The GI Fellowship at the University of Western Ontario is a 2 year program accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Applicants have typically completed 3 years of Internal Medicine in an accredited Canadian training program. GI Fellows will rotate primarily between University Hospital and Victoria Hospital, which are the two major teaching hospitals in London (population 360,000) serving a referral area of 3 million people. The fellowship incorporates teaching in ambulatory care, inpatient GI management, hepatology and endoscopy. Residents will develop expertise in gastroscopy, colonoscopy, liver biopsy, variceal band ligation, and will be exposed to esophageal manometry, ERCP and endoscopic ultrasound. Close linkages exist with other clinical services such as Pathology, Radiology, Surgery, Pediatrics and Liver Transplantation. The program usually has a complement of 5 - 10 GI fellows over the 2 years. This is often a mixture of Canadian and international trainees. At the present time, our MOH positions are capped at 2 per year. All applicants must be eligible for an educational licence in the province of Ontario. The fellowship consists of a series of rotations which include ambulatory care, pediatrics, hepatology, electives and research time. The objectives of the GI program are listed according to the CanMeds criteria. GI Fellows are often on home call 1 in 8 and are always supported by an attending GI consultant on call. Renumeration is determined by the Ontario medical resident pay scale for R4 and R5 residents. UWO Residents have an excellent track record for passing the subspecialty examinations in Gastroenterology and many have found excellent positions across the country. (List of London GI Fellows working in Canada). The GI Program Director is Nilesh Chande.

Canadian applicants to GI will now apply fhrough the CaRMS match. International (ISR) trainees will still apply by downloading the applications and reference forms below. The forms should be mailed or faxed to Sharon Gough, Victoria Hospital, 800 Commissioners Rd E., Rm E3-640, London, Ontario, N6A 5W9, phone 519-667-6843, fax 519 667-6620. Three letters of reference should be sent directly to Sharon Gough.

The deadline for applications is September 2010. Interviews will be held this year in October 2010. Decisions for Canadian applicants are made in conjuction with CARMS Match in November.

Hepatology Fellowship

A one year dedicated hepatology fellowship is offered at the Multi-Organ Transplant Unit, University Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre. This program is funded by the Multiorgan Transplant Unit in collaboration with unrestricted grants from Astellas Pharma and Roche Canada. The cornerstone of the hepatology fellowship is involvement with the UWO Liver Transplantation Program. Since inception in 1983, the London program remains one of the largest programs in Canada and typically performs 60- 80 transplants per year. The program is active in living donor liver transplantation, deceased cardiac donation, split liver transplantation and pediatric hepatology/transplantation. The referral base is from across Canada hence we care for a wide variety of liver and metabolic diseases. The Liver Fellow will be involved in pre and post operative management of transplant recipients. Fellows will also participate in general and theme oriented hepatology clinics with the staff of 5 Hepatologists. Endoscopy training will include gastroscopy, variceal band ligation, Variceal glue injection, Colonoscopy, ERCP, Liver biopsy, and paracentesis. There are opportunities for research projects involving viral hepatitis, hemochromatosis, fatty liver and transplantation. There are strong linkages between the Hepatology service and Gastroenterology, Surgery, Transplantation, Pathology, Pediatrics and Radiology.

Liver fellows typically share a call schedule with senior surgical trainees in the liver transplantation surgical fellowship program (1 in 4). Renumeration is equivalent fo a PGY-6 salary. Applicants typically have successfully completed a certified fellowship in Gastroenterology but there is flexibility in the entry requirements. Hepatology is not a certified subspecialty by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Our liver transplant program is accredited by the American College of Transplantation and liver fellows may be eligible to write the new American examinations in Liver Transplantation.

If you would like to appy for the Liver Fellowship you should contact Paul Marotta, Program Director.

For further information on how to apply:

http://www.lhsc.on.ca/Research_Training/MOTP/Fellowship_Training/LiverProgram.htm