Liver/GI Pathology Fellowship

Fellows will also be able to hone their skills by participating in interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary conferences. Fellows are supported in their research interests and are allowed to attend additional GI research conferences or pathology conferences. Fellows are also allowed teaching opportunities. By the end of the year, the fellow should be comfortable with evaluating a full spectrum of GI and liver/pancreas cases, work effectively as part of a clinical team, and formulate future research and QA ideas to liver and gastrointestinal diseases.

The clinical material for the program includes all liver/ pancreas/luminal GI biopsy and resection material from Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital, and consult cases. The material from St. Louis Children’s Hospital is covered under the pediatric pathology fellowship, but the liver/ GI fellow has an opportunity to avail themselves of pertinent material during elective time. There are over 7,500 specimens and 1,000 FS specimens for the adult and pediatric liver/GI services.

The liver/GI fellow will gain experience by teaching, managing oversight and specimen handling for the GI/ pancreatobiliary/liver specimens.

The liver/GI fellow will participate in the in-house liver/GI sign-outs, in liver transplant coverage (during the second half of the year with available backup) and in the clinicopathologic conferences involving hepatology, GI, hepatobiliary surgery, colorectal surgery and hepatic imaging. Consensus conferences for challenging liver/GI cases are held every day, andfaculty members are available at any time for questions/consults. There is an opportunity for independent sign out in the second half of the year for fellows that are interested.

Participation in one or more research projects/activities during the year is also strongly encouraged. 

The liver/GI fellowship program was started at WashU Medicine in July 2010 by Elizabeth Brunt, MD. Dr. Brunt was the program director until she retired in 2015. Xiuli Liu, MD, PhD is the current program director. 

Applicants must have a MD or DO degree (or foreign equivalent with ECFMG certification) and 3 to 4 years of training in anatomic or anatomic and clinical pathology in an ACGME accredited program. Fellows must be board-certified or board-eligible in anatomic or anatomic and clinical pathology. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Training for the fellowship occurs in state-of-the-art facilities at WashU Medicine/Barnes-Jewish Hospital/St. Louis Children’s Hospital. The liver/GI section is located in the 680,000-square-foot BJC Institute of Health (BJCIH) at WashU Medicine, which is an 11-story research building housing laboratories and support facilities.