The one-year Advanced Gastrointestinal, Bariatric, and Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship offered by NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine is a comprehensive training program directed by highly experienced bariatric and minimally invasive general surgeons in the Division of Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery.

The major focus of the fellowship is metabolic and bariatric surgery. However, fellows have ample exposure to non-bariatric surgery, including robotic surgery. In the past two decades, the use of robotic surgery has been rapidly expanding not only in the United States, but all over the world. Initially, robotic surgery was used mostly in gynecologic and urologic surgeries, but now it is used in all types of surgical interventions.

As the market demand for robotic surgery increases, so does the need for robotically trained surgeons. There are more than five robots available at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island, and our surgeons have many years of robotic surgery experience. Under their guidance, our fellows learn to perform complex minimally invasive procedures and gain experience in perioperative evaluation and postoperative follow-up.

Our graduates have the cognitive and technical expertise to treat metabolic conditions in bariatric surgery patients, and are well versed in the minimally invasive techniques involved in general surgery, including laparoscopic and robotic approaches.

Program Details

The major clinical discipline covered in our training program is surgery. However, the metabolic implications of bariatric surgery and the physiological implications of diabetes and obesity are addressed by invited speakers who may be internists, endocrinologists, or pulmonologists.

Our fellowship program is led by Jun L. Levine, MD, program director, and Collin E. Brathwaite, MD, associate program director and former chair of the Department of Surgery. Clinical training takes place at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island. The one-year program is inclusive of vacation and sick time in compliance with current NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island policies.

Clinical Outpatient Experience

Fellows are expected to hold clinic office hours at least one day per week in either Nassau or Suffolk County, which includes a minimum of four hours of outpatient evaluations. This allows fellows to experience preoperative assessment of patients who are anticipating surgery as well as postoperative management of patients who have recently had surgery.

With respect to bariatric surgery, fellows gain significant experience in the preoperative workup, assessment, and optimization of patients’ metabolic status. With respect to foregut diseases, fellows are involved in reviewing preoperative imaging as well as functioning physiologic studies performed in conjunction with the Division of Gastroenterology, part of the Department of Medicine.

Surgical Training

Fellows in our program perform a large number of surgeries per year, with the majority being bariatric surgeries. Fellows receive equal exposure to both robotic and laparoscopic surgery.

Fellows gain skills and experience performing the following types of bariatric surgeries:

• robotic/laparoscopic gastric bypass
• robotic/laparoscopic gastric sleeve
• robotic/laparoscopic single anastomosis duodeno-ileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy (SADI-S)
• robotic/laparoscopic gastric band removal
• bariatric revisional surgery
• bariatric conversion surgery

Fellows gain skills and experience performing the following types of non-bariatric and advanced gastrointestinal (GI) and minimally invasive surgeries:

• robotic and laparoscopic hernia surgeries including ventral, incisional, and umbilical hernias (includes retrorectus and transversus abdominis release [TAR])
• full spectrum of general surgical approaches including extensive foregut surgery, Heller myotomy, Nissen fundoplication, Toupet fundoplication, magnetic sphincter augmentation device placement, gastric stimulator device placement
• colorectal surgery
• combined endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures with advanced GI team
• endoscopy

Didactic Activities

The Department of Surgery holds the following required conferences for faculty, typically on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Fellows are expected to attend these conferences.

• grand rounds: includes departmental grand rounds, invited guests, faculty lectures, and senior and chief resident presentations
• morbidity and mortality conferences: deaths and complications from the previous week are reviewed, with the senior resident from each service is responsible for case presentation
• innovations in surgery: national and international discussions of emerging technology and research in the field of surgery
• bariatric quality improvement: deaths and complications from the previous month are reviewed
• journal club: analysis of minimally invasive and bariatric surgery literature; discuss techniques and outcomes

Fellows are also expected to perform endoscopic procedures once a week and hold clinic office hours once a week.

Research Opportunities

The Department of Surgery and the Division of Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery fully support fellows’ intellectual pursuits and research activities. Fellows are required to complete at least one paper or presentation and publication during the fellowship year. NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine houses a vivarium for rodents and small animals that is fully staffed by technicians and a veterinarian.

Our current research activities study the impact of varying limb lengths in gastric bypass on weight loss and type 2 diabetes resolution. Additionally, there are funds available for research by fellows. Fellows are also expected to participate in the annual NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine House Staff Research Day, which involves submission of abstracts for either poster or oral presentation.

Clinical research is also supported by a large prospective database of bariatric surgery patients. Retrospective review of various topics in metabolic and bariatric surgery is encouraged. The Research Institute is staffed by several scientists with PhDs and has equipment to support basic science research, and provides ample space to perform research and analyze data. Several collaborative studies are in progress.

Because research is a core part of fellowship training, faculty in the Division of Bariatric Surgery publish in the field’s most respected peer-reviewed publications, with more than 100 publications combined.

How to Apply

We accept one fellow per year. The trainee must be a graduate of an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education–accredited residency program in surgery.

Candidates must meet the following criteria in order to apply:

• graduate from a U.S. or Canadian medical school
• hold U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent residency
• pass the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) or Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX) Step 1, 2, and 3 exams
• have board certification or eligibility by the American Board of Surgery, the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery, or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
• have a New York State medical license

Applications to the Advanced Gastrointestinal, Bariatric, and Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship must be submitted online through The Fellowship Council.

Selected applicants will be invited for an interview. Our final selection is made via The Fellowship Council matching process.

Contact Us

For general inquiries about our program and how to apply, please email Kelly Sillifant, fellowship coordinator, at Kelly.Sillifant@NYULangone.org.

Learn more about graduate medical education programs at NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine, including our commitment to diversity, and access information for house staff such as benefits, policies, and services.