The Hepatology Fellowship at the School of Medicine is directed primarily toward physicians in training who have:

1. Prior training in gastroenterology with an interest in developing further expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of biliary tract and liver diseases.

2. An interest in pursuing an academic career in hepatology. This program is offered with three years of training devoted to clinical experience and one or more years directed toward research.

3. A person already trained in hepatology who seeks a career specializing in liver transplantation that will spend a year training on the liver transplant service.

Periodically, candidates without previous gastroenterology training who plan to follow a Hepatology Fellowship with a Gastroenterology Fellowship are accepted.

The Hepatology Fellowship is clinically oriented. The primary objective is to train physicians to be well versed in the pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical manifestations, and management of liver disease. The Hepatology fellow has responsibility to serve as a consultant in liver disease at the University of Miami Medical Center. The fellows rotate through the four hospitals located on the medical campus: University of Miami Hospital and Clinics, Jackson Memorial Hospital, the Miami Veterans Affairs Hospital, and Cedars Medical Center.

Medical students electively take hepatology and can participate in case presentations and all conferences. The fellow plays a major role in the teaching and supervision of the students during their rotation through the division. Weekly conferences include a journal club, case conference, or a topic review. In conjunction with the Department of Surgery, there is both a weekly liver-surgical and liver biopsy conference. The Hepatology Fellow will work closely with the Division of Liver/GI Transplantation and will become knowledgeable in the management of liver transplant patients.

Patients seen at the Center for Liver Diseases represent a wide cross-section of both clinical and pathological examples. Patients are seen by the fellows and presented to the attending physician daily. The fellows have an opportunity to learn liver biopsy, endoscopy, and laparoscopic liver biopsy. There is a weekend call schedule, however, night calls are infrequent. Hepatology fellows are obligated to participate in the physical diagnosis courses given to medical students.

CLINICAL FACILITIES/SERVICES

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI HOSPITAL AND CLINICS

The University of Miami Hospital and Clinics is the private hospital of the University of Miami having extensive outpatient clinics and ancillary services.

Hepatology Service
Inpatient Admissions and Consult Service Procedures:
Diagnostic laparoscopy and liver biopsy, endoscopy

Outpatient Clinic (daily):
100-120 private liver patients seen weekly by six faculty hepatologists.

JACKSON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

Jackson Memorial Hospital is an accredited, not-for-profit, major teaching hospital. The hospital complex serves a large and diverse population. The facility also is one of the largest hospitals under a single license in the United States and also serves as the major teaching facility for the University of Miami School of Medicine.

Hepatology Service
Inpatient Admissions and Consult Service Procedures:
Percutaneous liver biopsy laparascopy and GI endoscopy

Outpatient Clinic (weekly):
40 county liver patients seen weekly by two faculty hepatologists.

THE MIAMI VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER

The Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center is a full service hospital. Affiliated with the center are community based substance abuse and satellite outpatient clinics in Riviera Beach, Oakland Park and Key West. The Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center has one of the largest research programs and has been designated one of two Centers of Excellence in the Veterans Affairs Medical Center hospital network for the treatment of patients with Hepatitis C. A separate clinic for the treatment of veterans with Hepatitis C has been established at this facility.

Hepatology Service
Inpatient Admissions and Consult Service Procedures:
Diagnostic laparoscopy and liver biopsy

Outpatient Clinics (bi-weekly):
60 liver patients per week.

HEPATOLOGY TRANSPLANT SERVICE

Inpatient Service: More than 200 transplants per year.
Outpatient clinics (daily): 7-10 patients per week in pre transplant clinic and 60-80 patients per week in post transplant clinics.

JACKSON MEDICAL TOWERS


(Administrative Office and Clinical Research Trial Center)
Ten research study coordinators, assisted by clerical, data entry, and laboratory personnel review patient care and protocol compliance for 55 clinical research therapeutic trials.

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI HOSPITAL

The University of Miami Hospital is a private hospital located within the medical center complex. The Center For Liver Diseases has a 15 bed liver unit for inpatient care and teaching/conference facilities. Patients awaiting liver transplantation who require hospitalization are admitted to the liver unit or ICU at the University of Miami Hospital and are under the care of the hepatology staff.

Hepatology Service
Center For Liver Disease Liver Unit Inpatient admissions and consult service
Procedures: GI endoscopy, laparoscopy and liver biopsy