Bariatric Surgery Fellowship – Curriculum
The fellowship is for one year (August 1 – July 31) The fellow can expect to perform more than 100 minimally invasive bariatric metabolic procedures during the year. These procedures shall include:
- Laparoscopic Roux en y gastric bypass
- Laparoscopic vertical sleeve gastrectomy
- Laparoscopic revision of previous bariatric procedure
- Esophagogastroduodenoscopy- diagnostic therapeutic- gastrostomy tube placement
- Bariatric endoscopy procedures including intra-gastric balloon placement/removal and endoscopic suturing procedures
- In addition certain adjunctive procedures are frequently performed in the context of bariatric surgery patient care including laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair, laparoscopic feeding access- gastrotomy tubes- jejuostomy; Laparocopic pyloroplasty
The fellow will attend clinic for one full day per week minimum. Here he or she will demonstrate the following:
- Ability to obtain a relevant history and physical
- Order appropriate diagnostic tests in order prepare a patient for bariatric surgery
- Decide on the appropriate surgery for the patient
- Formulate a proper evaluation and plan for the minimally invasive bariatric procedure
- Development of a proper follow up plan for the patient and postoperative management
- Fully evaluate and treat patients with bariatric surgery-related complications (both short and long-term) as well as with weight regain after a previous bariatric operation
Daily Activities
The fellow will be a clinical instructor with the department of surgery. He/she will round on all of the bariatric patients each day. The Fellow will attend one full day of clinic per week. Participation in all educational and administrative conferences is mandatory. Arrangements for call will be established based on the General/Bariatric surgery division attending call schedule (no more than once a week and one weekend per month).
Research
East Carolina University and the Brody School of Medicine offer a wide variety of research opportunities for the Fellow. Specifically, our thirty year history of performing obesity provides a wealth of retrospective as well as prospective clinical research on obesity and related diseases. Bench research is also being performed at our institution on obesity and related disease through ECU’s departments of biochemistry, physiology, exercise, and sport science, and the human performance laboratory. The surgery department collaborates with these departments in joint research projects through the East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute at East Carolina University.
Education
As a clinical instructor, the Fellow will have several required teaching requirements. Daily contact with the residents and medical students will provide the fellow with opportunity for informal teaching at the bedside and in the operating room. The fellow will also be assigned to give several lectures to medical students during their rotation on surgery. There is a formal M&M conference every week involving the faculty, residents, and medical students on the General and Laparoscopic Surgery/ Bariatric Surgery service as well as the entire Surgery Department. The residents are responsible for the presentations at this conference, but the fellow is expected to present the bariatric surgery patients as needed. Near the completion of the year, the fellow is required to present at Surgery grand rounds on the topic of their choice.