Abdominal Transplant Surgery Fellowship

About the Fellowship

The Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School (HMS) Abdominal Organ Transplant Fellowship is an American Society of Transplant Surgery-accredited, two-year fellowship seeking applicants with mature clinical judgment, demonstrated operative independence and a desire to advance the field of transplant surgery. Under the direction of James Markmann, MD, PhD, chief of the Division of Transplantation at Mass General and a professor of surgery at HMS, the fellowship offers extensive clinical and research experience tailored to each fellow’s individual goals.

Requirements

Fellows will be selected through the Abdominal Transplant Surgery Fellowship Match operated by the National Resident Matching Program. All applicants must have:

• Completed a general surgery residency or urology residency program by the fellowship start date
• Obtained or be eligible for a Massachusetts medical license
• Passed the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) for steps one, two and three

Interested applicants are welcome to visit our program on an informal basis at their convenience throughout the year. Formal interviews for fellowship positions are held in March or April in the year prior to the anticipated start date.

Curriculum

The American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) Academic Universe provides an educational guide for trainees as they progress through their fellowship. All fellows are expected to complete the required curriculum modules to complement their clinical activities. In addition to the ASTS curriculum, the fellowship program will emphasize the following clinical aspects of organ transplantation:

Organ Procurement

• Back table organ preparation with or without complex reconstruction
• Donation after brain death
• Donation after cardiac death
• Donor/recipient matching
• Laparoscopic-assisted living donor hepatectomy
• Laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy

Organ Transplantation (adult and pediatric recipients)

• Kidney transplant (deceased and living donor)
• Liver transplant (deceased and living donor)
• Pancreas/Islet transplant

Non-Transplant Operations

• Complex hepatobiliary surgery (pre- and post- transplant patients)
• General surgery (pre- and post-transplant patients)
• Peritoneal dialysis access (open and laparoscopic)
• Vascular dialysis access (fistula and grafts)

Post-Operative Management

• Immunosuppression (for induction, maintenance or rejection)
• Infectious disease prophylaxis and complications
• Post-transplant medical and surgical complications

Fellows will obtain additional proficiency in the areas of outpatient clinic management, selection conference, histocompatibility and crossmatching and transplant pathology.

Clinical Experience

The transplant surgical fellow is responsible for leading the clinical team under the direct guidance of the surgical and medical transplant attending staff. The fellow also supervises the Mass General house staff and HMS students, provides daily teaching and coordinates patient care with nursing staff and consultant services.

The Mass General fellowship is unique in its ability to be tailored to the fellow’s goals.

Fellows with interest in kidney transplantation and research can expect to complete approximately 100 kidney transplants and 40 laparoscopic donor nephrectomies, as well as deceased donor procurements, general surgery for transplant patients and dialysis access procedures. Fellows will also have dedicated time to pursue basic science research, clinical research or intensive training in clinical islet transplantation.

Fellows interested in liver and kidney transplantation, as well as hepatobiliary surgery, can expect to complete approximately 100 liver transplants, 60 kidney transplants, 40 laparoscopic donors, as well as deceased donor procurements, general surgery for transplant patients, dialysis access procedures and 30 complex hepatobiliary cases.

Fellows are appointed as clinical fellows in surgery at HMS. Salary is commensurate with level of training and benefits include malpractice, health and disability insurance, as well as a computer, cell phone, office and attendance at an annual conference.

Mass General, HMS and the greater Boston area provide a rich environment to pursue basic science or clinical transplant research or additional intensive training in clinical islet transplantation. The Division of Transplant Surgery provides resources to assist with grant writing and manuscript preparation.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted throughout the year leading up to the match process. To apply, please email the following documents to Dr. Markmann at jmarkmann@partners.org:

• Curriculum vitae
• Personal statement (one-page maximum)
• Three (3) letters of recommendation