How many fellows are in the Pediatric GI Fellowship at UConn Health /Connecticut Children’s Medical Center?
We have a total of 4 positions; for the 2022 academic cycle (starting fellowship July 2023) we will be accepting one applicant.
What is the structure of the Pediatric GI Fellowship at UConn Health /Connecticut Children’s Medical Center?
Our fellowship is a 3-year program that provides trainees with clinical, research and educational opportunities. The first year of fellowship focuses on building clinical experience, with the final two years focused on research. Throughout training, fellows are exposed to a breadth of gastrointestinal, hepatic, and nutritional disorders of varying complexity. Fellows rotate on our inpatient hospital service as well as maintain their own ½-day outpatient clinic weekly.
What are the on-call expectations?
Our fellows provide in person coverage of our service during the day on weekdays, during the day on weekends and otherwise take call from home. Our call schedule is divided evenly amongst our fellows. The faculty also provides assistance with coverage of the at home call.
What options are available to fulfill the scholarly project requirement for the American Board of Pediatrics?
Fellows may participate in basic science or translational research, prospective or retrospective clinical research projects, quality improvement, and bioethics. Fellows have access to mentors and laboratories across the University of Connecticut, including UConn Health and the undergraduate campus in Storrs as well as Jackson Laboratories located on the UConn Health campus in Farmington. We are dedicated to tailoring each fellow’s scholarly project to their individual interests and career goals.
What didactic teaching sessions are offered?
Departmental didactic sessions are held on Wednesday afternoon and attended by faculty and fellows and cover various topics and include a number of multidisciplinary joint conferences. Our fellows also participate in Connecticut Children’s Medical Center ACGME required Core Curriculum with trainees from our other fellowship programs.
What medical and surgical subspecialty services are available at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center?
Connecticut Children’s has a complete service line of pediatric medical and surgical subspecialists. We are also supported by our adult GI colleagues at Hartford Hospital.
Where do fellows go after completing the program at UConn Health /Connecticut Children’s Medical Center?
Our fellows have been successful in securing positions in academic and clinical careers in pediatric gastroenterology. Some have pursued physician-scientist career tracks, while others have chosen more clinically-oriented positions. Our goal is to provide each fellow with the skill set they will need to pursue their individual career goals. We meet with each fellow multiple times throughout their training to discuss their goals, review development of the curriculum vitae, identify potential positions and prepare for interviews
Where do fellows live?
In general, fellows live in Hartford or the suburbs of Hartford, including West Hartford, Farmington, Manchester, which are all within a 20 - 30 minute drive of main training locations.
What is the application process?
The Uconn Health Gastroenterology Fellowship program participates in the Match. Applications are submitted through ERAS beginning on July 1. The deadline for submitting applications is October 1.
We select our applicants based on several criteria. We consider both past academic and professional performance as well as demonstrated interest in gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition and scholarly interests that align with areas of focus in our division. Interviews are offered and scheduled through ERAS from September through October. Along with an individual’s application, their interview also plays a significant role in the decision-making process.
Does the program offer Master Degree opportunities?
Yes! The Department of Pediatrics will support one 2nd year pediatric fellow annually to enter the Masters in Clinical and Translational Research Program (MCTR) at UConn Health. If interested, please ask your program director for additional information.