Jeffrey B. Raskin, M.D.
Professor of Medicine
Interim Chief, Division of Gastroenterology
Program Director, University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center
The Division of Gastroenterology and the residency training program in Gastroenterology at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center is devoted to the quality care of patients; clinical research in disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and liver; and the education of physicians in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of patients with gastrointestinal disorders.
Our mission is accomplished by the division's nationally and internationally recognized faculty working together to provide quality and cost-effective patient care and cutting-edge clinical research. The faculty members serve as attending physicians actively involved in the Gastroenterology residency training program at Jackson Memorial Hospital including affiliated hospitals, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Mount Sinai Medical Center and the University of Miami Hospital and Clinics, educating physicians seeking a career in this specialty. The faculty have a wide range of special interests, including esophageal disorders, ulcer disease, gastrointestinal cancer, disorders of the liver and pancreas, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, associated disorders, and a full range of expertise in diagnostic and therapeutic gastrointestinal endoscopy.
The Faculty within the Division of Gastroenterology hold to the philosophical educational belief that clinical ability or competence is multidimensional and that no single method can be used to teach clinical skills nor can one single tool be utilized to adequately assess a Fellow's knowledge, skill and attitude. Therefore to ensure effective teaching and assessment of competence, the program utilizes a multifaceted approach.
The training program in Gastroenterology at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center is ACGME-accredited and offers three years of formal education designed to qualify the trainees to sit for and pass the Boards in the Subspecialty of Gastroenterology and to become a recognized consultant in both the cognitive and endoscopic aspects of the discipline. The American Board of Internal Medicine has mandated that members of the entering class of 2006 are required to complete three years of training to qualify to take the subspecialty board examination.
From over several hundred applications, we invite 20-24 individuals for interviews from which we select four to five trainees annually. Three years of formal training in Internal Medicine received in an accredited program and three letters of recommendation are the standard requirements. The deadline for receiving completed applications is October 30 for individuals wishing to enter formal training 19 months later; e.g., deadline date October 30, 2004, entering formal training – July 1, 2006. Interviews are conducted at UM/Jackson Memorial Medical Center and the Mount Sinai Medical Center on Fridays beginning in mid-November and continuing through January. Invited applicants are given the option of selecting preferred interview dates. Ranked applicants are notified of our decision by telephone and letter within one to two months of completing their interview. The Division does not participate in any formal matching program. All Fellows completing the program in the past years have taken the subspecialty Board Examination and the percentage for passing the Boards is 100%.
The Fellowship program draws upon the resources of four affiliated hospital centers. Trainees (Fellows) receive formal training at four participating institutions: Jackson Memorial Hospital (JMH), Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC), Mount Sinai Medical Center (MSMC), and the University of Miami Hospital and Clinics/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMHC/SCCC). Rotations through these institutions occur throughout the 36 months of training with the majority of experience taking place in the hospital (JMH) that serves as a primary affiliate of the medical school. An average four to six months of Hepatology training during 36 months of training takes place in the traditional GI training track. In the GI-Hepatology curriculum, four months of training in Hepatology takes place in each of the three years of formal training (12 months of training in Hepatology of the 36 months of GI training). Electives, Nutritional Support, and Research blocks are provided throughout the training period. At the conclusion of formal training, residents should be competent in the cognitive and procedural skills that qualify them to sit for the ABIM specialty board certifying examination in gastroenterology.