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The fellowship provides a complete clinical experience in all areas of pediatric gastroenterology alongside excellent faculty. Fellows gain the skills on which to build a career in patient care, research and teaching.

Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Fellowship

A physician with long blond hair speaks with a pediatric patient in the clinic. The doctor is wearing a white coat and green shirt. The patient has long light-brown hair and is wearing a blue shirt.

The Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Fellowship at Indiana University School of Medicine was one of the first established pediatric GI programs in the United States, and fellows benefit from an excellent core faculty who are recognized both nationally and internationally. The three-year fellowship training program is ACGME-accredited and designed to provide a complete clinical experience in all areas of pediatric gastroenterology. Fellows gain the skills on which to build a career in patient care, research and teaching.

Clinical and translational research is integrated into the training program to promote the trainee’s preparation for active participation in academics. Bench research is widely available on the IU School of Medicine—Indianapolis campus in collaboration with other divisions in Pediatrics and/or Adult Gastroenterology. Fellows design their own research projects based on personal interests with guidance from faculty mentors.

The fellowship is clinically intensive, and trainees become proficient in all procedures and protocols employed in the evaluation and management of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and pancreas. Training primarily occurs at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health (Indianapolis, IN) and IU Health North Hospital (Carmel, IN). Fellows benefit from a statewide referral base with a large and diverse clinical volume, and a high faculty-to-fellow ratio in a collegiate working environment. Academically, Indiana University School of Medicine fellowship graduates are skilled educators who seek new knowledge and who can teach others to do the same. Department-supported fellowship seminars provide cross-specialty competency and peer group development. Additionally, fellows have access to special academic opportunities during their training, which include but are not limited to, programs for master's degrees in Clinical or Translational Research, and Public Health; Academy of Teaching Scholars Program; and a global health curriculum for clinical and research initiatives.

See why one of our fellows chose IU

Apply for Fellowship

Physicians interested in applying for the Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Fellowship at IU School of Medicine should submit an application through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and include the required documents.

ERAS

Hear what the Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship has to offer.

Program Leadership

Program Director
18533-McFerron, Brian

Brian A. McFerron, MD

Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Read Bio Brian A. McFerron, MD

Associate Program Director
22374-Puri, Kanika

Kanika Puri, MD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Read Bio Kanika Puri, MD

Program Coordinator
Tina Cochran

Tina Cochran

Fellowship Coordinator

Email

A Letter from the Program Director

Welcome to the Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition fellowship program at Indiana University School of Medicine/Riley Hospital for Children! We pride ourselves on the breadth and depth of training that we provide. Fellows will be exposed to the entire spectrum of pediatric gastroenterology through our general GI clinics and expansive multidisciplinary programs. As the state’s only comprehensive children’s hospital, we manage a large volume of patients from throughout Indiana and the surrounding regions.

Training the next generation of pediatric gastroenterologists is one of our primary missions. Fellows are treated as colleagues and junior faculty members throughout their three years of training with graduated autonomy over time. Procedural experience is robust including all common diagnostic and advanced therapeutic endoscopic procedures performed in pediatric gastroenterology.

Our division is comprised of nationally renowned faculty members with individual expertise in all areas of gastroenterology including inflammatory bowel disease, hepatology/transplant hepatology, motility disorders, eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases, pancreatic disease, celiac disease, aerodigestive disease, nutrition support/intestinal rehabilitation, obesity/weight management among others. Under the mentorship of faculty members, fellows can elect to complete their required research project in any area including clinical, basic, educational, and informatics.

We are thrilled that you are interested in our fellowship training program! Please spend some time reviewing all facets of our division on this website as well as the Riley Hospital for Children website.

Welcome to IU!

Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship Curriculum

Curriculum

Fellows become proficient in all procedures that are employed in the evaluation and management of patients with dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and pancreas. They also develop experience in nutritional assessment, and in the design of enteral and parenteral nutritional rehabilitation options during the fellowship program. Time is allotted during all three years of the training program for the development of clinical, translational or bench research skills. Fellows also participate in the preparation and presentation of clinical observations and data generated by well-designed research protocols and are active participants in the generation of manuscripts for publication.

  • Year 1
    During year 1, fellows are on clinical rotation for eleven of twelve months.

    Inpatient service and consultation services: 6 months
    On the inpatient service, fellows oversee a multidisciplinary team including residents, medical students, pharmacists, dietitians, social workers and case managers in the management of all inpatients. Fellows provide inpatient consultation services along with faculty. Fellows participate in all inpatient and consult endoscopies during these months.

    Outpatient GI clinic and endoscopy suite: 1 month
    Fellows participate in endoscopies throughout the year, with one month early in fellowship is dedicated to building endoscopic skills and learning outpatient GI.

    Core Electives: 4 months
    Four additional clinical months are spent on Nutrition Support, Transplant Hepatology, GI Subspecialty Clinics and Clinical Elective.

    Research: 1 month
    One month towards the end of the first year of training dedicated to research.

    Continuity clinics: Year-long
    Continuity clinics are held 1-2 half-days a week during non-service months.

  • Year 2

    During year 2, fellows are on clinical rotation for five of twelve months.

    Inpatient service and consultation services: 3 months
    On the inpatient service, fellows oversee a multidisciplinary team including residents, medical students, pharmacists, dietitians, social workers and case managers in the management of all inpatients. Fellows provide inpatient consultation services along with faculty. Fellows participate in all inpatient and consult endoscopies during these months.

    Core Electives: 2 months
    Additional clinical months are spent in Advanced Procedures & Surgery, and an Advanced Clinical Elective rotation designed to advance clinical knowledge acquisition and career exploration.

    Research: 7 months
    Seven months during Year 2 of training are dedicated to research activities and manuscript preparation.

    Continuity clinics: Year-long
    Continuity clinics are held 1-2 half-days a week during non-service months.

  • Year 3

    Inpatient service and consultation services: 2 months
    On the inpatient service, fellows oversee a multidisciplinary team including residents, medical students, pharmacists, dietitians, social workers and case managers in the management of all inpatients. Fellows provide inpatient consultation services along with faculty. Fellows participate in all inpatient and consult endoscopies during these months.

    Research: 10 months
    Ten months during Year 2 of training are dedicated to research activities, manuscript preparation and completion of fellowship work products.

    Continuity clinics: Year-long
    Continuity clinics are held 1-2 half-days a week during non-service months.

  • Education Conferences
    Educational conferences are attended by all faculty and fellows in the division. GI/Pathology Joint Conferences are conducted twice monthly. Monthly conferences include Research Conference, GI/General Surgery/Radiology Joint Conference, ImproveCareNow Conference, Fellow’s Didactic Conference and Journal Club. Morbidity and Mortality Conference, in addition to the GI/Pulmonology Conference are held quarterly.
Third Year Fellow
50471-Miller, Brad

Brad T. Miller, MS, MD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Read Bio Brad T. Miller, MS, MD

Second Year Fellow
40596-Andrewski, Erik

Erik D. Andrewski, MD

PGY 6
Indiana University School of Medicine

Read Bio Erik D. Andrewski, MD

Second Year Fellow
40273-Rompca, Annemarie

Annemarie Rompca, MS, MD

PGY 6
Indiana University School of Medicine

Read Bio Annemarie Rompca, MS, MD

First Year Fellow
62235-Plott, Natalia

Natalia Plott, MD

PGY 5
New York Medical College

Read Bio Natalia Plott, MD

First Year Fellow
62231-Rusch, Courtney

Courtney Rusch, MD

PGY 5
University of Toledo College of Medicine

Read Bio Courtney Rusch, MD

On Call Duty

On-Call Duty

The fellows have out-of-hospital call responsibilities during all three fellowship years. The call responsibilities are equally divided among the fellows.

Research

Research

Fellows can engage in basic science, clinical, translational or health services research. A scholarship oversight committee guides each fellow through his/her research project(s), and a monthly research conference offers a forum for discussion and evaluation of current projects in the section as well as generation of new ideas. Fellows from Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition are invited to present research data at regional and national scientific meetings and generate manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Primary research in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition  centers on reflux esophagitis, esophageal pH monitoring, eosinophilic esophagitis, inflammatory bowel disease, gastrointestinal motility, hepatitis B and C, cholestatic liver disease, steatohepatitis, Cystic Fibrosis liver disease, short bowel syndrome/intestinal rehabilitation, pancreatitis and quality improvement.