Although clinical assignments are flexible, the Advanced Esophageal Disease Fellowship is designed as follows:

Esophageal clinic

You will spend an average of two half-days a week in esophageal clinic rotating with faculty or in your own continuity clinic with esophageal-focused patients.

Motility

You will spend one to two half-days a week on motility education depending on your area of focus. This involves spending time in the esophageal laboratory instructed by the lead motility nurse and our lab director Dr. Crowell. You will learn the techniques of conventional esophageal manometry and pH testing and impedance studies. You interpret 24-hour pH and esophageal motility studies during that day and then present your interpretation to our motility staff for feedback. We hold a once-weekly motility lab meeting where difficult or interesting cases are reviewed for educational purposes.

Endoscopic advancement

You will spend one to two full days a week performing endoscopic procedures with an emphasis on complex esophageal procedures. This will include mastering techniques of obtaining biopsies of the esophagus and for Barrett’s esophagus, wireless pH capsule placement, EndoFLIP topography, esophageal dilation techniques, and Botox injections. Additional training includes pneumatic dilations of the esophagus, radiofrequency ablation for Barrett’s, cryotherapy administration, and endoscopic mucosal resection of the esophagus if interested. Patients with refractory strictures may be referred to the self-dilation program to learn the technique of esophageal bougie self-dilation and how to perform this in the clinic setting.

All members of the esophageal interest group are actively involved in esophageal research. These programs are quite vibrant and span the spectrum of esophageal disease. Interest group members are investigating GERD, motility disorders of the esophagus, Barrett’s esophagus, eosinophilic esophagitis, esophageal barrier disruption, mucosal impedance, self-dilation, etc. You will have a minimum of one full day a week to work on research collaboration and completing projects. You will have a dedicated primary mentor during your fellowship.

Conferences

Fellows attend several regular conferences during training:

• Bimonthly esophageal case conference to review difficult esophageal cases with our esophageal group
• Monthly joint GI-surgery foregut conference where challenging clinical cases are reviewed with the esophageal group and foregut surgery group
• Monthly esophageal conference to review active clinical trials, clinic process management, and practice needs
• Monthly journal club to review interesting esophageal-specific journal articles that are novel and important to the field. This is conducted after hours usually with food and beverages available in a collaborative and relaxed environment. 
• Monthly morbidity and mortality conference
• Monthly pathology conference

Additionally, you are welcome to attend all GI fellowship conferences including radiology conference, core curriculum, general journal club, GI guest speaker grand rounds, and general internal medicine grand rounds.

Teaching opportunities

You will have the ability to interact with GI fellows, internal medicine residents, and medical students both in clinic and endoscopic procedures. However, the majority of the time you will have one-on-one access to faculty in both these arenas. You will have the ability to collaborate in research with other trainees and to give educational lectures to trainees. As a fellow, you also have the opportunity to present esophageal-specific presentation(s) at our national Mayo Clinic Esophageal Diseases conference in December.

Call schedule 

You will not be expected to take hospital, weekend, or after-hours call during this specialty year.