The University of Alabama, Basil I Hirschowitz Endoscopic Center of Excellence is a nationally and internationally renowned center for advanced and therapeutic endoscopy. The center performs a high volume of complex procedures and has a multi-state referral base. UAB is a quaternary referral center and has multiple specialty services which are essential for the success of an advanced endoscopy program. We have a cohort of highly trained and well published faculty who are experts in various aspects of therapeutic endoscopy and are considered the “go to” group in Alabama and surrounding states for complex endoscopy.
Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship Program
Launched in July 2020, the advanced endoscopy fellowship program is designed to provide advanced training in pancreatico-biliary endoscopy and luminal endoscopy. The fellowship can be adjusted to accommodate specific needs and interests fellows may have. Our inaugural fellow Dr. Ramzi Mulki recenlty became UAB faculty and we have matched our third fellow who will begin training in July of 2022.
Professional Exposure
We perform a wide variety of endoscopic procedures including Endoscopic Ultrasound, Endosonographic pseudocyst drainage and necrosectomy, Endosonographic Biliary Drainage, Endoscopic Ultrasound guided transgastric ERCP (EDGE), Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography, Spyglass Cholangioscopy, Endoscopic Mucosal Resection, Endoscopic Sub-mucosal Dissection, Endoscopic Luminal closure (Ovesco, Padlock, Overstitch), and stenting (esophageal, gastric, duodenal, and colonic).
Fellowship Expectations
Clinical and endoscopic research is encouraged and one major publication and two abstracts at national conferences are expected. Service obligations include four separate weeks of general gastroenterology call (nights and weekends), one month (2 weeks at a time) of gastroenterology consult service with fellow/resident team, and a day per week of general endoscopy (EGD and colonoscopy) at the UAB Hospital Jefferson Towers endoscopy unit.
COVID impact: We stopped elective procedures during the initial surge. However, we restarted using a multidisciplinary and evidence based approach with symptom screening and pre-procedure COVID testing of all patients undergoing advanced procedures. We are proud to say that we broke previous records in terms of procedure volumes once we restarted. We have zero COVID transmission between patients and staff in our unit thus far. We are back to our full capacity. However the impact of future COVID surges remains unpredictable. We expect that increasing COVID vaccination will have a positive impact in controlling the COVID pandemic.
Apply to UAB Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship:
UAB Advanced Endoscopy participates in American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship application and match system. Apply here.
Core Faculty
Associate Professor
Director of Endoscopy and Program Director of Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship
Professor Emeritus
Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Adjunct Program Leadership
For questions about the fellowship, please contact:
Monica Nix
Program Administrator
Email: monicanix@uabmc.edu
Kondal Kyanam
Director of Endoscopy and Program Director of Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship
Email: kbaig@uabmc.edu