• Dina L Halegoua-De Marzio and Steven K Herrine.
• Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Electronic address: Dina.Halegoua-DeMarzio@jefferson.edu.
• Clin. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 2015 Feb 1; 13 (2): 398-401.e3.

Background & AimsIn 2012, the American Board of Internal Medicine approved a pilot competency-based transplant hepatology (TH) training program. This program allows gastroenterology (GI) and TH fellowships to be completed in 3 years. We investigated the perceptions and beliefs of GI and TH division and fellowship program directors on the competency-based TH training program.MethodsAll current GI and TH division and fellowship program directors from the 162 fellowship programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education were invited via e-mail to anonymously complete the online survey. The survey questioned their perceptions of the 3-year combined GI and TH training program.ResultsA total of 116 participants completed the survey (∼38% response rate). Most respondents were GI fellowship directors (61%); 15% were GI and hepatology division directors, 19% were TH fellowship directors, 14% were TH division directors, and 5% were GI division directors. Most of the respondents were in favor of the pilot program (85%). Only 63% of all respondents believed that graduates of the pilot program would achieve the same level of competency in GI as those who completed the traditional program. Overall, 71% believed incorporation of the 3-year training model would increase interest and participation in TH fellowships.ConclusionsMost of the academic GI and TH division and fellowship program directors embrace competency-based fellowship education and TH subspecialty training during the designated 3-year GI fellowship. Future studies will be needed to reevaluate these beliefs after several years.Copyright © 2015 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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