Advanced Fellowship in General and Transplant Hepatology
Introduction
As the field of hepatology continues to develop and expand with higher global prevalence of cirrhosis, innovative and expanding treatments requiring specific expertise, and increased number of liver transplants being performed, the need for qualified hepatologists to manage patients with advanced liver diseases, liver-related malignancies, immunosuppression and post-transplant care have dramatically increased. Thus, there is a great need for in-depth training to acquire additional knowledge and skills in this particular sub-subspecialty of Gastroenterology. In November 2006, the American Board of Internal Medicine started to offer the certifying examinations in Transplant Hepatology, now recognized as a distinct discipline. Eligibility for such certification requires certification in Gastroenterology and completion of one-year training in advanced hepatology with focus on liver transplantation in an ACGME-accredited training program.
Program Description
The University of Chicago Advanced Fellowship in Transplant Hepatology became ACGME certified in 2007 and provides a broad practical and scholarly exposure to clinical problems and in-depth research training in areas of liver diseases and liver transplantation. The program has a long and consistent history of graduating scholarly clinicians as well as prominent clinical investigators. Direct and continuous support and supervision by and with full-time faculty offers a personal approach to the trainee’s educational, clinical and scientific development. The training program utilizes the extensive clinical, endoscopic, and research facilities found at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Because of the University of Chicago’s reputation as a top-rated referral center and our location in the heart of the city of Chicago, there is a broad exposure to common liver conditions, as well as unusual and difficult to manage clinical cases. The University of Chicago Liver Transplant Program housed within the Transplant Institute is United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)-approved and remains in good standing as a liver transplant center, offering living donor liver transplants and multiorgan transplants (including liver-kidney, heart-liver, heart-liver-kidney, liver-lung etc).
The Transplant Hepatology fellowship is closely associated with the fully ACGME-accredited three-year fellowship leading to board eligibility for Gastroenterology. The duration of training will be 12 months.
The inpatient hepatology service at the University of Chicago is comprised of faculty members, research associates, clinical nurses, research nurses, transplant pharmacists, transplant dieticians, and transplant social workers engaged in the delivery of state of the art care to patients with complex liver disease. We are committed to advancing liver care via exploration of innovative therapies and understanding the pathophysiology and outcomes of different disease states at all levels - from clinical to translational. During this period, the trainee will become proficient in the management of acute and chronic liver conditions, including end-stage liver disease and its complications. They will also become proficient in the evaluation and care of liver transplant candidates as well as in the management of liver transplant recipients and their potential complications. Opportunities to initiate or participate in ongoing research activities in hepatology as well as liver transplantation are available.
The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and applications are encouraged from minority groups and physically disadvantaged individuals.
Resources:
Program Director:
Anjana A. Pillai, MD
Professor of Medicine and Surgery
apillai1@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
FAX: (773) 834-1288
Associate Program Director:
Alan L. Hutchison, MD, PhD
Clinical Instructor of Medicine
AlanLHutchison@uchicago.edu
Affiliated Faculty:
Andrew Aronsohn, MD, Professor of Medicine
Nisha Howarth, MD, Clinical Associate of Medicine
Chris Kasia, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine
Matthew A. Odenwald, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine
Sonali Paul, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine
Gautham Reddy, MD, Professor of Medicine
Mary E. Rinella, MD, Professor of Medicine
Helen S. Te, MD, Professor of Medicine
Venue:
The University of Chicago
Any other hospitals where liver donor organs will be procured from
Education Program
Pre-requisites for Program
Completion of residency training in Internal Medicine
Completion of, or enrollment in, a three-year fellowship training in Gastroenterology*
Valid Illinois Medical License (application may be pending)
Appropriate visa requirements if non-U.S. citizen or immigrant
Education Goals
The Advanced Fellowship in Transplant Hepatology affords the applicant focused training in clinical care and clinical and/or translational research in hepatology and liver transplantation. This training is intended to further the sub-specialty training in Gastroenterology and serve as a “third tier” educational experience for Gastroenterology Fellows intending to focus careers on Hepatology.
Education Activities
The Advanced Fellowship in Transplant Hepatology will combine inpatient and outpatient clinical experience in general and transplant hepatology as well as clinical and/or translational research opportunities. The fellowship will involve 26 weeks of inpatient consult service, 22 weeks of outpatient (of which 8 weeks will be dedicated to research), and 4 weeks of vacation. Inpatient service will be in 2 week blocks. Attendance at weekly continuity clinic and transplant clinic will be maintained. During outpatient blocks, fellows will have one ½ day of endoscopy per week, with more available as desired. A keen intellectual environment will be promoted by the attending staff devoted to patient care and teaching, and further fostered with educational conferences and lecture series.
Inpatient hepatology/liver transplant service
The inpatient hepatology service at the University of Chicago is a consult-only service, with close co-management of patients on the hospitalist liver service and surgical liver services and consultation with other hospital services. The TH fellow will serve 26 inpatient weeks in two week blocks. Fellows will act as junior attendings and supervise the GI fellow, who primarily holds the pager. Fellows will be expected to hold the pager when the GI fellow is in clinic and if the GI fellow become unexpectedly ill during the workday. The TH fellow will not be expected to cover the service on weekends. The TH fellow will help the GI fellow manage the team, paying special attending to peri-transplant patients and those that are high acuity in need for expedited liver transplantation. The fellow will join the attending on daily post-transplant rounds, which is a multidisciplinary effort with transplant surgeons, transplant pharmacists, transplant dieticians, transplant social workers and other members of the team. The TH fellow (along with the GI fellows, internal medicine residents and medical students) will be expected to acquire clinical data, develop a diagnosis/treatment plan, and execute the plan under the guidance of the service attending physician. The fellow will assist with the didactic and bedside teaching of residents and medical students and guide them in the care of advanced acute and chronic liver disease. During inpatient service, the fellow will attend one afternoon transplant clinic.
Surgical Exposure
In addition to inpatient rounding on the surgical patients with the surgical team, the TH fellow will observe at least 3 liver transplant procedures and 1 organ procurement call. Each of the surgical experiences will be maintained in a written log which will be verified and documented by the attending surgeon. The fellow will have adequate exposure to the clinical and ethical decisions involved in at least 5 cases of living-related liver transplantation.
Research
Two months will be dedicated to clinical, translational, or basic research. The trainee will continue their outpatient continuity clinics (pre- and post-transplant) during this period, but will maintain at least 75% fully protected time. Opportunities to continue research work will be available during the Ambulatory Hepatology rotations as well.
The trainee will additionally be required to participate in 1 Quality Improvement project over the course of the year as required by the ACGME.
Outpatient clinics / Ambulatory Hepatology
Three intense clinics will form the nucleus of the continuous outpatient experience: a surgical/medical peri-transplant clinic, a rotating general hepatology clinic, and a liver tumor clinic.
Transplant Clinic: This comprehensive clinic is staffed by transplant hepatologists, surgeons, pharmacists, dieticians, and social workers, seeing both new and follow-up pre-transplant as well as post-transplant patients. Immediate post-transplant outpatient care is managed by the surgeons, with most patients converting to hepatology care at month 3. Every week there is a 90-minute multidisciplinary meeting to review inpatients and outpatients and select patients for transplant listing.
Liver Tumor Clinic: This multi-disciplinary clinic is staffed by hepatologists, transplant surgeons, medical oncologists and interventional radiologists. This clinic sees internal and external referrals for liver related malignancies. It is paired with a 60-minute weekly multidisciplinary tumor board staffed by an expert abdominal radiologist and other members of the multidisciplinary team.
General Hepatology: During the Ambulatory Hepatology rotations, the trainee will participate in an additional half day of general hepatology clinic, where initial evaluation for newly found liver problems, treatment of common liver diseases, and management of end-stage liver disease and its complications in both transplant and non-transplant candidates are being carried out. The fellow will be expected to change general hepatology clinics quarterly, to obtain a variety of experiences.
Endoscopy: During their outpatient block, fellows will have a one ½ day per week of endoscopy, with additional endoscopic opportunities as desired.
Supplementary rotations: During their outpatient block, when not in clinic, endoscopy, or conference, the fellow will have the opportunity to participate in additional rotations, including but not limited to:
- Immunocompromised ID
- Interventional Radiology
- Diagnostic Radiology
- GI / Liver Pathology
- Transplant Nephrology
- Addiction Psychiatry/Psychology
2025-2026 schedule (sample, subject to change)
| Day | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| AM | Clinic / Endo | Clinic / Endo | Open Elective | Transplant Clinic | Clinic/Endo |
| PM | Liver Tumor Clinic | Transplant Clinic (during inpatient) | Clinic / Endo | Tumor Board Selection Meeting |
Open Elective |
Inpatient Service
Outpatient Service
Procedures
The TH fellow will continue to perform selected endoscopic procedures. In addition, the fellow will have opportunities for the performance of large volume paracentesis, the management of post-transplant wound care, and, if desired, liver biopsy.
Conferences
Weekly conferences include:
- GI/Hepatology Grand Rounds (one presentation expected annually)
- Fellow Clinical Didactics and Academic Skills Conference,
- Liver Tumor Board,
- Liver Transplant Selection Committee Meeting (inpatient fellow expected to present patients)
- Living Donor Selection Committee Meeting
- GI Research Conference (one presentation expected annually**)
Bi-weekly:
- Liver Pathology Conference alternates every two weeks
- Morbidity and Mortality Conference (two presentation expected annually)
Monthly:
- Hepatology journal club (one article presented per meeting)
- Liver Telehealth Clinical Case Conference (two presentations expected annually)
- Transplant Didactics (Fridays)
- Transplant Institute Mini-Bootcamp (one presentation expected annually**)
All conferences are well-attended by attending staff and are mandatory for fellows. Fellows are expected to regularly participate, present cases weekly during selection committee meeting, and present at least once to Grand Rounds, Research Conference and M&M.
Conferences: Fellows should attend at least one of the following: The Liver Meeting (AASLD), American Transplant Congress, and the AST Fellow Symposium. During this time fellows are excused from inpatient and outpatient duties. They are also encouraged to present at the UChicago Department of Medicine Medical Education Day (February) or Medical Research Day (April).
Evaluation Process
Trainees will be evaluated by evaluation forms. Research Projects will be assessed according to scientific merit with expectation for publication of original research, case reports/series, and/or systematic review.
How to Apply:
Visit the AASLD Transplant Hepatology Fellowship Application System.
Celina Canchola
Fellowship Coordinator
University of Chicago Medical Center
5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC 4070
Chicago, IL 60637
ccanchola@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
* Canadian Gastroenterology fellows may apply during/after a two-year GI fellowship.
** Trainees interested in a clinician-scientist track will present to the GI research conference, those on a clinician-educator track will present to the Transplant Institute Mini-Bootcamp
***Positions for the 2026-2027 academic years are filled