Program Aims

The GI/Liver fellowship training program aims to provide each fellow, in each year of fellowship training, with the clinical, educational and research resources needed to develop expertise in each of the six core competencies related to the clinical practice of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Fellows are encouraged to pursue post-graduation careers in advanced fellowship training programs (advanced endoscopy, inflammatory bowel disease, liver transplant hepatology), academic or private practices.

Program Description

The USC/LAG GI/Liver fellowship is an integrated program designed to educate fellowship trainees in the evaluation, care and treatment of patients with a variety of gastrointestinal and liver disorders. The educational home is at the LAG Medical Center. Clinical rotations here provide in-patient and outpatient experiences in consultative GI, Hepatology and endoscopic practices. Selected senior fellows participate in advanced endoscopic procedures (ERCP, EUS).

Experiences at LAG Hospital and Keck Hospital at USC make up the core of our educational curriculum. Keck Hopsital rotations are to outpatient electives, the inpatient GI Consult, and Liver Transplant Hepatology services. Fellows gain experiences in GI consultation in the quaternary care setting. Fellows on the Liver Transplant Hepatology service care for patients with cirrhosis, complications of portal hypertension and liver cancer needing liver replacement and patients hospitalized after liver transplantation.

The GI/Liver fellow’s educational experience is reinforced by regular specialty and subspecialty conferences. Scholarly activity is promoted by 1-2 months of protected research time in each of the three years of training. Fellows are urged to attend and to present scientific findings at national and international GI and liver conferences.

Fast Facts

  • Largest teaching hospital in the US

  • One of the most diverse patient population in the US

  • Clinical experience in county hospital (LAG Medical Center) population and quaternary hospital (Keck Hospital of USC and Norris Cancer Hospital) population

  • Robust experiences in diagnostic, therapeutic and advanced endoscopy with potential for 4th year fellowship in advanced endoscopy

  • Active liver transplantation program with potential for integrated 3-year GI and transplant hepatology fellowship (formerly known as “pilot program”) or 4th year fellowship in advanced transplant hepatology

  • Largest living donor liver transplant program in California

  • Only transfusion-free liver transplant program in the US

  • Keck Hospital ranked #13 in the nation in Gastroenterology & GI Surgery according to US News & World Report for 2023-24

  • Comprehensive outpatient GI and Liver clinic activities

  • New state-of-the-art endoscopy unit open at Keck Hospital of USC, opened in 2023

  • Diverse group of research mentors in clinical, translational, and basic science research

  • NIDDK sponsored T32, 3-year research pathway for those interested in clinical, basic, or translational research in hepatology

  • Current AASLD president, Dr. Norah Terrault along with two former presidents, Dr. Neil Kaplowitz and Dr. Laurie Deleve, on faculty

  • Former ASGE president, Dr. Jacque VanDam on faculty