Gastroenterology Fellowship Program

The aim of the Gastroenterology Fellowship Program is to advance the understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases of the gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary systems. Upon completion of the training experience, trainees will have the clinical, investigative and teaching skills necessary to take a leading role in academic and clinical gastroenterology.

Program Director

Tinsay Woreta, MD MPH

  • Program Director, Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology Fellowships
  • Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine

Expertise: Gastroenterology, Hospital Medicine

Research Interests: Chronic Viral Hepatitis, Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Liver Transplantation Outcomes

Associate Program Directors

Curriculum

Fellowship Tracks

There are two fellowship tracks within the program.

The first year of each track is identical and composed of inpatient clinical rotations on the gastroenterology consult services at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, inpatient endoscopy and the inpatient hepatology service.

Clinical: This three-year track is geared toward fellows who wish to become academic clinicians and educators. Years two and three consist of limited inpatient rotations, outpatient endoscopy, continuity clinic and subspecialty clinics. The fellow will have the opportunity to focus on a particular clinical area such as inflammatory bowel disease, therapeutic endoscopy, neurogastroenterology, nutrition, gastrointestinal neoplasia or liver disease. The fellow will engage in a clinical research project within that area of interest, and will be asked to identify a clinical mentor.

Research Track: This three-year track is aimed at training fellows for independent investigative careers in either laboratory investigation or clinical research in gastroenterology or hepatology. After the first year of clinical rotations, the fellow will select a research mentor and focus on a specific area of investigation.

During years two and three, the fellow will be limited to 4 weeks of inpatient rotations, with the rest of the time protected for research. Over the course of their research years, the fellow will continue to have one half day each of outpatient endoscopy, subspecialty and continuity clinic to complete the ABIM requirements for fellowship certification.

The primary objective of this track is to provide adequate time and support to position the fellow to apply for foundational and NIH career development awards.

The research section provides information on the division’s current research.

Clinical Rotations

The clinical rotations include inpatient rotations, outpatient rotations and endoscopy.

Inpatient rotations:

In all tracks, the fellow will rotate on the four clinical services during the first year:

  • GI Consult Service at The Johns Hopkins Hospital
  • GI Consult Service at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
  • Liver Inpatient and Consult Service
  • Endoscopy Service at The Johns Hopkins Hospital

Outpatient rotations:

All fellows spend one half-day per week in Continuity Clinic with a GI faculty preceptor.

Upper level fellows will also rotate through various subspecialty clinics to allow exposure to a variety of GI subspecialty areas.

Endoscopic training:

Fellows will be trained in the ACGME-required procedures for gastroenterology. First-year fellows primarily learn endoscopy in the inpatient setting. During second and third year, upper level fellows will rotate through various endoscopy blocks in hospital-based endoscopy settings and ambulatory surgical centers.

Conferences

Fellows are expected to attend several weekly conferences, including Fellow Didactics, GI Grand Rounds, Journal Club, Morbidity and Mortality Conference, Hepatology Conference and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Conference.

How to Apply

The Gastroenterology Fellowship Program participates in the Match (NRMP) and also accepts applications through the ERAS Universal Application process.

Please contact the fellowship coordinator with any questions:

Linda M. Welch, Fellowship Coordinator
The Johns Hopkins Hospital
1830 E Monument St.
Suite 431
Baltimore, MD 21205

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 410-955-2635

 

Current Gastroenterology Fellows

First Year Fellows

Mohamad Dbouk, M.D.

Residency: Washington University in Saint Louis/Barnes Jewish Hospital
Medical School: American University of Beirut
Undergrad: American University of Beirut
Hometown: Tyre, Lebanon
Why Johns Hopkins: I did a research fellowship at JH prior to residency and came to meet all the amazing faculty and staff of the GI department and knew right away I wanted to get my GI training from the world class experts in the program who also happen to be the most friendly and collegial faculty I have met. 
Hobbies: Traveling, anything outdoors (hiking, biking, camping...) and anything water related (chilling on the beach, swimming, kayaking, diving...). 
Interest in GI: Pancreatology (pancreatic cancer, pancreatic cysts, pancreatitis) and GI cancers and genetics. 
Mohamad Dbouk

Alex Jones, M.D.

Residency: UT Southwestern Medical Center
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine
Undergrad: Hamilton College
Hometown: Madbury, New Hampshire
Why Johns Hopkins: Johns Hopkins provides the ideal environment to train leaders in the field of gastroenterology through rigorous clinical training and access to cutting-edge research.
Hobbies: Hiking, camping, golfing, cooking, and watching professional sports
Interest in GI: Pancreatic and biliary disorders, transplant hepatology
Alex Jones

Caya McFalls, M.D.

Residency: Johns Hopkins
Medical School: Drexel University
Undergrad: University of Wisconsin - Madison
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Why Johns Hopkins: I love the community here and the way everyone is excited to collaborate to help patients
Hobbies: Hiking, canoeing, camping, exploring with my dog Melly
Interest in GI: undecided
Caya McFalls

Anna Stathopoulos, M.D.

Residency: Johns Hopkins Osler Residency
Medical School: Tulane University School of Medicine
Undergrad: Tulane University
Hometown: Berkeley, California 
Why Johns Hopkins: I chose Johns Hopkins for GI fellowship because of its excellent clinical training, exposure to a diverse spectrum of pathology, strong mentorship, and dedication to the Baltimore community. 
Hobbies: Hiking, traveling, reading, and spending time with my family
Interest in GI: General GI 
Anna Stathopoulos

Melanie Zheng, M.D.

Residency: Johns Hopkins Osler Residency
Medical School: Yale School of Medicine
Undergrad: University of Maryland College Park
Hometown: Ellicott City, MD
Why Johns Hopkins: I am excited to be staying at Hopkins for its dedication to clinical medicine and its wide range of experts/leaders in the field
Hobbies: Cooking/Baking, Reading, Sewing (recent new hobby!)
Interest in GI: Hepatology/Transplant Hepatology, Health Disparities

Melanie Zheng

Second Year Fellows

Tolga Gidener, M.D.

Residency: SUNY Downstate
Medical School: Marmara University Medical School
Undergrad: Marmara University
Hometown:Istanbul, Turkey
Why Johns Hopkins: I chose Johns Hopkins because of its exceptional clinical training in a supportive environment, offering numerous opportunities for clinical research. Additionally, the people at Johns Hopkins are truly remarkable.
Hobbies: Group fitness classes, comedy shows on Netflix, exploring hidden gems in the city
Interest in GI: Hepatology, Obesity medicine, Bariatric endoscopy
Tolga Gidener, M.D.

Julia Gips, M.D.

Residency: Osler Medical Residency
Medical School: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Undergrad: University of Michigan
Hometown: Moorestown, New Jersey
Why Johns Hopkins: Hopkins exudes excellence in education and patient care. I have been so impressed and inspired by every Hopkins-trained physician I have met.  
Hobbies: Baking, Crossword Puzzles, Michigan Football (Go Blue) and Peloton
Interests in GI: Transplant Hepatology
Julia Gips, M.D.

Ayesha Kamal, M.D.

Residency: Luminis health/George Washington school of medicine
Medical School: King Edward Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan 
Undergrad: Kinnaird college for women, Lahore, Pakistan
Hometown: Lahore, Pakistan 
Why Johns Hopkins: Johns Hopkins is best hospital in the world to learn about gastrointestinal disorders, providing all the resources to become the best academic gastroenterologist.
Hobbies: reading, traveling, cooking and hanging out with friends
Interests in GI: pancreaticobiliary disorders, prevention and treatment of pancreatitis, Prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding
Ayesha Kamal, M.D.

Laura Maas, M.D.

Residency: Johns Hopkins Bayview
Medical School: University of Missouri - Columbia
Undergrad: University of Notre Dame
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Why Johns Hopkins: The people — more specifically, the supportive mentors, dedicated educators, and world-renowned subspecialists and researchers. I had incredible mentors at Hopkins during residency, and greatly look forward to continuing to work with them during fellowship!
Hobbies: I love exploring the different “neighborhoods” within the city — there are so many amazing restaurants, cafes, breweries, beautiful parks, museums and much more! One of my favorite places to run or walk with my corgi is Fort McHenry in South Baltimore. I also enjoy playing Pickleball.
Interests in GI: Inflammatory bowel disease
Laura Maas, M.D.

Alissa Rothman, M.D.

Residency: Johns Hopkins Osler Residency
Medical School: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Undergrad: Amherst College
Hometown: Iowa City, IA
Why Johns Hopkins: As a resident I knew I loved the strong clinical training and diverse patient population that Hopkins provides. With wonderful supportive mentors and a variety of research opportunities, I knew training at Hopkins would allow me to explore the wide variety GI subspecialties with experts in their fields.
Hobbies: Running along the harbor, Hiking, Reading
Interests in GI: IBD, General GI
Alissa Rothman, M.D.

Mariame Sylla, M.D.

Residency: Brigham and Women's Hospital
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Undergrad: Amherst College
Hometown: Silver Spring, Maryland
Hobbies: cooking, hiking, biking, running, doing paint by numbers
Interest in GI: General
Mariame Sylla, M.D.

Third Year Fellows

Jessica El Halabi, M.D.

Residency: Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Medical School: American University of Beirut
Undergrad: American University of Beirut
Hometown: Beirut, Lebanon
Why Johns Hopkins: I chose Johns Hopkins for my Gastroenterology fellowship due to its rigorous clinical and research training, supportive and collegial environment, and limitless opportunities for mentorship and growth. Additionally, its collaborative and diverse academic environment allows for a comprehensive and unrivaled learning experience while working with leaders in the field.
Hobbies: Traveling and exploring new cultures, tennis, and reading.
Interests in GI: IBD, precision medicine, and bioinformatics.
Jessica El Halabi

Robert Hughes, M.D., Ph.D.

Residency: Johns Hopkins Osler Residency Training Program
Medical School: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Undergrad: The University of Maryland, College Park
Hometown: New Carrollton, MD
Why Johns Hopkins: I chose to stay at Johns Hopkins for fellowship because of the excellent education, breadth of clinical experience, and amazing mentors I worked with as a resident. Also, the research environment at Hopkins (collaborative and inquisitive).
Hobbies: Spending time with my spouse, 3-year-old son, and two dogs; hiking the neighboring trails in Baltimore County; sampling local ice cream; steamed crabs in the summer; hot dogs and a baseball game at Camden Yards.
Interests in GI: Hepatology, Physician Scientist Research Track.
Robert Hughes

Robyn Jordan, M.D.

Residency: Mount Sinai Hospital
Medical School: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Undergrad: University of Pennsylvania
Hometown: Greenbelt, MD
Why Johns Hopkins: Very strong clinical training with a diverse patient population. Excellent research opportunities. Some of the nicest and most friendly fellows and attendings that I met during the interview process.
Hobbies: Running, traveling, finding new cocktail bars, binge watching HGTV.
Interests in GI: Pancreatic cancers, Outcomes research, General GI.
Robyn Jordan

Eric Moughames, M.D.

Residency: Johns Hopkins Bayview
Medical School: Lebanese American University
Undergrad: American University of Beirut
Hometown: Beirut, Lebanon
Why Johns Hopkins: I came to know the program at Hopkins while doing my residency here. I fell in love with the excellent teaching by world class faculty and having access to experts in any field of research with endless resources available.
Hobbies: I love anything outdoors: biking, hiking, climbing and camping with my dog Milo. I also enjoy backpacking around the world, discovering beautiful hidden places, meeting locals, and trying different cuisines.
Interests in GI: The gut-brain axis, motility disorders, disparities in access to health and global health.
Eric Moughames

Roohi Patel, M.D.

Residency: Rutgers – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Medical School: Rutgers – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Undergrad: Rutgers University
Hometown: Union, NJ
Why Johns Hopkins: I was looking for a program that would help me grow academically and provide me with excellent clinical training. I was excited to work with leaders in the field at a world-renowned institution.
Hobbies: Spending time outdoors running/hiking, collecting plants, exploring coffee shops, traveling.
Interests in GI: IBD, General GI.
Roohi Patel