About the Transplant Hepatology Fellowship Program

Welcome to the VCU Transplant Hepatology Fellowship Training Program website.  We are very proud of our city, university, program, faculty, and our trainees.  The VCU medical campus boasts state-of-the-art clinical, research, educational, and simulation facilities,  including the Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health.  But, what makes the VCU experience so rich and the learning climate optimal is the supportive, experienced faculty and the collegiality of the fellows. We invite you to explore our website and learn more about what VCU has to offer you educationally. Throughout the site you will find perspectives from our fellows to give your insight into the VCU Transplant Hepatology Fellowship Training Program.  We offer both the traditional 4th year program as well as offer participation in the ABIM Transplant Hepatology "Dual Pathway" Program for select candidates.  The program is designed to meet and exceed all ACGME requirements.

Welcome from the Program Director

Welcome from the Program Director

Welcome from the Program Director

Welcome from the Virginia Commonwealth University’s Transplant Hepatology Fellowship Training Program.

Virginia Commonwealth University (The Medical College of Virginia) has a long tradition of clinical excellence. Our health system is a busy, growing, state-of-the art facility, which is ideally situated amid the state’s population centers. Our accessibility stimulates a fast-paced work environment with a notably diverse patient population. Consistent with our socially-conscious mission to provide the best medical care regardless of financial status, we care for more than half of the state’s uninsured patients. At the same time, we provide state-of-the art primary, subspecialty, and tertiary care for the densely populated eastern half of the state. We are proud that our efforts to serve all patients in the Commonwealth of Virginia have been recognized for its excellence by US News and World Report in its best hospital rankings and by the American Hospital Association with its prestigious AHA-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize award designation. This diversity and recognized clinical excellence creates a rich, hands-on learning environment for the fellow in Transplant Hepatology.

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Curriculum

Conferences

All fellows are expected to actively engage in scholarly activities. Essential to success is providing the tools necessary to foster the fellows’ intellectual development as investigators. These tools are provided through participation in VCUHS graduate medical education research series, which is conducted at the start of the academic year and is mandatory for all Transplant Hepatology fellows.

As a sign of our commitment to the scholarly efforts of the fellows, the Department of Internal Medicine has designated funding which is set aside specifically to offset the travel cost for fellows who are presenting their work at regional, national, and international scientific and academic meetings. The division is similarly committed to assisting with costs associated with presenting and publishing scholarly efforts. The commitment to our fellows is evident by the fact that our department chair, Dr. Patricia Sime, an NIH-funded investigator, personally meets with all fellows in advance of presenting at national and international meetings to offer additional mentorship and guidance. At VCU, we honor your education and professional growth as our greatest achievement and are proud to send our residents and fellows as our ambassadors.

Recent Scholarship

Look at pubmed for the following: Bryan Badal, Jasmohan Bajaj, Scott Matherly, Vaishali Patel, Mohammad Shadab Siddiqui

Vacation Time
Each fellow is allowed three weeks of vacation per training year. The time is generally taken as either one of the following:

  • Three week vacation (15 days for programs that do not routinely work on weekends)
  • One 5-day vacation and one 10-day vacation.

Additionally, each fellow is given five days off for attending meetings   

Night Coverage 
Other healthcare providers provide in-house coverage of the patients admitted to the inpatient services at night as well as after hours calls from patients and providers.

Weekend Coverage
Fellows are not required to come in on weekends. 

GME Resident & Fellow Well-Being
Graduate Medical Education training is not easy. With the GME Physician Well-being program, we first and foremost assert our commitment to your well-being, resilience and all aspects of a healthy lifestyle. VCU and VCU Health are dedicated to ensuring that you have the tools you need to be your best. (Learn more)

All About VCU, VCU Health, and RVA
First things first. We fondly refer to Richmond as RVA.  People love this city because it’s awesome. And Virginia Commonwealth University is in the middle of it all.  Learn more about VCU, VCU Health, and RVA!

Scott Matherly, MD

Scott Matherly, MD

Program Director

Scott Matherly, MD

Scott Matherly, MD

Program Director

Internal Medicine

Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

Email: scott.matherly@vcuhealth.org

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View Faculty Expertise Profile

Arun J. Sanyal, MD

Arun J. Sanyal, MD

Division Chief

Arun J. Sanyal, MD

Arun J. Sanyal, MD

Division Chief

Internal Medicine

Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

Email: arun.sanyal@vcuhealth.org

Read More

View Faculty Expertise Profile

Class of 2025

Dr. Kanagalingam
Gowthami Kanagalingam, MD  - ABIM Dual Pathway Fellow
Medical School:  Universität Bern Medizinische Fakultät
Residency:  SUNY Upstate Medical Universit
Fellowship:  Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Gastroenterology Fellowship Program


Class of 2024

Dr. Badal
Bryan Badal, MD - ABIM Dual Pathway Fellow
Medical School: Ohio State University College of Medicine 
Residency: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center 
Fellowship: Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Gastroenterology Fellowship Program


Dr. Spencer
Chad M. Spencer, MD
Medical School: University of Central Florida College of Medicine  
Residency: University of Alabama at Birmingham Tinsley Harrison Internal Medicine Residency Program  
Fellowship: University of South Alabama Health Program Gastroenterology Fellowship Program  


Alumni

Eligibility Requirements

Transplant Hepatology selects from among eligible applicants on the basis of their preparedness and ability to benefit from the program in which they are appointed. Aptitude, academic credentials, personal characteristics, and ability to communicate should be considered in the selection. Programs must not discriminate with regard to sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status. Eligibility shall be determined according to the ACGME requirements as stated in the Institutional Requirements.

Required Documentation

The Transplant Hepatology Fellowship Program is now an ACGME accredited position. All fellows selected for education at the Virginia Commonwealth University will meet the following selection criteria:

    1. All fellows must have passed all parts of the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE), FLEX, NBDE, NBOME/COMLEX, or the FMGEMS prior to their first day of employment.

    2. All applicants must have three letters of reference from United States or Canadian physicians/dentists who have personal knowledge of the applicant’s clinical abilities, and an additional letter from their program director.

    3. All applicants must be within seven years of graduation from medical school, or direct patient care activity (either as an independent practitioner or a resident in an ACGME, AOA, or ADA accredited residency). Non-clinical graduate work, e.g., research, in the United States or Canada does not meet this requirement.

    4. All applicants must have documentation of a minimum of three months of direct patient care activity in the United States or Canada. Clinical rotations during medical school will suffice for U.S. and Canadian students. For international medical graduates, U.S. or Canadian medical school clinical rotations or externships of direct patient care in the United States or Canada will suffice.

    5. Any ECFMG certified applicant who has not been in a United States or Canadian residency program within eighteen months of being issued their ECFMG certificate must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language Exam (TOEFL) and obtain a score of at least 600 before beginning their residency. The Test of Spoken English (TSE) and Test of Written English exams are also required.

    6. For those applying to the 4th year track, they must have successfully completed a 3 year fellowship from an ACGME accredited GI Fellowship.

    7. For those applying to the 3rd year "Dual Pathway" Program, they must have successfully completed the first 2 years of their 3 year GI Fellowship and be a trajectory to competence in GI.  They must have full endorsement of both the GI PD and the Transplant Hepatology PD.

Attention:  In support of our applicants, we will be flexible in providing virtual and on-site fellowship interview opportunities.  We understand that applicants may have restrictions on travel during this time.  Our interview schedule may change as we approach the late summer and fall. 

Program Director

Scott Matherly, MD
Phone: (804) 828-9170
Email: scott.matherly@vcuhealth.org

Fellowship Coordinator

Cesley Watkins
VCU School of Medicine
Department of Internal Medicine
Box 980509
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0509
Phone: (804) 628-4497
Fax: (804) 828-4926
Email: imfellowships@vcuhealth.org

 

For training verification requests, please visit us at https://intmed.vcu.edu/education/verification/