Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Fellowship

The fellowship curriculum supports didactic teaching sessions, fellow-driven learning sessions and divisional conferences, which include journal club, clinical subject review, outcomes review and interdisciplinary conferences with pathology and radiology. Fellows will participate in the multidisciplinary conferences alongside the Adult Advanced IBD fellows at Northwestern Medicine, including monthly case conferences and journal clubs. Fellows are freed from clinical duties during these conferences to enhance the educational experience.

Fellows have the opportunity to pursue additional educational endeavors through Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and the Feinberg Academy of Medical Educators, including small-group teaching sessions, focused small-group lectures and certificate and degree programs (Certificate in Medical Education, Master of Science degrees).

Explore Additional Training Resources

• Medical Education and Training at Lurie Children's
• Lurie Children's Office of Pediatric Fellowship Programs

Clinical and education programming is structured to allow for the development and execution of a longitudinal scholarly activity. Research infrastructure and resources are available to support our fellows' research, and there are opportunities for clinical, translational and basic science research within the division and through collaboration with colleagues. Goals are set for each stage of the fellow's experience, from identifying a research mentor and developing a research plan through manuscript submission. All fellows have a faculty research mentor who guides in developing the study design, writing the proposal, overseeing data collection and analysis and helping with the preparation of abstracts, posters, presentations and the final manuscript. Fellows are encouraged to submit work for presentation at national meetings, and funding is available to support conference attendance.

Explore Research at Lurie Children's

• Learn about the research being conducted at Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
• Watch a Trainee Story: Kyle MacQuarrie, MD, PhD

The fellowship training is centered around flexibility to promote trainee autonomy and ownership of patients. Continuity clinics are weighted to allow more attending oversight and discussion in the initial quarter of the year, with greater patient volume and independence as training progresses.

As part of the training, fellows will:

• Be available to help triage and manage hospitalized patients with IBD, interfacing with the inpatient team and primary IBD team.
• Engage in as many procedures as possible for inpatients with IBD and elective cases, with priority for new diagnoses, ileoscopy, pouchoscopy, deep enteroscopy and interventional cases.
• Participate in weekly intestinal ultrasound clinic, with exposure to around 20–25 scans per week.
• Help scan inpatients to see high-yield cases and track response to therapy in cases of stricture, abscess and acute severe colitis, when possible.
• Spend four weeks of clinical time with the inflammatory bowel disease team at Northwestern Medicine, a world leader in IBD care, to gain further insight into transition of care, IBD and pregnancy, colorectal surgery and dysplasia monitoring.

Fellowship applicants must have completed an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)–accredited pediatric residency program and be on track to complete an ACGME-accredited fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition before the start of the IBD fellowship training.

Applicants must be board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics or board-eligible to sit for the licensing exam during the first year of fellowship training. Applicants must also meet eligibility requirements for a temporary Illinois medical license.

Contact the program director, Joseph Runde, MD at joseph.runde@northwestern.edu for guidance regarding application submission. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis with the option for in-person or virtual interviews.

Required materials include:

• Recent photograph
• Curriculum vitae (where applicable, please include education, post-graduate training, additional training, work experience, honors or awards, research experience, publications and presentations)
• Cover letter
• Personal statement outlining your career goals in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease
• Three letters of recommendation (one from the pediatric department chair, fellowship program director or division chief from your fellowship program; letters should be submitted electronically and sent in PDF format, signed electronically and sent directly from the author's email address)

Learn how our faculty advocate for children's health beyond the hospital.

Housestaff training at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University provides diverse, challenging clinical experiences and world-class education in the heart of Chicago.

The Northwestern Experience

• Watch: McGaw Experience
• Watch: Discover Feinberg
• Learn about the Northwestern Medicine Community Partnerships Program
• Explore living in Chicago
• Get to know Streeterville

Watch videos to learn more about our faculty and their research interests, patient stories and programs.

Meet Our Educators

• Meet Barry Wershil, MD, head of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Lurie Children's. His areas of interest include eosinophilic esophagitis and inflammatory bowel disease.
• Meet Lee Bass, MD, pediatric specialist in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition and director of Endoscopy at Lurie Children's. His work focuses on gastroesophageal reflux, cholestatic liver disease, primary sclerosing cholangitis with inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune liver disease and liver transplantation.
• Meet John E. Fortunato, Jr., MD, director of the Neurointestinal and Motility Program at Lurie Children's. His clinical interests include neurogastroenterology and motility disorders.
• Meet Estella Alonso, MD, medical director of the Liver Transplant Program at Lurie Children's. Her work focuses on liver transplantation and disease, fulminant hepatic failure, neonatal cholestasis and outcomes research.

Patient Story

• Watch All for Zariah to hear about Zariah's lifesaving triple-organ transplant that led to a lifelong friendship.

Aerodigestive Program at Lurie Children's

The Aerodigestive Program at Lurie Children's serves children with complex airway disorders, requiring pulmonary, upper digestive tract, sleep, voice and swallowing evaluations. Building on the tradition of innovation and invention pioneered by four generations of airway surgeons, the Aerodigestive Program has grown out of the hospital's historic airway experience, most recently under the care of Lauren Holinger, MD. The program focuses on the needs of the family by providing coordinated, safe and compassionate care. As leaders in pediatric aerodigestive healthcare, we aim to serve local, national and international populations with an emphasis on personalized care.

Watch a video about the Aerodigestive Program