Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship

The West Virginia University Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship (WVU AEF) offers ideal circumstances for training, including high procedural volume, an efficient endoscopy unit, diverse faculty mentorship, and a wide variety of pathology. The WVU advanced endoscopy fellow trains at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital (Morgantown, WV), the 840-bed flagship hospital of the WVU Medicine Health System. Patients with advanced endoscopy procedural needs are transferred to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital from all parts of West Virginia and surrounding states, including the 21+ member system hospitals of WVU Medicine. The advanced endoscopy fellow works with each of the 3 advanced endoscopy faculty in 3 dedicated advanced endoscopy rooms with built-in fluoroscopy. The 1-to-1 room-to-staff ratio, combined with a large referral network, results in a high-volume practice of over 1,000 ERCPs and 1,000 EUSs annually.

In addition to ERCP/EUS, the WVU advanced endoscopy fellow is trained in peroral endoscopic myotomy (i.e., Z/E/G-POEM), bariatric endoscopy (i.e., endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty [ESG], transoral outlet reduction [TORe]), and advanced polyp resection. Formal training in POEM and bariatric endoscopy is an important adjunct for the modern-day advanced endoscopy fellow, as these skillsets are increasingly sought by employers. Regarding ERCP & EUS, inpatient cases are prioritized for the advanced fellow. We believe that inpatient ERCP/EUS cases are ideal for cognitive and technical skill growth (i.e., increased opportunities for native papilla cannulation, cancer staging, and interventional EUS). The WVU advanced endoscopy fellow encounters at least 60% native papilla while training in ERCP. Many of the EUS cases involve new cancer diagnoses, given the presence of the on-site WVU Cancer Institute.

Applicants in the ASGE AEF Match have an increasing number of programs to choose among. However, the WVU AEF offers unique training conditions that differ from many existing programs. As the only true tertiary medical center in the state, WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital is the near exclusive recipient of advanced endoscopy referrals from across West Virginia and neighboring states. Our large catchment area means that even rare procedures (e.g., POEM, bariatric endoscopy, altered anatomy) are regularly performed. Efficiency in the endoscopy unit allows us to keep pace with our large referral volume (i.e., 1:1 room:staff ratio). For these reasons, we believe that the WVU advanced endoscopy fellow is optimally prepared for independent practice after completion of our 1-year training program.