The process of applying and successfully matching to a Gastroenterology fellowship program is a competitive one, with many factors playing a role in an applicant’s success. In this competitive and rapidly changing application process and medical environment, keys to a successful career lie on optimizing resource utilization and availing educational and mentoring opportunities. Taking these steps will better prepare the GI fellowship applicant for success in the match process and allow one to achieve career satisfaction during later stages of the medical profession.
Preparing a GI fellowship application can be a tedious endeavor, which involves requesting letters of recommendation, acquiring the medical school Dean’s letter and transcript, downloading USMLE scores, well-articulating goals into a personal statement, and then cataloguing all of one’s accomplishments, including research productivity, in the online Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) system. Getting involved in scholarly activities early in residency training and bringing those projects to maturation are keys for distinguishing an application in order to be granted an interview. Additionally, fellows need to research all the programs that are available for them to apply, and consider things like geography, VISA status, faculty and research niches when comparing programs. Many residency programs may not have internal fellowship positions, and candidates apply and compete with internal residents of other academic centers. The critical role of mentoring for the fellowship application process and ongoing career development cannot be emphasized enough. Effective mentoring has been shown to lead to better career decisions, satisfaction, and success.
ACG’s Training Committee created these resources for internal medicine residents looking to explore a Gastroenterology Fellowship. We hope these resources help you navigate the application process and succeed in your pursuit of joining a GI Fellowship Program.
Overview of the Match Process
- How to be a more competitive applicant – Tips for Success During Early Residency – By Gautam Mankaney, MD
- How to be a more competitive applicant – Tips for Success During Late Residency – By Indu Srinivasan, MD
- How to write an effective personal statement – By Jason Brown, MD
- Tips for selecting writers / mentors for reference letters – By Jason Brown, MD
- Tips on making your rank order list – By Neal Mehta, MD
- Preparing for interviews and interviewing in the time of COVID-19 – By Marianna Papademetriou, MD
Video Guide for Applying to a Gastroenterology Fellowship
1) Tips & Tricks for Applicants
2) Research and Scholarly Activities
3) Networking
4) Fellowship Tracks
5) ERAS Application
6) What if you don’t Match?
7) Using Social Media for Networking
Tips for Applying
Dr. Jean-Paul Achkar
Cleveland Clinic
Dr. Ravi Vachhani
Virginia Commonwealth University
Panel Interview with Program Directors
GI Fellowship Program Search
Match Information
General Match Information
Applicants may begin applying for 2025 positions to GI Fellowship programs through ERAS as of July 3, 2024. Programs may access ERAS to download and review applications starting July 17, 2024. Results of the match will be posted December 4, 2024 for positions beginning July 1, 2025.
The AASLD, ACG, AGA Institute, and ASGE, would like to reiterate the importance of participation. The Match provides a more streamlined and equitable system for GI recruitment. All programs, whether large or small, research or clinically focused, benefit from participation in the Match. However, the success of the Match depends on sustained participation by all GI training programs.
Following are links to two key documents for your use in participating in the Match:
Multi-Society Resolution Regarding GI Fellowship Applicants
Please distribute to your fellowship applicants the joint-society adopted Resolution that encourages applicants to consider all programs before making an early and quick decision on where to train. Additionally, we encourage division chiefs and training directors to contact their peers directly to engage in a constructive dialogue about the Match and the overall and multiple benefits of participating.
Training directors are strongly encouraged to assume direct responsibility for registering and entering all necessary data into the National Resident Matching Program’s registration system. This includes the program’s information and the number of positions entered into the Match per track. The Match agreement is legally binding; therefore, it is important that the Training Director ensures the accuracy of this data.
If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact ACG.
Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS)
In 2007, Gastroenterology enrolled in the Electronic Residency Application Service® (ERAS) as an additional resource to improve the application process. ERAS takes advantage of today’s technology to provide a user-friendly, streamline application process for both training programs and fellowship applicants.
ERAS is a program offered by the Association of American Medical Colleges and provides applicants with a user-friendly interface to create and submit application material. This easy-to-use software also allows programs to manage the entire application process, from filing material to scheduling and ranking applicants. Its tools are customizable to help you quickly locate applicants with the characteristics your program is looking for in order to recruit the best applicants for your program.
This service is free for participating programs; it is maintained by fees from applicants.
ERAS will send an email to GI training programs, along with enrollment information. For questions, visit the ERAS website.
Match Schedule
July 3, 2024 |
ERAS Post Office opens to fellowship applicants. They can research GI programs and coordinate application materials (for more information see section VI of the Guide for Gastroenterology Programs and Applicants on the NRMP and ERAS). Applicants can electronically apply (through ERAS) to programs of their choice. |
July 17, 2024 |
Programs can access ERAS to download applications submitted to them. |
August 21, 2024 |
GI Match Opens for on-line registration by programs and applicants. |
August – November 2024 |
Programs interview applicants. |
September 25, 2024 |
The Match Rank Order List (ROL) opens for programs and applicants. |
November 6, 2024 |
The Match Quota Deadline – the deadline on which programs must submit the final number of positions offered in each track to be matched. |
November 20, 2024 |
The Match Rank Order List (ROL) Certifications due from programs and applicants. |
December 4, 2024 |
Match Day! Match results for programs and applicants are posted to the NRMP website at 12:00 noon Eastern time. |
Programs Not Participating in ERAS
For programs not participating in ERAS, applicants will be required to mail their application and accompanying documentation. Applicants must also be aware of the application deadline for these programs.
Some programs may use the Universal Application in addition to, or in lieu of, an individual institutional application.
Helpful Articles
- Feld, Lauren D. Interviewing for Am J Gastroenterol. 2021 Mar;116(3):445-446. doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000001101
- Duong N, Aby ES, Hathorn KE, Simons-Linares CR, Bilal M. How to Become a Competitive Applicant for Gastroenterology Fellowship: Tips and Tricks for Success Part I. Dig Dis Sci. 2020 Jul;65(7):1895-1898. doi: 10.1007/s10620-020-06292-5. PMID: 32350721.
- Duong N, Aby ES, Hathorn KE, Simons-Linares CR, Bilal M. How to Become a Competitive Applicant for Gastroenterology Fellowship: Tips and Tricks for Success Part II. Dig Dis Sci. 2020 Aug;65(8):2172-2175. doi: 10.1007/s10620-020-06293-4. PMID: 32356262.
- Long MD, Raffals L, Williams R. Program Directors’ Perspectives of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship Application. Dig Dis Sci. 2020 Sep;65(9):2735-2736. doi: 10.1007/s10620-020-06378-0. Epub 2020 Jun 13. PMID: 32535776.
- Mallepally N, Bilal M, Hernandez-Barco YG, Simons M, Berzin TM, Oxentenko AS. The New Virtual Reality: How COVID-19 Will Affect the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship Match. Dig Dis Sci. 2020 Aug;65(8):2164-2168. doi: 10.1007/s10620-020-06432-x. PMID: 32613594; PMCID: PMC7327209.
- Cappell MS. Novel Modifications for a Virtual Interview Visit to Simulate the Traditional, Live, Site Visit for GI Fellowship Applicants for an Academic GI Fellowship Program Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Dig Dis Sci. 2021 Apr;66(4):1370-1371. doi: 10.1007/s10620-020-06741-1. Epub 2021 Jan 26. PMID: 33496874; PMCID: PMC7836341.
- Atsawarungruangkit A, Chenbhanich J, Phupitakphol T, Dickstein G. Landing a GI Fellowship: The Match and the Map. Dig Dis Sci. 2018 Mar;63(3):605-609. doi: 10.1007/s10620-017-4826-1. Epub 2017 Oct 28. PMID: 29080995.
- Huang RJ, Triadafilopoulos G, Limsui D. The Gastroenterology Fellowship Match: A Decade Later. Dig Dis Sci. 2017 Jun;62(6):1412-1416. doi: 10.1007/s10620-017-4593-z. Epub 2017 May 4. PMID: 28474142; PMCID: PMC5535767.
- Talley N, Richter JE, Achkar E. Editors’ comments. GI fellowship matching program. Am J Gastroenterol. 2004 Aug;99(8):1411. doi: 10.1111/j.1572-0241.2004.40756.x. PMID: 15307848.
- Tariq U, Umar S, Morrissey S, Babich M. Gastroenterology Fellowship Applicants’ Perspectives on GI Program Preferences. Dig Dis Sci. 2021 Apr;66(4):941-944. doi: 10.1007/s10620-021-06855-0. Epub 2021 Feb 24. PMID: 33625610.
- DeCross AJ, Proctor DD. The process of applying for gastroenterology fellowship. Gastroenterology. 2012 Jun;142(7):1405-8. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2012.04.040. Epub 2012 Apr 24. PMID: 22542457.
- Chan AT, Peterson K. How to position for the gastroenterology fellowship of your choice: the program director perspective. Gastroenterology. 2015 Jun;148(7):1265-7. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2015.04.022. Epub 2015 Apr 25. PMID: 25921370.
- Njei B, Taddei TH. Pursuing a Gastroenterology Fellowship as a Foreign Medical Graduate. Dig Dis Sci. 2017 Aug;62(8):1852-1854. doi: 10.1007/s10620-017-4624-9. PMID: 28555326.
- Kerdsirichairat T. The Interview Process for Gastroenterology Fellowship. ACG Case Rep J. 2016 Oct 12;3(4):e142. doi: 10.14309/crj.2016.115. PMID: 27761480.