GI Training at UT Southwestern

While we can tell you all about our fellowship program, here's what our fellows had to say about training at UT Southwestern.

Clinical Fellows

Patrick Marquardt, Second Year Fellow
I have loved my experience in the GI fellowship at UTSW. The exposure we get in different clinical settings including Parkland, CUH, and the VA is second to none. My co-fellows and the program leadership have been so supportive throughout the process and I really feel like I am part of a family here. I am so lucky to be part of this team!

Jiexin Wang, Third Year Fellow
It has been an extraordinary experience training in the UT Southwestern GI program. I'm getting an incredibly broad clinical exposure to diverse patient populations and a wide array of pathologies by rotating at three large health systems (a public hospital, the university hospital, and the VA medical center). The endoscopy training here is phenomenal, working with a talented and dedicated group of faculty members who always take the time to teach. There are also great mentorship resources and support for scholarly activities with which many of us are able to publish and present at national conferences. Overall, I feel confident that the program has equipped me with the strongest skill sets and prepared me to become a well-rounded independent gastroenterologist. Lastly, I'm very thankful for the tremendous support I received from the program in times of life challenges.

Sumana Reddy, Second Year Fellow
The clinical training at UTSW is incredibly strong. It is amazing and extremely humbling to train across three different hospital systems with a diverse patient population, you will definitely see a wide variety of pathology! On top of that, we get to work with the most incredible and supportive program leadership, faculty, and co-fellows!

Emil Thyssen, First Year Fellow
As a brand new fellow, I was really nervous to start fellowship given the steep learning curve that I was anticipating from a GI fellowship. I started on one of our flagship rotations, Parkland GI consults and after having been in for only a month, I’ve been so happy. The camaraderie from the fellows and attendings has been incredible. The upper level fellows have recurrently offered to help offload me by offering to consent patients for procedures and trying to make sure that my day goes smoothly, offering tips and tricks for efficiency. Despite the fact that attendings switch off service each week, all 5 of the attendings I’ve had so far have been so welcoming, understanding, and patient as I learn how to triage consults and get an early feel for the endoscope. The parkland patient population is second to none and in the first few weeks I’ve already had a variety of procedures including taking down a Minnesota tube, banding large varices, clipping a bleeding vessel, removing a dangerous metal object impaction, and done some juicy polypectomies. My first year fellows and I have also hung out multiple times already including brunch and bowling. Though it probably sounds cheesy, I genuinely have walked out of the hospital every day with a smile on my face feeling confident that this was absolutely the right choice in fellowship and training program! I don’t have enough good things to say overall, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store next!

Mohammadamin Fallahzadeh, First Year Fellow
I have had a great experience at UT Southwestern Medical Center so far. The faculty and program administrators created a welcoming environment from day one, promoting a culture of collaboration among the team members. The curriculum is comprehensive and up to date, while the emphasis on mentorship allows for individualized learning and professional guidance. Beyond the academic aspect that involves training in 3 different hospital systems, the program's commitment to work-life balance and mental well-being fosters a close-knit community where everyone's voices are valued.

Ashwini Arvind, First Year Fellow
I have loved my GI training at UT Southwestern so far. We have the opportunity to serve a diverse patient population and see a fascinating array of pathologies. The program is clinically rigorous with a high procedural volume, so we quickly feel comfortable managing patients across the spectrum of GI disorders. The faculty are kind, approachable and knowledgeable, and there is an emphasis on fellow wellness. In addition, the quality of academic mentorship is superb. I am excited for what is to come!

Research Fellows

Aaron Fond;
We have a wide diversity of experiences in fellowship because of the different sites we train at. More than anything though, this program is great because of the culture among the fellows. There is a collaborative and collegial atmosphere with everyone trying to help each other out, which makes stressful days much more bearable.

Stuart Liu
I met some of the most supportive and nicest people in UT Southwestern. I enjoy working with my co-fellows. Everyone is willing to help out and we can always rely on each other. UT Southwestern provides training in three very different clinical settings including a well-functioning public hospital (Parkland), a private university hospital (Clements), and one of the largest VA in the country. The breadth and depth of pathology here are amazing and we are well positioned to become independent gastroenterologists. Finally, there are multiple mentors willing to help in education, career development, or research.

Amin Amin
The training and opportunities in this program are incredible. I have never learned or experienced so much in such a short amount of time or had so much fun doing so. Every day I work with amazing and inspirational co-fellows and faculty, who are so welcoming, eager to teach and support you to be the best you can be. We are very often mentored by world experts in their fields whose pearls of wisdom are priceless! The trifecta of a VA, University hospital and County Hospital enrich the training and Parkland lives up to its reputation in never failing to provide interesting, "case-report" worthy pathology. I am honored to be training here!

Alumni

Jan Petrasek
We have the opportunity to interact with nationally and internationally-renowned experts in all fields of gastroenterology and hepatology, and to have the opportunity to work on a number of inpatient services settings as well as multiple subspecialty clinics. The faculty physicians within the division create a positive learning environment for the fellows and there is no shortage of mentorship in terms of the number of different mentors for clinical education, research and career coaching.

Kristina Tzartzeva
My favorite parts of the program are the fellows as well as the interactions we have amongst each other and with faculty. The clinical training and diversity of cases at UTSW certainly make the fellowship special and a great place to learn.

Phillip Gu
UT Southwestern is probably one of the most unique training environment that I have encountered. It has the trifecta of training at a VA, university hospital, and county hospital. The breadth and diversity of exposure to different patients and pathology is unreal and will provide its trainees with the confidence as attendings to handle any situation in the future. Furthermore, I am continuously impressed by the faculty's commitment to fellow's education and developing the particular career they envision.

Jane Lim
I like the diverse clinical training sites, the clinical volume and most importantly, my co-fellows and the family-like atmosphere at UT Southwestern.

Hunter Dunn
By training in the UTSW program, you get to see it all. Covering three large hospital systems, you are immersed in a diverse clinical experience that provides exposure to the breadth and depth of gastroenterology and hepatology. I have been amazed at the things we get to see and do every day. This is all while being mentored and guided by world-class faculty and exceptional co-fellows.

James Haddad (Current Advanced Endoscopy Fellow)
I was focused on matching into a program that would help me become the best clinician possible, and so far my experience has been that and every faculty member I’ve worked with has seemed to share that goal. The program gives us access to a wide variety of potential mentors who are both great diagnosticians and skilled endoscopists.

Sally Knooihuizen
UTSW is a phenomenal training program because we are exposed to an incredible breadth and depth of GI problems as well as an incredibly diverse patient population. All of the faculty are dedicated to providing superb patient care and always take the time to focus on fellow education. Lastly, there is incredible opportunity and support for academic work here at UTSW, from basic science to clinic research to case reports and presentations.

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