Curriculum

Inpatient Rotations

Luminal Gastroenterology Consultation Service

Fellows on this rotation provide inpatient consultative care for a broad spectrum of luminal GI disorders at Henry Ford Hospital. The consult team includes a senior staff gastroenterologist, a senior fellow, and two junior fellows, with active participation from internal medicine residents and medical students. Fellows gain extensive experience in the evaluation and management of both acute and chronic gastrointestinal conditions and perform a wide variety of diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures under direct supervision. Overnight call responsibilities include evaluating urgent GI consults and performing emergent procedures, with full endoscopy technician support available for all after-hours cases.

Hepatology Consultation Service

Fellows on the Hepatology Service manage inpatient consults involving acute and chronic liver disease at Henry Ford Hospital. The team is led by a staff hepatologist and includes two fellows, with opportunities to work alongside residents and medical students. Fellows are actively involved in the pre- and post-operative management of liver transplant patients, attend weekly liver transplant conferences, and gain hands-on experience with complex hepatology cases in a high-volume transplant center.

Advanced Gastroenterology Consultation Service

This rotation provides exposure to complex pancreaticobiliary disorders and advanced therapeutic endoscopy. The consult team consists of a senior staff advanced endoscopist, a senior fellow, and a junior fellow, often joined by residents and medical students. Fellows participate in the care of patients with challenging pancreaticobiliary diseases and gain procedural experience in advanced techniques including endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), luminal stent placement, radiofrequency ablation and cryotherapy for Barrett’s esophagus, single-balloon enteroscopy, and endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR).

West Bloomfield GI and Hepatology Consultation Service

At Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, fellows provide inpatient GI consultative care in a community-based hospital setting, offering valuable experience in an environment similar to private practice. The team includes a staff gastroenterologist, a senior fellow, and a physician assistant (PA). Fellows evaluate and manage a wide range of gastrointestinal conditions and perform inpatient and outpatient endoscopic procedures, developing efficiency and independence in a smaller but highly active hospital system.

Outpatient Rotations

Outpatient Gastroenterology

During outpatient endoscopy rotations, fellows gain proficiency in performing EGDs and colonoscopies under the supervision of attending gastroenterologists. Fellows also maintain their longitudinal GI continuity clinic, where they manage an ongoing panel of patients and develop skills in comprehensive outpatient care. The continuity clinic is held one half-day per week throughout all three years of fellowship, providing consistent ambulatory experience and longitudinal follow-up.

Outpatient Subspecialty Clinics

As part of a tertiary care referral center, Henry Ford fellows participate in a wide range of subspecialty clinics that provide advanced exposure across the spectrum of gastroenterology, including Hepatology, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Motility, Pancreaticobiliary, and Nutrition.

Subspecialty exposure begins in the first year, with introductory experiences in IBD and motility during outpatient rotations. These experiences are expanded significantly in the second and third years, when fellows spend dedicated blocks in these clinics and take on greater autonomy in complex case management. During these immersive rotations, fellows work closely with subspecialist faculty managing complex and referred cases from across Michigan. Fellows also gain hands-on experience with specialized diagnostic procedures such as chromoendoscopy, EndoFLIP, pH monitoring, esophageal and anorectal manometry, and breath testing.

Radiology

Fellows complete a dedicated radiology rotation to strengthen their understanding of gastrointestinal imaging. Over the course of one week, fellows work alongside abdominal radiologists to learn interpretation of CT scans, MRI, ultrasound, barium studies, and defecography, improving integration of imaging into clinical and procedural decision-making.

Capsule Endoscopy

The Capsule Endoscopy rotation is a second- and third-year experience that builds advanced interpretive and clinical skills. Fellows develop proficiency in reviewing and interpreting video capsule endoscopy studies, formulating management recommendations, and integrating findings into patient care. In addition to capsule interpretation, fellows continue performing outpatient endoscopy and seeing patients in their continuity clinic, ensuring an integrated and well-rounded outpatient experience during the latter half of fellowship.

Endoscopic Stricturotomy

Endoscopic stricturotomy is an emerging endoscopic technique for treating refractory benign gastrointestinal strictures, providing a minimally invasive alternative to repeated dilation or surgery. This optional third-year longitudinal training offers interested fellows hands-on training in performing stricturotomy under the supervision of an IBD interventionist. Fellows gain experience in patient selection, needle-knife and insulated-tip dissection techniques, and post-procedural management, developing foundational skills in this rapidly evolving area of therapeutic endoscopy.