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Fellowship Details & Requirements

After years of serving as a training site for fellow rotations, the UT MD Anderson Gastroenterology and Hepatology department created this fellowship program with UTMB to provide a more comprehensive experience for fellows.

The fellowship secured ACGME accreditation in April 2022 and recruited its inaugural of two fellows the following July. Both fellows graduated in June 2025.

Our fellowship matriculates two fellows each year. The curriculum of the fellowship is designed to maintain balance of clinical experiences, research, and wellness. Our fellowship features three distinct monthly rotation types, distributed equally across three areas:

1) Outpatient (ambulatory) clinic

Fellows will spend several half-days each week in a variety of GI/liver clinics, generally spending at least two half-days with the same faculty to ensure adequacy of exposure while maintaining variety.
Several half-days of administrative and study time will be allotted each month.

2) Inpatient consultation service

Fellows will participate in both evaluating inpatient consultations and performing inpatient endoscopies (except EUS/ERCP)
Each fellow will generally work with another co-fellow, alongside APPs, occasionally an internal medicine resident that rotates through the service, and two attending physicians (one as the supervising consultant; the other as the endoscopist)

3) Outpatient endoscopy & research (OER)

Fellows will spend several half-days each week in a variety of GI/liver clinics, generally spending at least two half-days with the same faculty to ensure adequacy of exposure while maintaining variety.
Several half-days of administrative and study time will be allotted each month

Fellows in our program also rotate to Houston Methodist Hospital for additional experiences in outpatient liver disease, transplant hepatology (inpatient/outpatient), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (inpatient/outpatient).

Throughout their three-year training, all fellows will participate in the continuity clinic at the main site, during which they will evaluate new consultations and provide longitudinal follow-up. Fellows will learn to establish rapport with their patients and learn to independently partake in the care of their respective patients, under the supervision of an attending physician. The continuity clinic is supervised by three of the core GI faculty members, one of whom is the program director.

Eligibility, Prerequisites & Application Process

Our GME Office has preliminary eligibility requirements that all prospective trainees must meet before applying for a training program at our institution. In addition to these criteria, our program also has the following requirements:

Eligible applicants must be a graduate of an accredited medical school with an M.D. degree or equivalent. The fellowship applicants must have successfully completed an Internal Medicine residency at an accredited U.S. program, or a residency program in Canada accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and are eligible to take the American Board of Internal Medicine written examination.

Fellowship applicants should demonstrate a track record of professionalism, scholarly activity and exceptional patient care. Applicants must be eligible for a Physician in Training permit or a full Texas medical license.

Our program participates in the National Residency Match Program (NRMP) and all positions will be offered through NRMP.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center & The University of Texas Medical Branch Gastroenterology Fellowship Accreditation Number: 1444814002

We will only accept applications through the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS).

The deadline for submission of applications is August 1.

Required documents
In addition to the ERAS application, the completed application package must include:

Three recent letters of recommendation (one from a program director)
Personal statement that demonstrates a track record of professionalism, scholarly activity and exceptional patient care
Official transcript from each medical school attended
USMLE transcript including all attempts. Applicants must have passed each step of the USMLE by the third attempt
Recent photograph
ECFMG certificate if applicable

Additional documents for foreign medical school applicants
Note: Documents in a language other than English must be submitted with a certified translation.

Transcript of all college education
ECFMG certificate – Graduates of medical schools outside the U.S. and Canada must provide a copy of an ECGMG certificate, valid at the program start date.

We accept applications from U.S. citizens, permanent residents and international medical graduates. The J-1 visa is the required visa for international physician trainees requiring visa sponsorship. The J-1 visa is sponsored by the Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).

We strive to adhere to the highest professionalism standards as encouraged by the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) concerning communication with our applicants during and after the interview. All program representatives – faculty, staff, and trainees – who take part in recruitment are trained to know which questions are appropriate to minimize undue stress and coercion on applicants. We believe that every applicant is entitled to a professional, courteous experience.

2025 Match Cycle:
All candidates selected for an interview have been contacted at this time. Thank you to all who applied to our fellowship program. We wish you all the best in Match!

Program Goals & Objectives

Our program is dedicated to training compassionate, respectful, and service-oriented gastroenterologists who pursue academic careers grounded in lifelong teaching and learning, while delivering high-quality patient care. We achieve this by prioritizing each GI fellow’s career development and physician well-being within a collegial, collaborative, and diverse environment that serves a global community of patients.

Program Aims:

Cultivate the next generation of highly-trained gastroenterologists who will be committed to lifelong teaching and learning and high-quality patient care
Maintain a program structure and resources focused on professional development and personal growth of each fellow
Encourage fellows to develop an area of subspecialty for focused clinical study, expansion of basic endoscopic skill sets and production of meaningful scholarly activity
Train confident, competent and ethical gastroenterologists who will be leaders in academic medicine
Understand indications for and perform standard endoscopic procedures, including upper endoscopy and colonoscopy

Patient Care

Perform an accurate physical examination and present information concisely with an initial assessment and plan. Follow the patient’s disease course during the patient’s hospital stay. With attending consultation, formulate and execute an impression and a list of recommendations for the primary service. Observe how an informed consent for endoscopic procedure is obtained. Develop an understanding of appropriate diagnostic tests (e.g., endoscopy, radiologic tests, etc.) in conjunction with the primary/referring service.

Develop expertise in the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic inpatient gastrointestinal diseases including but not limited to:

Upper & lower GI bleeding
Peptic ulcer disease
GI infections
Ischemic colopathy
GI diseases associated with dysphagia and odynophagia
Gastric outlet obstruction
Biliary obstruction
Pancreatitis
Ileus and acute colonic pseudo-obstruction
Gastrointestinal cancer diagnosis
Diagnosis of GI and hepatic complications of bone marrow transplant (including specifically graft-versus-host disease, venoocclusive disease, opportunistic infection)
Diagnosis of GI complications of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, including anemia, thrombocytopenia and neutropenia
Complicated acid-peptic disease
Motility disturbances
Appropriate assessment and treatment options for GI cancer
Mesenteric vascular events
Gastrointestinal infections
Immunotherapy-associated GI toxicities
Liver-related diseases including but not limited to:
- The prevention of acute and chronic end-stage liver disease or cirrhosis
- The evaluation and management of inpatients with acute and chronic end-stage liver disease or cirrhosis
- The identification and management of acute liver failure
- The psychosocial evaluation of all candidates, particularly those with a history of substance abuse
- Drug hepatotoxicity and the interaction of drugs with the liver
- Diagnosis and management of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH)
- Diagnosis and management of cholestatic liver diseases – primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC)
- The evaluation of abnormal liver biochemistries/elevated liver enzymes
- The management of portal hypertension-related complications
- Diagnosis and management of immunotherapy-associated hepatobiliary toxicities

Learn to provide inpatient care that is safe and compassionate and to develop the ability to thoroughly and clearly educate the inpatient in the relevant areas of disease prevention, detection, progression and therapy to promote gastrointestinal health.

Medical Knowledge

Attend core conferences and teaching rounds to learn the pathophysiology, epidemiology, disease management and procedure and medicine management skills for common and uncommon inpatient gastrointestinal diseases including but not limited to the conditions listed above.

Accumulate and begin to solve the issues that they encounter from other trainees, attendings and related medical professionals.

Where applicable, teach medical students the basics of gastroenterology and hepatology care.

Practice-Based Learning

Become familiar with the concepts of quality improvement.
Participate in conferences such as Morbidity & Mortality, geared to the programmatic review of adverse events.
Begin to review, analyze and utilize scientific evidence from the gastrointestinal literature for the management of GI patients.
Learn the best practice patterns to facilitate gastroenterology care through clinic operating procedures and patient interactions.

Interpersonal Communication Skill

Interview patients and family members accurately, patiently and compassionately and present information in an understandable and compassionate manner. Convey bad news compassionately and honestly.
Learn to communicate effectively with staff, peers, attending gastroenterologists, referring physicians and other consultants.

Professionalism

Learn to understand and demonstrate professional behavior in daily activities.
Participate in professionalism-based learning activities through conferences.
Learn to interact collegially with their peer group and other healthcare professionals.
Learn to practice ethical principles with relation to patient care and confidentiality.
Learn to practice appropriate interactions with pharmaceutical representatives and be unbiased in prescribing habits.
Learn to be sensitive to cultural, age, gender and disability issues.
Cross-cover colleagues’ services when needed and conduct this coverage carefully with appropriate feedback to responsible colleagues.
Participate in program planning, including program director meetings.

Systems-Based Practice

Attend conferences concerning healthcare system patient management and components of systems of health care.
Achieve basic understanding of health care systems related to gastroenterology care and overall system activities.
Learn proper documentation and billing skills to practice cost-effective care.
Utilize an appropriate range of health care professionals to care for patients, working closely with socials services to maximize patient care and understanding the role of hospice, referring appropriately when needed.
Begin to understand the standard operating procedures and quality improvement initiatives within the hospital.

Program Structure & Curriculum

Fellows receive comprehensive general GI and liver education over the course of the three-year program, fulfilling all ACGME requirements for gastroenterology training integrating core competencies and milestones.

Fellows rotate through the inpatient consult service, ambulatory clinics, and the OER rotation. Each fellow is assigned four months of OER (outpatient endoscopy/research) per academic year. Time on this rotation is split between the endoscopy lab learning procedural skills and time spent working with research mentors and teams on individual research projects.

Fellows are required to attend their continuity clinic (half-day per week) throughout the academic year (unless they are on vacation). Continuity clinic is located at UT MD Anderson and staffed by the Gastroenterology & Hepatology faculty. Fellows have individual templates and care for a variety of patients with general GI and liver conditions. They work with a dedicated clinic nurse and scheduling team and manage their panel of patients with the guidance of their clinic faculty.

During Year 1, the fellow will gain additional experience in liver disease at the outpatient liver clinics at Houston Methodist Hospital.

During Year 2, the fellow will rotate through the IBD service and the liver transplant service at Houston Methodist Hospital.

During Year 3, the fellow may consider special electives in subspecialty areas based on personal interests and even some electives outside of UT MD Anderson depending on eligibility.

Based on fellows’ feedback throughout the year and discussions during fellowship leadership committee meetings, our program continuously evaluates and enhances curriculum elements to ensure the highest quality of education.

Didactics
We offer our fellows protected time from clinical work to participate in a scheduled didactic program that covers the ACGME Core Curriculum. These dedicated fellow didactics occur on a weekly basis and are led by faculty who have expertise on that topic.

In addition, we have a weekly multi-disciplinary GI-Pathology Clinical Correlation conference, monthly Morbidity & Mortality conference, monthly Onco-Gastroenterology lecture series, Journal Club, Medical Center Motility conference, Immunotoxicity Case Conference, and research-in-progress conference where fellows actively participate. The Fellows’ Case Conference provides a forum for fellows to not only present a case of particular educational interest but to practice presenting to a professional audience and responding to audience inquiries.

Conference or Seminar Name and Frequency

Didactics (Core Curriculum) - Once a month
GI-Pathology Clinical Correalation - Average twice a month
GI Journal Club - Once a month
GI-Radiology Conference - Once per quarter
Fellows' Case Conference - Once a month
GI Board Review Series - Once a month
Fellows' Wellness Curriculum - At least 10x per academic year
Morbidity & Mortality (M&M) - Once a month
Onco-Gastroenterology Conference
Motility Conference - Once a month
UT MD Anderson GI/Liver IOTOX (Immuno-Oncology Toxicity) Conference - Once a month
Research-in-Progress (GRUB-Gastroenterology, Research and Understanding with Bhutani) - Once a month
UT MD Anderson Division of Internal Medicine (DoIM) Grand Rounds - Once a week

All training is done at the main MD Anderson; fellows are given the opportunity to train at our UT MD Anderson West Houston location to experience endoscopy practice in an ambulatory surgery center (particularly at the Life Sciences Plaza endoscopy center nearby the main facility).

Fellows will do subspecialty rotations during second-year fellowship in IBD and liver transplant at Houston Methodist Hospital within the Texas Medical Center. Fellows also have the opportunity to do away-electives during their third year.

Fellows are always supervised and work closely with our faculty. Fellows evaluate each rotation, faculty, program director, and the program overall to help continuously refine and improve their experience.

As part of endoscopy training, fellows from all three years of training will routinely participate at least once a month in simulation-based virtual training. The Simulation Center houses the Surgical Science Simbionix GI Mentor virtual simulator that allows fellows to practice techniques and hone their skills in order to improve their performance during actual patient encounters. Virtual simulation sessions are proctored by GI faculty members.

Career Development
Fellows are afforded the opportunity and the support to participate and present in regional and national conferences, as well as serve on institutional and national committees.

The program will provide fellows with a membership in the following premier national GI societies: American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), American Society for GI Endoscopy (ASGE), American College of Gastroenterology (ACG). Fellows are also encouraged to actively participate in the local Texas Gulf Coast GI Society (TGCGS), Texas Interventional Endoscopy Group (TxIEG), and Texas Society for GI Endoscopy (TSGE) conferences. These conferences, especially local GI meetings, allow the fellows to network with other GI fellows in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. We encourage fellows to attend fellow-specific events and hands-on training where available at these conferences. Fellows are given an annual stipend to support their educational activities. The program director and associate program director both play an important role in guidance and identifying strengths in each fellow to support future career visions.

To support research efforts, the Division of Internal Medicine holds an annual Research Retreat during which abstracts/posters can be presented to others in the department and to like-minded oncologists.

Board Certification
In preparation for the board exam, fellows will take the ITE (in-service training exam) annually. Upon satisfactory completion of the three-year fellowship program, each fellow is eligible and expected to take and pass the written examination of the American Board of Internal Medicine for Board Certification in Gastroenterology.

Trainee Success & Program Outcomes

In June 2025, we graduated the first class of fellows who were our two inaugural fellows that joined the program in July 2022. Dr. Abdullah Shaikh, M.D., joined our own department to continue his endeavor in academic gastroenterology. Cyril Mazhuvanchery, D.O., joined a gastroenterology practice in North Carolina.

Fellow & Faculty Publications

By Program Director:

Peer-Reviewed Articles

Shatila M, Devalaraju S, Takigawa K, Catinis C, Lee I, Baerman E, Ngo S, Mittal N, Glombicki S, Machado AP, Lu L, Aleem AS, Thompson J, Funchain P, Grover S, Zhang HC, Thomas AS, Wang Y. Worse Survival and Gastrointestinal Toxicity Outcomes Among Patients Receiving Proton Pump Inhibitors During Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2025 Jun 18; :1-7. PMID: 40533069 https://doi.org/10.6004/jnccn.2025.7023.

Shatila M, Machado AP, Shah J, Rivera AU, Naz S, Glombicki S, Wali S, Lu E, Short N, Thomas A, Zhang HC, Wang Y. Checkpoint Inhibition Prior to Stem Cell Transplantation Increases the Risk of Inflammatory Adverse Events. Target Oncol. 2025 Mar; 20(2):329-337. PMID: 39904838 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11523-025-01127-7.

Shah J, Caleb Urias Rivera A, Lee IJ, Takigawa K, Mathew A, Wu D, Lu E, Shatila M, Thomas AS, Zhang HC, Altan M, Zhao D, Xiao Q, Wang Y. The Effect of PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitor and Statin Combination Therapy on Overall Survival and Gastrointestinal Toxicity. Am J Clin Oncol. 2024 Oct 30; 48(3):136-141. PMID: 39473073 https://doi.org/10.1097/COC.0000000000001156.

Raju, GS, Patel, K, Suresh, S, Zhang, HC, Diehl, A, Romero, L, Mahometano, LD, Reyes, S, Benitez-Romero, M, Slocum, T, Soetikno, R, Verdeyen, JM, Rach, JM, Dellert, EL, Villegas, R, Bruton, M, Gricar, J, Nicotera, P. Development of an endoscopy technician training certificate program in a community college. iGIE. 2024 Jun 01; 3(2):153-162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.igie.2023.11.013.

Shatila, M, Eshaghi, F, Thomas, A, Kuang, AG, Shah, JS, Zhao, B, Naz, S, Sun, M, Fayle, S, Jin, J, Abudayyeh, A, Sheshadri, A, Palaskas, NL, Franco Vega, M, Gaeta, MS, Thomas, AS, Zhang, HC, Wang, Y. Practice Changes in Checkpoint Inhibitor-Induced Immune-Related Adverse Event Management at a Tertiary Care Center. Cancers. 2024 Jan 01; 16(2) PMID: 38254858 PMCID: PMC10814014.

Sperling, G, Shatila, M, Varatharajalu, K, Lu, Y, Altan, M, Zhou, Y, Zhao, D, De Toni, EN, Török, HP, Schneider, BJ, Khan, A, Thomas, AS, Zhang, HC, Shafi, MA, Wang, Y. Pneumatosis intestinalis in cancer patients who received immune checkpoint inhibitors. Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology. 2023 Dec 01; 149(19):17597-17605. PMID: 37917197 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-023-05461-z.

Yibirin M, Mustafayev K, Hosry J, Pundhir P, Klingen J, Yepez Guevara E, Granwehr BP, Kaseb A, Naing A, Patel S, Shah AY, Skoulidis F, Tawbi H, Wang LS, Miller D, Zhang HC, Zurita-Saavedra A, Torres H. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Suppress Hepatitis C Virus Replication in Infected Patients With Solid Tumors. Am J Gastroenterol. 2023 Sep; 118(9):1609 - 1617. PMID: 37307533 PMCID: PMC11809494.

Kuang AG, Sperling G, Liang TZ, Lu Y, Tan D, Bollin K, Johnson DB, Manzano JM, Shatila M, Thomas AS, Thompson JA, Zhang HC, Wang Y. Sclerosing mesenteritis following immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2023 Sep; 149(11):9221 - 9227. PMID: 37195298 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-023-04802-2.

Pizuorno Machado A*, Shatila M, Glitza Oliva IC, Altan M, Siddiqui B, Yan Z, Varatharajalu K, Zhang HC, Thomas A, Wang Y. Impact of Selective Immunosuppressive Therapy on Subsequent Immune-Related Adverse Events After Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Induced Colitis Treatment. Am J Clin Oncol. 2023 Aug; 46(8):360 - 365. PMID: 37219360 https://doi.org/10.1097/coc.0000000000001016.

Nardo, M, Yilmaz, B, Nelson, BE, Torres HA, Wang LS, BPalma G, Song J, Dalla Pria HRF, Trinh VA, Glitza Oliva IC, Patel SP, Tannir NM, AOmar K, Altan M, Lee SS, Miller E, Zhang HC, Stephen BA, Naing A. Safety and Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Patients with Cancer and Viral Hepatitis: The MD Anderson Cancer Center Experience. Oncologist. 2023 Aug; 28(8):714 - 721. PMID: 36952233 PMCID: PMC10400154.

Pizuorno Machado A*, Shatila M, Liu C, Wang J, Altan M, Zhang HC, Thomas A, Wang Y. Immune-related adverse events after immune checkpoint inhibitor exposure in adult cancer patients with pre-existing autoimmune diseases. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2023 Aug; 149(9):6341 - 6350. PMID: 36752908 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-023-04582-9.

Pizuorno Machado A*, Shatila M, Liu C, Lu Y, Altan M, Glitza Oliva IC, Zhao D, Zhang HC, Thomas A, Wang Y. Characteristics, treatment, and outcome of patients with bowel perforation after immune checkpoint inhibitor exposure. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2023 Aug; 149(9):5989 - 8998. PMID: 36611109 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-022-04569-y.

Mathew A, Shatila M, Lai Z, Tan D, Oliva ICG, Wang J, Alhalabi O, Zhang HC, Thomas A, Wang Y. Characteristics of appendicitis after immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy among cancer patients. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2023 Jul; 149(8):4591-4599. PMID: 36163559 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-022-04367-6.

Thomas A, Eyada M, Kono M, Varatharajalu K, Yang L, Xu G, Panneerselvam K, Shatila M, Altan M, Wang J, Thompson JA, Zhang HC, Khan MA, Raju GS, Thomas AS, Wang Y. Characteristics, treatment, and outcome of diverticulitis after immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment in patients with malignancies. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2023 Jul; 149(8):4805 - 4816. PMID: 36242603.

Liu C, Shatil M, Mathew A, Machado, Pizuomo Machado A, Thomas A, |Zhang HC, Thomas AS, Faleck D, Funchain P, Philpott J, Grivas P, Obeid M. Role of C-Reactive Protein in Predicting the Severity and Response of Immune-Mediated Diarrhea and Colitis in Patients with Cancer. J Cancer. 2023 Jun 26; 14(10):1913 - 1919. PMID: 37476185 PMCID: PMC10355204.

Machado, AP, Shatila, M, De Toni, EN, Török, HP, Philpott, J, Zhao, D, Zhou, Y, Varatharajalu, K, Shafi, MA, Zhang, HC, Thomas, AS, Wang, Y. Colon Adenoma After Diagnosis of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor–mediated Colitis. Journal of Cancer. 2023 Jan 01; 14(14):2686-2693. PMID: 37779873 PMCID: PMC10539391.

Liu, C, Shatila, M, Mathew, A, Machado, AP, Thomas, A, Zhang, HC, Thomas, AS, Faleck, DM, Funchain, P, Philpott, J, Grivas, PD, Obeid, M, Carbonnel, F, Wang, Y. Role of C-Reactive Protein in Predicting the Severity and Response of Immune-Mediated Diarrhea and Colitis in Patients with Cancer. Journal of Cancer. 2023 Jan 01; 14(10):1913-1919. https://doi.org/10.7150/JCA.84261.

By Trainees:

Abstracts:

Shaikh AS, Mazhuvanchery CB, Nakshabandi A, Low DJ, Raju GS, Shafi MA, Thirumurthi S, Coronel E, Ge P. Incorporation of Formal Simulator-Based Endoscopy Training Facilitates Sustained Improvement in Endoscopic Technical Ability. Abstract. The American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2023 Oct; 118: S1292-S1293.

Shaikh AS, Abraham S, Zhang H. A Rare Case of HBV Reactivation With Delayed Cholestatic Effect Secondary to Acalabrutinib. Abstract. The American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2023 Oct; 118: S2339-S2340.

Shaikh AS, Huante EA, Taherian M, Quesada AE, Jabbour EJ, Thirumurthi S. A Rare Case of Gastric Myeloid Sarcoma. Abstract. The American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2023 Oct; 118: S2653.

Nakshabandi A, Ali F, Al-Bustami IS, Johnston N, Shaikh A, Low DJ, Ross WA, Weston BR, Ge P, Coronel E, Lee JH. Biliary Drainage in Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma - 25 Year Experience at a Large US Tertiary Cancer Center. Abstract. The American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2023 Oct; 118: S42-S44.

Machado AP, Saji A, Shaikh A, Wang Y, Thomas A. Outcomes of Budesonide as a Treatment Option for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Related Colitis in Patients with Cancer. Abstract. The American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2023 Oct; 118: S649-S650.

Shaikh A, Kamal F, Islam S, Kamal M, Salim H, Khan A, Shafi M, Raju G, Khan MA. Comparison of Hemostatic Powder and Standard Endoscopic Therapy for Management of Acute Non-Variceal Upper GI Bleeding: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Abstract. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. 2024 June; 99 (6): AB1097–AB1098.

Antony MJ, Solanki S, Shaikh AS, Mazhuvanchery CB, Schwartz I, Zhang H, Raju GS, Shafi MA, Thirumurthi S, Coronel E, Ge P. Utilization of Scheduled Simulator Based Endoscopy Training Enables Sustained Improvement of Key Endoscopic Skills. Abstract. The American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2024 Oct; 119: S640-S642.

Naz S, Shaikh A, Alasadi M, Zhang H. Mortality trends and racial disparities in hepatocellular carcinoma associated with metabolic syndrome in the United States and Texas: A 21-year analysis (1999-2020) using CDC WONDER database. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 43, 525-525(2025).

Machado AP, Caskey KN, Shaikh AS, Wang L, Miller E, Wang Y, Zhang H. Oral Budesonide as an Effective Alternative Treatment of Immune-Mediated Hepatobiliary Toxicities Associated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Case Series. Abstract. Gastroenterology. 2025 May; 169 (1): S1672.

Peer-Reviewed Articles

Shaikh AS, Almanza Huante E, Taherian M, Quesada AE, Jabbour EJ, Thirumurthi S. Gastric Myeloid Sarcoma. ACG Case Reports Journal. 2023 Sep 5;10(9):e01137. doi: 10.14309/crj.0000000000001137. PMID: 37674880; PMCID: PMC10479346.

Al Nakshabandi A, Ali FS, Albustami I, Hwang H, Qiao W, Johnston NC, Shaikh AS, Coronel E, Ge PS, Ross W, Weston B, Lee JH. Biliary drainage in hilar and perihilar cholangiocarcinoma: 25-year experience at a tertiary cancer center. Gastrointest Endosc. 2024 Jun;99(6):938-949.e15. doi: 10.1016/j.gie.2023.12.006. Epub 2023 Dec 12. PMID: 38092128.

Machado AP, Shaikh AS, Saji A, Shatila M, Oliva IG, Wang Y, Shirwaikar Thomas A. Outcomes of Budesonide as a Treatment Option for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Related Colitis in Patients with Cancer. Cancers (Basel). 2024 May 18;16(10):1919. doi: 10.3390/cancers16101919. PMID: 38791997; PMCID: PMC11120342.

Shaikh AS, Abraham SC, Wang LS, Torres HA, Zhang HC. Viral Hepatitis B Reactivation With Delayed Cholestatic Effect Secondary to Acalabrutinib. ACG Case Rep J. 2024 Jun 20;11(6):e01387. doi: 10.14309/crj.0000000000001387. PMID: 38903451; PMCID: PMC11188864.

Saleem A, Shaikh AS, Overman M, Naik SA, Foo WC, Vilar E, Triadafilopoulos G, Raju GS, Richards DM. Vanished! Auto-amputated Ileal Polyp in a Patient with Lynch Syndrome. Dig Dis Sci. 2025 Apr 23. doi: 10.1007/s10620-025-09065-0. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40266505.

Ibrahim RM, Solanki S, Qiao W, Hwang H, Singh BS, Cazacu IM, Saftoiu A, Katz MHG, Kim MP, McAllister F, Bhutani MS. Fatty pancreas on EUS: Risk factors, correlation with CT/MRI, and implications for pancreatic cancer screening. Endosc Ultrasound. 2025 Jan-Feb;14(1):13-19. doi: 10.1097/eus.0000000000000109. Epub 2025 Mar 3. PMID: 40151596; PMCID: PMC11939939.

Chaudhry HA, Solanki S, Yedururi S, Chari ST. Impact of Belzutifan on Pancreatic Cystic Lesions and Neuroendocrine Tumors in Patients With Von Hippel-Lindau Disease. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2025 Aug 27:S1542-3565(25)00736-0. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2025.08.016. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40882717.

Program Faculty & Leadership

Our trainees have the opportunity to work alongside leading cancer experts at UT MD Anderson and institutions across the Texas Medical Center. Additionally, our trainees receive exceptional support from the fellowship leadership team:

Jeffrey H. Lee, M.D.
Professor and Chair, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Gastroenterology Fellowship Program
E-mail: jefflee@mdanderson.org

Hao Chi “Joseph” Zhang, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Section of Hepatology
Program Director, Gastroenterology Fellowship Program
E-mail: HZhang20@mdanderson.org

Maria Ellionore Jarbrink-Sehgal, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Associate Program Director, Gastroenterology Fellowship
E-mail: MJarbrink@mdanderson.org

LaKisha Anderson
Program Coordinator, Education – Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Gastroenterology Fellowship Program
E-mail: lyrodgers@mdanderson.org

Why This Program

Our GI fellowship seeks to distinguish itself from many other training programs in our methodologies and approach to education. We value creating a collegiate environment to promote intellectual academic discussions while also providing an environment that values wellness.

Our fellowship was designed with the intent to be education-oriented, to generate maximum flexibility for our faculty members to teach in meaningful ways, to allow for fellows to attending conferences and ultimately to allow the fellow to develop a sense of independence through each year of training. We value feedback, and itis taken into serious consideration as we continue to enhance our still-evolving program.

In addition to gaining unparalleled education and training experience, UT MD Anderson trainees have access to exceptional resources and benefits to help them build meaningful careers and lead fulfilling lives.

Institutional benefits and support

GME trainees’ salary stipends are updated every year based on the ACGME’s recommendations, and because our trainees are considered workforce members, they also enjoy UT MD Anderson’s employee benefits, including health insurance, retirement planning, disability insurance and six weeks of parental leave.

Our GME House Staff Senate offers trainees the opportunity to experience a leadership role in a medical field career, and the institution’s Academic Mentoring Council provides avenues to secure tailored academic mentoring from faculty. Our GME trainees benefit from the extensive support offered to our research trainees, too; they are invited to participate in grant application workshops, apply for pilot grants to support their research ideas and receive monetary awards for securing extramural grant funding.

Trainee wellness is also of utmost importance at UT MD Anderson.

Our trainees have access to UT MD Anderson’s employee networks, fitness center and other wellness resources provided by the institution. Additionally, our Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC), which provides oversight of our accredited programs, regularly assess our trainees’ needs and implements various initiatives, such as providing free call meals and discounted parking to GME House Staff, to address those gaps. The committee even has a subcommittee entirely dedicated to supporting the wellness of our trainees.

Our efforts to ensure a welcoming and supportive education and training experience have been commended nationally. In 2023, the Office of Graduate Medical Education received the DeWitt C. Baldwin, Jr. Award, a prestigious national award that recognizes our institution for its respectful and supportive environment for delivering medical education and patient care.

Beyond MD Anderson

UT MD Anderson’s location has many benefits, too. Our main campus is nestled inside the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest medical center which boasts about 10 million patient encounters each year. Many of our faculty are involved in interorganizational research collaborations, both within the TMC and across the nation, exposing trainees to groundbreaking advancements in medical care in real time.

Most importantly, the city of Houston is a great place to call home and raise a family. We are one of the most culturally diverse cities in the nation. More than 145 different languages are spoken across the city, placing us behind only New York and Los Angeles. In fact, about 30% of the city’s population speaks a language other than English at home. And, paychecks here stretch farther than most U.S. metro areas, thanks to our low cost of living.

Visit our Why Houston page to learn more about our city’s affordable housing, fine dining, entertainment scene, nationally renowned museums and other great attributes.

MD Anderson Cancer Center is committed to encouraging good health and staying true to our mission to end cancer. If you are applying for a GME fellowship or residency program starting on or after July 1, 2016, please be advised that MD Anderson will have instituted a tobacco-free hiring process as part of its efforts to achieve these goals. If you are offered an appointment, you will be subject to a Pre-Employment Drug Screen for tobacco compounds in compliance with applicable state laws. If you do not pass the urine drug screening which includes testing for tobacco compounds, you CANNOT be appointed at MD Anderson. Should you fail to meet this contingency, MD Anderson will withdraw your offer of appointment for the academic year. You may reapply for the following academic year, but there are no guarantees that you will be offered a position as many of our programs are already filled for several years out.