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.
At VCU, our program strives to provide the mentorship you need to continue your growth as a physician. We value and celebrate the individual achievements of all of our fellows while simultaneously enjoying a collegial environment that recognizes our responsibility to promote one another as members of a team. It is this collegiality that has made me love being a part of VCU Health, the Department of Internal Medicine, the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, and the Hume-Lee Transplant Center. This collegiality that continues to excite me every day as we share our intellectual journey as students, residents, fellows, and attending physicians. Our Transplant Hepatology program provides an outstanding training experience with multidisciplinary teams for the management of both routine and complex liver diseases, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver transplantation.
And, did I mention that Richmond is a great place to live? Richmond ranks among Amazon’s 20 most read cities in the United States. Outside magazine ranked Richmond as the “Best River Town in America” due to amenities such as the James River Park System and all of the outdoors activities, sporting events, and festivals. Esquire magazine named Virginia THE Food Region of 2014 with Richmond’s Rappahannock among the 12 best new restaurants in the country. Working Mothers magazine rates VCU Health among the best employers for working moms. Forbes magazine ranks Richmond among the top ten cities for working mothers and the 15th happiest cities for young professionals in the U.S. The U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research based on resident surveys and CDC data designated Richmond as the happiest, most content city in the U.S. And, in 2014 Frommer’s named Richmond among the top 10 international destinations.
With a rich history, great wines, the mountains, the Chesapeake, and the ocean, Richmond is seated at the heart of Virginia. With so much to offer, it is not hard to see why the state boasts that “Virginia is for Lovers” (and livers) and a place for those who love to live passionately. If you are looking for a great place to train you need to look no further than the Transplant Hepatology fellowship training program at VCU.
Scott Matherly, MD
Program Director, Transplant Hepatology Fellowship