a successful career in patient-oriented research.  Both areas emphasize presentation of data, writing abstracts and manuscripts, and grant writing. Research mentorship is not confined to the pediatric gastroenterology division, but may come from other areas in the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.                       

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Clinical Team:          

Clinical care is provided in our institution by 8 attendings, 3 gastroenterology nurse practitioners, 1 transplant nurse practitioner, 4 endoscopy nurses, 6 gastrointestinal nurse coordinators, 2 liver/intestinal transplant nurse coordinators, 2 nurse assistants, 1 dietitian, 1 social worker, 1 child life specialist, 1 practicel manager, 2 medical assistant and 6 fellows in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition.

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Faculty:         

John M. Andersen, MD

Professor of Pediatrics
Medical Director of Pediatric Gastroenterology
Interests:  Cyclic vomiting, Esophageal disease, Inflammatory bowel disease, Blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome

Norberto Rodriguez-Baez, MD

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Director of Fellowship Training Program
Interests:  Viral hepatitis, Autoimmune hepatitis, Steatohepatitis, Liver Failure, Esophageal strictures

Bradley A.  Barth, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Interests:  Therapeutic gastrointestinal endoscopy, capsule endoscopy, ERCP, Pancreatic and Biliary Tract Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Andrew Feranchak, MD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Interests:  Basic research: Regulation of biliary secretion, Hepatabiliary Transport, Cystic Fibrosis - Associated Liver Disease

Naveen K. Mittall, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Director of Hepatology and Transplantation Program
Interests:  Liver transplantation, Small bowel transplantation, Short bowel syndrome, Intestinal rehabilitation

Ashish Patel, MD
Instructor of Pediatrics
Interest:  Inflammatory Bowel Disease, IBD and Growth

Michael A. Russo, MD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Interests:  Polyposis syndromes, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Celiac disease, Cystic Fibrosis

Gaith M. Semrin, MD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Interests:  Inflammatory bowel disease

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Inpatient Service/Consulting Service:

During the first year, the main focus of the fellowship is in the clinical setting.  The fellows with mentorship of the attending physicians will direct care for inpatients in the Gastroenterology unit as well as gastrointestinal consultation to other services in the hospital with the supervision of the attending physician. 

The Fellow will lead the rounds for the housestaff, medical students, and supportive staff (pharmacist, nutritionist, case manager, charge nurse, social worker, and child life specialist).  The fellow is responsible for performing the procedures for the inpatient service. 

The consultation service covers inpatient consultation throughout the hospital.  The fellow is responsible for performing the evaluation of the patients and the procedures that may result from the consultation.  The fellows learn to discuss patients with community physicians that contact our division and to provides suggestions for management.  All activities are performed under the supervision of the attending physician.  

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Gastroenterology Clinics:     

In addition to providing clinical care services for inpatients and consultation at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, time in the outpatient clinics allows the Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellow to follow a cohort of patients longitudinally.  Special efforts are made to provide a variety of patients with chronic and acute gastrointestinal, hepatic and nutritional disorders.  The fellow is required to attend the outpatient GI clinics once a week to encourage continued development of the clinical skills and continuity of care. One attending physician is designated to supervise the clinics. At the end of the clinic session, the faculty provides a clinical conference for the fellows to provide in depth discussion of selected patients’ illnesses and therapeutic and diagnostic options.

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Subspecialty Clinic and Rotations:           

Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in electives during their training. Electives have to be approved by the Fellowship Training Director.   Electives in other academic institutions require the approval of the Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics. Electives include: 

• Liver Transplantation / Small Bowel Transplantation
• Nutrition

Other Clinical Experiences Available:

• Rotation on Adult Procedure Service for advanced procedure experience
• Adult Liver Clinics
  

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Procedures:

The Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellow will become competent in the following core procedures:

• Upper Endoscopy
• Colonoscopy
• Biopsies of Gastrointestinal Tract
• Polypectomy
• Liver Biopsy
• Esophageal dilatation
• Esophageal pH monitoring
• Rectal suction biopsy

Other Procedures:

• Achalasia Dilatation
• Anorectal Manometry
• Capsule Endoscopy
• ERCP
• Esophageal Impedence Monitoring
• Esophageal Manometry
• Injection Therapy for Gastrointestinal Bleeding
• Use of Heater Probe and Electrocautery

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Conferences:

Teaching is an important component of our training program.  The fellows participate actively in the didactic activities of the pediatric residents and medical students. Our fellows and faculty members have been recognized by the pediatric housestaff for their outstanding devotion to patient care and medical education.

1986:  John M. Andersen, M.D. -  Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award

2002:  Michael Russo, M.D.  - Outstanding Fellow Teaching Award

2003:  Eduardo Beltroy, M.D. - Outstanding Fellow Teaching Award

2003:  Norberto Rodriguez, M.D. - Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award

2004:  Norberto Rodriguez, M.D. - Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award

In addition, the fellows participate in didactic activities within our division. The teaching activities are mandatory for the fellows. Our teaching activities include:

• GI Fellow Conference: a weekly systematic review of pertinent gastrointestinal, hepatic and nutritional topics from the literature and textbook.
• Journal Club Conference: review of pertinent literature by topics.  The Fellow will learn to critically read and present a journal article. This activity is twice monthly.
• Research Conference: a monthly discussion of ongoing research in the division.
• Pathology Conference: a monthly review of recent gastrointestinal and hepatic pathology cases.
• Radiology Conference: a monthly discussion of radiological studies related to Gastroenterology.
• Clinical Conference: a weekly presentation and review of interesting and important cases from the previous week.
• Basic Science Course: a weekly discussion of pathophysiology of the gastrointestinal system. Conference is combined with the Adult Gastroenterology Program.
• Departmental Conference for Pediatric Fellows: a monthly discussion and presentation of research performed by all the fellows in the Department of Pediatrics.

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Current Fellows:

• Rina Sanghavi, MD, completed her pediatric training at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York. She is currently a third year fellow.  Her clinical interests include motility and functional GI disorders.  She is currently performing basic science research under the mentorship of James Stull, PhD(Chairman-Department of Physiology) on the expression of smooth muscle contractile proteins in the intestines of rat fetuses with gastroschisis.  She is also involved in clinical research at the VA hospital studying the effects of botox injection in the pylorus in patients with gastroparesis. 
• Catherine Brigman, MD, completed her pediatric training at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.  She is currently a third year fellow.  She is perfoming basic science research on the role of CFTR in the release of ATP from pancreatic, biliary cells, under the mentorship of Andrew Feranchak, MD.  She is also performing research on steatohepatitis.  Her clinical interests include nutrition.  She plans to practice in the San Antonio area on completion of her fellowship.
• Sabina Ali, MD, completed her pediatric training at University of South Alabama Children's & Women Hospital in Mobile, Alabama.  She is currently a second year fellow.  She is currently performing basic science research on the role of TNF in hepatic graft versus host disease.
• Nandini Channabasappa, MD, completed her pediatric training at Children's Hospital of Michigan & Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Texas.  She is currently a second year fellow.  She is performing basic science research in hepatic fibrosis, looking specifically at the hormone relaxin which is a mediator of fibrosis.
• Michele Alkalay, MD completed her pediatric training at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.  She is currently a first year  
• Meghana Sathe, MD completed her pediatric training at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.  She is currently a first year fellow. 

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Program Graduates:

• 1990 – R. Jeffery Zwiener, MD – Austin, Texas
• 1990 – Kendall O. Brown, MD – Digestive Health Associates of Texas; Dallas, Texas
• 1996 – Cheryl E. Gariepy, MD – University of Michigan
• 1998 – Christopher Jolley, MD – University of Florida
• 1998 – Alan Sayad, MD – Beirut, Lebanon
• 1999 – Ben Elizondo, MD – San Antonio, Texas
• 2004 – Michael Russo, MD – University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
• 2005 - Eduardo Beltroy, MD - University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
• 2006 - Ashish Patel, MD - University of Texas Southwestern Medical School 

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