OverviewClinical YearResearch YearInternational/Special Year FellowsContact

 Overview

The Endosurgery Unit offers either a one-year clinical fellowship with the option of a second year of research or a one-year research-only fellowship. The principal components of the clinical year are advanced foregut operations, solid organ surgery, colorectal resections, spine surgery, bariatric surgery, hernia surgery, endoscopic/endoluminal procedures and other advanced laparoscopic applications. To complete the credentialing and privileges process, all clinical fellows must attain medical licensure in the State of Georgia at least six months in advance of the clinical fellowship.

The unit participates in the Fellowship Council Match process and the application deadline is usually September 1. Interviews are often scheduled at Emory in October and November.

 Clinical Year

The bulk of the clinical year is spent at Emory University Hospital and Emory Crawford Long Hospital; the remainder at Grady Memorial Hospital and the Atlanta VA Medical Center. Fellows will learn to perform as both operating surgeons and teaching assistants. If qualified, they may also be given temporary staff appointments with limited roles as attending surgeons.

 Research Year

The Emory Simulation, Training and Robotics Center Center (ESTAR) and the O. Wayne Rollins Research Building are endosurgery research fellows' primary work sites. ESTAR trains clinicians in minimally invasive procedures via computerized and robotic simulation tools, studies and evaluates these tools and investigates surgical robotic systems. This innovative environment is balanced by the traditional resources of the Rollins Building, which includes a fully-equipped laboratory with operating rooms, offices, animal care facilities, veterinary and technical support on site and is an ideal location for collaborating with researchers at Emory University and adjacent institutions like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.

Unit faculty are also involved in NIH-funded basic science research that gives fellows access to wet-lab facilities and other medical school laboratories on campus. Research fellows work closely with faculty, attend weekly meetings to discuss active projects and new proposals, participate in monthly journal meetings and interact with surgeons from around the country at the unit's various didactic and practical training courses.

Throughout the year, fellows present their investigations at national meetings and are often lead authors for any accompanying papers. Past fellows have published in foregut physiology, colon disease, endoscopy, liver surgery, resident education, hernia surgery, inflammatory mediators, diabetes and obesity metabolism. Opportunities to write book chapters and produce instructional videos are also common. Early in the year, research fellows are encouraged to select faculty mentors and to continue honing their surgical skills by regularly interacting with a local endoscopic surgeon.

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 International/Special Year Fellows

Surgeons from other countries have often done research-based fellowships at the unit, spending from three months to two years studying a particular surgical area. Though less common and dependent on space availability, clinical fellowships by surgeons who have completed training outside the US and Canada can be arranged. To be considered for the program, international surgeons are required to present documentation of independent funding, completion of ECFMG requirements, fluency in spoken and written English, visa approval and a temporary training license for the State of Georgia.

Under very special circumstances, U.S. and Canadian surgeons can be approved for 12 to 16 months of clinical training in advanced laparoscopic and GI surgery. Such an arrangement requires that the candidate be interviewed by Dr. Edward Lin, Director of the Endosurgery Unit.

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 Contact

For information regarding the fellowship, call 404.712.2196.

Mailing address:

Emory Endosurgery Fellowship
Emory University School of Medicine
Department of Surgery, EUH-124
1364 Clifton Road, NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30322

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