Department of Medicine

Didactic

Master
Content

As part of the didactic curriculum, the program provides monthly conferences, including journal clubs, weekly conferences, and Grand Rounds.

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Monthly Conferences

Content

Liver Forum

This seminar on an invited topic is conducted during a dinner, which is open to members of both the academic and practice communities.

Gastroenterology Journal Club

Two articles selected by the faculty are presented by trainees for group discussion at a dinner conference. Transplant Hepatology Fellows are included in rotation with Gastroenterology Fellows. Fellows present articles and prepare detailed handouts.

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Weekly Conferences (in chronological order)

Content

Hepatology Journal Club

This weekly journal club is held 7-8 a.m. Mondays and is devoted to a critical presentation by a fellow of one article in hepatology or liver transplantation. Each presentation is mentored by a hepatology faculty member. To prepare fellows for the challenges of practice in the era of translational medicine, we give special emphasis to genetics, proteonomics, metabolomics and immunology and inflammation. Clinical articles informing and extending information published in Practice Guidelines are also a priority.

Hepatology Seminar

This lecture-based seminar, held at noon on Mondays, is a forum for presentation of a variety of topics spanning basic, clinical and translational research applications to clinical issues in hepatology and liver transplantation.

Research Meeting

This 1.5 hour meeting is held on Tuesdays 7:30-9 a.m. The first 30 minutes is a forum for faculty and fellows to discuss progress in research projects and facilitate collaborations and mentoring. The next hour is devoted to clinical research in Advanced Liver Therapies, including vetting of new research protocols, systematic review of all patients in current clinical trials, site initiation training sessions for newly funded research protocols, and didactic teaching about compliance, regulatory issues and the conduct of clinical research.

Hepatology Case Conference

In this conference, held at noon on Wednesdays, a fellow discusses a difficult and/or informative clinical case with mentorship from a hepatology faculty member. Cases are selected to illustrate important principles and provide new updates from the literature.

Imaging Conference

This conference, held from 7-8 a.m. Thursdays, is devoted to the review of imaging studies performed on our patients with a special emphasis hepatobiliary neoplasia. It is conducted by senior interventional radiologists and attended by faculty in hepatology and liver transplant surgery, rotating medical residents and fellows in hepatology and liver transplantation and gastroenterology. Formal reviews are conducted and recommendations are made regarding OLT, resective and biliary reconstructive surgery, ablative procedures and chemotherapy for malignant tumors. Attendees acquire in depth knowledge of imaging techniques, interpretation, ancillary testing options and use of imaging in clinical decisions.

Gastroenterology Grand Rounds

This CME conference is held 8-9 a.m. Thursdays. Two 30-minute presentations are made; those devoted to the liver are scheduled to be presented second to accommodate walking time from the Imaging Conference.

Gastroenterology Grand Rounds

This CME conference is held 8-9 a.m. Thursdays. Two 30-minute presentations are made; those devoted to the liver are scheduled to be presented second to accommodate walking time from the Imaging Conference.

Medicine Grand Rounds

The Department of Medicine conducts Grand Rounds on Thursdays from 12:15-1 p.m. Fellows and faculty are encouraged to attend those related to hepatobiliary topics.

Gastroenterology Research Forum

This basic and clinical research seminar is held on Thursdays from 4-5 p.m. Invited speakers present results of research in gastroenterology and hepatology. Fellows and faculty are encouraged to attend lectures related to hepatology and liver transplantation.

Medical Review Board

This meeting, held on Fridays from 7-8:30 a.m., is a formal patient selection conference for our OLT program. It is attended by transplant surgeons, all transplant hepatologists, transplant consultants in psychiatry, cardiology, nephrology, transplant nurse coordinators, social workers, dietician and fellows in hepatology and liver transplantation and gastroenterology. Each candidate for OLT listing is presented and discussed in detail and consensus decisions are made. Patients whose circumstances have changed are also represented.

Hepatopathology Conference

This conference is conducted from 1-2 p.m. Fridays by a faculty hepatopathologist who projects, reviews and discusses liver biopsy slides generated by us or sent from outside institutions. In addition, we review OLT explants, hepatobiliary resections. This conference emphasizes critical appraisal and appreciation of the role of liver biopsy in formulating a diagnostic and therapeutic plan.