Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship - Houston

All entrants must have completed the equivalent of three years of ACGME-accredited residency training in pediatrics.

The fellowship program offers training at one of the premiere children's hospitals in the United States, Texas Children's Hospital. Our goal is to educate pediatricians to become well-rounded pediatric gastroenterologists. You will be immersed in a dynamic environment that fosters both clinical mastery and innovative scientific inquiry, preparing you for an impactful career in academic medicine. To apply for GI fellowship, please submit all documents through the Electronic Residency Application Service.

Completed program application with required documents must be submitted through the Electronic Residency Application Service:

• Personal statement
• Three reference letters (one must be from your residency program director)
• Photo
• USMLE or COMPLEX Scores
• Foreign applicants, please submit all additional required documents where applicable

The Baylor CM Pediatric GI Fellowship participates in the National Resident Matching Program.

Questions? Contact Lisa Kuchik, fellowship coordinator, at lkuchik@bcm.edu.

The curriculum includes:

• Year 1: Inpatient Clinical Training = 20 weeks Consults, 13 weeks Liver Service; Research Training = 13 weeks; Outpatient Clinic = 6 weeks
• Year 2: Inpatient Consult Service = 6 weeks; Research Training = 48 weeks; Fellows Continuity Clinic = Half day per week
• Year 3: Inpatient Consult Service = 6 weeks; Research Training = 48 weeks; Fellows Continuity Clinic = Half day per week

The Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition provides a robust and engaging conference schedule, complementing the educational opportunities offered by the Department of Pediatrics. Specifically, the division hosts a CME-accredited case conference, which provides an opportunity to delve into complex patient presentations and discuss the latest evidence-based practices in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition. These sessions offer a dynamic forum for critical thinking and collaborative learning. 

The division hosts a monthly Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) case conference. This specialized conference allows us to present complex IBD patients and engage in in-depth discussions regarding their workup and various treatment options, providing invaluable insights into managing these challenging cases.

Our hepatology and liver transplantation team conducts weekly conferences including a multidisciplinary patient care conference, pathology conference, and medical review board. In addition, our fellows receive a dedicated lecture series as a part of their Hepatology Critical Care and Transplant Service training focused on acute liver failure, pediatric liver transplantation, and navigating patients’ pre- and post-transplant complications.

Our fellows are welcomed into a supportive learning environment with a dedicated didactic curriculum held every Friday at noon. These engaging sessions, led by our expert faculty, cover a wide range of essential topics to help our fellows feel confident and well-prepared, both in their clinical practice and for the GI fellowship board examination.

Our monthly Journal Club meetings offer a relaxed and welcoming space for trainees to connect with both clinical and research faculty. Whether held on campus with lunch provided or in the comfort of faculty homes with dinner, these gatherings create the perfect environment for meaningful discussions on groundbreaking research—nurturing mentorship, fostering camaraderie, and building lasting connections.Our fellows will also participate in the Baylor College of Medicine Pediatric Subspecialty Fellows’ College.  This community of subspecialty fellows creates a supportive environment ideal for meaningful learning and personal development.  The Fellows' College curriculum includes topics on “Fellows as Educators”, “Quality Improvement and Patient Safety”, “Research and Scholarship”, “Leadership”, and “Professionalism and Communication”.

Our division proudly supports and participates in various impactful events, including the Crohn's and Colitis annual walk, the American Liver Foundation annual Walk, and Camp SIA, a free camp designed for patients living with liver and bowel diseases.

Our program is pleased to offer our fellows the opportunity to apply for the prestigious NIH T32 grant. This funding provides fellows with the chance to engage in cutting-edge research while receiving invaluable support for their professional development.

Our fellows also have the opportunity to benefit from the Texas Medical Center Digestive Diseases Center which is a federally funded center that supports basic and clinical researchers within the Texas Medical Center including Baylor College of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, and MD Anderson Cancer Center.  

The fellowship program at Baylor College of Medicine offers three distinct training tracks, each meticulously designed to align with a fellow's unique career aspirations. All tracks are rigorous, with an emphasis on academic pursuit and productivity during the second and third years of fellowship, and providing a personalized and impactful training experience. 

Investigator Track – The Investigator Track provides comprehensive training in scientific investigation. Fellows in this track engage in the full range of the scientific process, including hypothesis development, planning and executing investigations, interpreting new data, and presenting findings. A primary objective is to develop the skills necessary for independent assessment of scientific evidence.

Mentors and scientific oversight committees work with the trainee to develop lines of investigation that are important, feasible, and conceptualized to permit meaningful data acquisition within the first 12 to 15 months of research training. This allows adequate time for data interpretation and provides ample opportunity for presentation and publication of findings. This process equips the trainee with the requisite skills for critical interpretation of new data, whether laboratory or clinically based.

Clinical Niche Track – This track offers a combination of in-depth clinical experience and rigorous investigation, and is designed for fellows pursuing a patient-care focused career within a clinical niche of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. This track is designed for individuals interested in areas such as inflammatory bowel disease, neurogastroenterology and motility, hepatology, advanced procedures, global health, or aerodigestive disorders.

Advanced clinical training is integrated with a research endeavor to prepare the fellow as a clinical specialist capable of conducting patient-oriented research. The scope of investigation and/or research product is tailored to accommodate additional clinical training without diminishing academic rigor. To pursue this track, a specific clinical niche must be identified by the trainee within nine months of entering fellowship. View the Clinical Niche Track details.

Physician-Scientist Track – The Physician-Scientist Track provides clinically relevant research training with the specific goal of attaining an independently funded career as a physician-scientist in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition. The near-term objective for individuals in this track is to obtain NIH K-award (or equivalent) funding within three years of fellowship completion.

This track involves a distinct and rigorous application and interview process. Successful applicants typically possess extensive prior research experience. Scientific endeavors in this track can include basic, translational, clinical, or educational research.

Prospective fellows interested in this track should contact Dr. Benjamin Shneider at Benjamin.Shneider@bcm.edu for their application to be considered. Applications for this track are submitted separately through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Applicants also desiring consideration for a Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition Fellowship position outside of this track should apply for both through ERAS.