The Program Director Perspective by Pushpak Taunk, MD
The prospect of applying for another fellowship after more than a decade of medical training can seem daunting. But rest assured, this last fellowship is what you will be doing for the rest of your life, and being an advanced endoscopist is more than worth it! With over 70 programs participating in the ASGE advanced endoscopy fellowship match, you have a range of programs to choose from. Make sure to research programs and get a sense of what fits your needs best. Are you looking to acquire basic EUS/ERCP skills? Do you have an interest in third space endoscopy, interventional EUS or bariatric endoscopy? Do your future plans entail becoming part of an academic institution, private group or hybrid practice? Having a sense of your future goals will allow you to focus on programs that can cater to your needs.
As a fellowship program director, I look carefully at letters of recommendation and will contact letter writers I know. Work on being a good general gastroenterologist first. The advanced endoscopy fellowship is a challenging year, and your letter writers will tell us that you are prepared! Plan to have letters from at least one to two therapeutic endoscopists with whom you’ve worked closely in a clinical or research setting. When asking for a letter, confirm that they will be able to write you a STRONG letter. It also important to be involved in research and preferably to have had a project presented at DDW/ACG or even published. By no means must you publish, but research productivity will help you land interviews at academic-oriented institutions. Know your research well and be honest about your involvement.
During the interview, make sure to effectively communicate your short-term and long-term goals. Have questions prepared to get a better sense of the program. When evaluating programs, you will want to know how many faculty members are involved in your training and their level of experience. Find out about any general GI responsibilities and call expectations. Are you looking for a program that will provide the base you need for a strong academic career with good research opportunities and strong networks to land an academic job? Are you focused on “hands-on” time with the scope so you can maximize your comfort level with advanced procedures? Each program will have its strengths and weaknesses, so be sure to ask questions from current fellows and faculty.
I often hear fellows speak about the number of procedures that graduates have performed as a benchmark. While these numbers are important, I would advise that the quality and breadth of procedures, hands-on time with the scope and teaching abilities of the faculty are more important in your training. Five hundred ERCPs in one year is great, but make sure you are not a bystander and get to touch the scope. Speak with former graduates to get a sense of their training, how confident they were in their abilities, where they are practicing and what their experience has been as a junior attending.
In summary, we are looking for applicants who are highly motivated, clinically adept, collegial, trustworthy and passionate about the innovative world of advanced endoscopy. We look forward to training the next generation of endoscopic leaders!
Pushpauk Taunk, MD, program director of the USF Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship Program and a member of the ASGE Membership Engagement Committee.
The Applicant Perspective by Abid Javed, MD
The decision to apply for an advanced endoscopy fellowship can be exciting as well as nerve-wracking. The earlier you decide to pursue advanced endoscopy, the more time you will allow yourself to optimize variables within your control. Here is my perspective:
- First, focus on being a reliable, curious and humanistic fellow, colleague and consultant. Be humble and take pride in your daily work. Becoming a well-rounded general gastroenterologist and a decisive clinician are as important as achieving endoscopic excellence. Your attendings, advanced or not, will take note and be willing to write strong letters of recommendation, make calls on your behalf and advocate for you to stay at your home program.
- Secondly, pursue scholarly activity. Research allows you to manifest your own intellectual curiosity and explore emerging trends within advanced endoscopy. You may develop interests which guide you toward which programs you apply to and how you rank them. Research also allows you to work closely with mentors at your own institution or to connect with other endoscopists at other institutions. This, in turn, will open doors in terms of interview invitations. High-quality research reflects your commitment to the field and signals diligence, perseverance and intellectual curiosity.
- Thirdly, network, network, network. Therapeutic endoscopy is a small field. Attend national conferences and participate in hands-on sessions or live endoscopy demos, which are often proctored by therapeutic endoscopists. It’s a great way to connect with leaders in advanced endoscopy, learn about their programs and maybe even show off your endoscopy skills! I also used Twitter/X to engage with advanced endoscopists around the country for educational, research, and networking purposes. As an example, I was offered a position outside of the match for a program tweet a message about an opening! Locally, spend as much time shadowing and scoping with your own institution’s advanced endoscopists/advanced fellows, even if it means staying late. They will be some of your strongest advocates.
- Lastly, the interview (the majority of mine were virtual!). To prepare, reflect on why you are pursuing advanced endoscopy, what your career aspirations are, challenging and rewarding endoscopic cases and the obstacles you’ve overcome to get to this point. These were commonly asked about in my interviews. I think jotting down some thoughts on these topics can prepare you to answer eloquently. Be prepared to discuss any research you’ve done—know the purpose, method and findings. Moreover, read about the structure of each program and its faculty online. This provides you with a sense of the program’s direction as well as their areas of research. Some programs allow you to request or choose interviewers, so understanding faculty backgrounds may guide you on which interviewer to request. From the applicant side, some important things to ask are how the year is structured, call and general GI expectations, endoscopic volume, research expectations and past fellows’ employment. Overall, the interview is your opportunity to demonstrate confidence, poise and collegiality. A small amount of preparation will allow you to enter each interview feeling relaxed and clear.
I hope that these insights will aid you as you proceed through the advanced endoscopy fellowship process. With focus and preparation there is no doubt you will achieve your goals!
Abid Javed, MD, advanced endoscopy fellow