Hoag Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship
Goal/Overview
The aim of the AEF program is to train gastroenterologists in performing all cognitive and technical aspects of diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic techniques. At the conclusion of training, we expect the AEF graduates to be competent to establish an interventional endoscopy unit at their own hospital, hold a high-volume practice treating complex disease processes, and continue to further advance the field in both clinical research and development.
- Program Details
- Faculty
- Current Fellows
- Past Fellows
Program Details
Fellows can expect to complete at least 200 endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and 200 endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) cases during their training year.
Procedures that trainees will gain experience in include (but not limited to):
- Diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)
- Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
- Altered anatomy ERCP
- ERCP with cholangioscopy
- Ampullectomy
- Complex pancreatic duct therapy
- Endoscopic dilation and stenting therapy (esophagus, gastroduodenal, colonic)
- Endoscopic stricture management (incisional therapy)
- Endoscopic management of complex fistulas (endoscopic glue, clips, suturing)
- Endoscopic mucosal resection
- Endoscopic submucosal resection
- Endoscopic full thickness resection
- Mucosal radiotherapy and cryotherapy ablation
- Endoscopic bariatric and metabolic procedures
- Complex colonoscopy
- Endoluminal functional impedence planimetry
- Gastrojejunostomy tube placement
- Gastroenteric anastomosis, cholecystoduodenal anastomosis, choledochoduodostomy anastomosis creation with lumen apposing metal stents
- EUS-guided liver biopsy
- EUS-guided portosystemic pressure gradient measurement
- EUS-guided shearwave elastography
- Per-oral endoscopic myotomy procedures (Zenkers, esophageal, gastric)
- Endoscopic suturing for luminal defects
- Endoscopic vacuum therapy
- Small bowel enteroscopy (anterograde and retrograde)
The fellow will spend approximately 50% of their time at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian’s Newport Beach campus, and 50% of their time at Hoag Irvine Endoscopy Units. Fellows are expected to report to work Monday-Friday, except approved holidays, and be available for emergency calls for patients under their care and responsibility.
The fellows will demonstrate an ongoing commitment to self-directed learning and research. They will be expected to come up with a scholarly project by the end of the first month of the program. They will complete an abstract by the first week of December to be submitted to Digestive Disease Week (DDW) and author at least one publication by the end of their fellowship year. The fellows will also formally present their research to the fellowship leadership and faculty.
- Quarterly Program Endoscopic Case Conference
- Department Endoscopic Case Conference
- Monthly Journal Club
- Bi-Weekly Didactics
- Digestive Disease Week
- American Foregut Society (if interested)
- The fellow will be compensated at the appropriate PGY salary level.
- Benefits include medical/vision/dental insurance, professional liability coverage, disability coverage, and paid time off.
- Travel accommodations and reimbursements are granted for the fellow to attend Digestive Disease Week
There are two (2) positions available for the 2026-2027 fellowship year.
1 year (July 1st – June 30th)
Candidate Qualifications
- Applicants must be board eligible and/or board certified in Internal Medicine, and completed a Gastroenterology Fellowship program.
- Applicants must be eligible to obtain an unrestricted California medical license prior to the beginning of fellowship training. We are unable to provide J-1 visa sponsorship at this time. ****
- View the requirements for a California medical license
How to Apply?
- The fellowship has 1 position available in the ASGE Match for the 2026-2027 fellowship year.
- Applications are accepted on a rolling basis for 1 position outside of the ASGE Match for the 2026-2027 fellowship year. Email your application documentation to: GMEOffice@hoag.org
Application Materials
- Application Form
- Curriculum Vitae: Please include honors, award, & publications on your curriculum vitae
- A personal statement describing your career aspirations and clinical interest.
- Three (3) letters of recommendation – one letter must be from your residency Program Director and/or Advanced Endoscopist
- Copies of:
- USMLE/COMLEX Score Reports
- Medical School Diploma
- ECFMG certificate if applicable
- Residency Certificate
- Summative Fellowship Evaluations (optional)
TBA
Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship Faculty
Kenneth J. Chang, MD
<a href="https://www.hoag.org/featured-physician/kenneth-j-chang-md">Read more about Dr. Chang</a> Kenneth J. Chang, M.D., M.A.S.G.E., A.G.A.F., F.A.C.G., F.J.G.E.S., F.A.F.S is the Executive Medical Director of the Hoag Digestive Health Institute. Dr. Chang is a world-renown researcher, inventor, advanced endoscopist and pioneer in the field of interventional endoscopy and endoscopic oncology. He is a board-certified gastroenterologist, who is fellowship trained in gastroenterology and hepatology, and specializes in Interventional Endoscopy, Endoscopic Oncology, Endo-Hepatology, Endo-Bariatrics, and Endoscopic Treatment for GERD and motility disorders. Dr. Chang received his combined bachelor’s degree in biology and medical degree at Brown University before completing his internship and residency in general internal medicine at Rhode Island Hospital. He then completed his academic fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of California, Irvine. He’s since published over 480 scientific articles, abstracts, book chapters and textbooks, pioneered numerous breakthrough technologies, and trained and mentored over 50 national and international advanced fellows who are now leaders in their respective regions. Dr. Chang was awarded the Vincent and Anna Kong endowed Chair in GI Endoscopic Oncology in 2013. His clinical and research passion has focused on innovating new endoscopic diagnostic and interventional management and cure of Digestive Cancers as well as the pre-cancerous conditions that lead to tumor growth. He has developed numerous devices that have touched the lives of patients globally, including Endoscopic Radio-frequency Ablation (RFA) for the treatment of Barrett’s Esophagus, which bears the name “Chang Cap” due to his contributions; it is the world’s most popular device for treating and curing Barrett’s. Dr. Chang is one of few physicians nationally who has expertise in some of the most advanced endoscopic modalities, such as: Per-oral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) for Achalasia, Zenker’s per-oral cricopharyngeal myotomy (Z-POEM), Gastric Per-oral Endoscopic Pyloro-myotomy (G-POEM), Trans-oral Incisionless Fundoplication (TIF), Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty and Revisions (ESG/TORe), Endo-Hepatology including EUS-Liver Biopsy and EUS-portal pressure gradient measurement (EUS-PPG), Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD). Throughout his career, Dr. Chang has been recognized with honors and awards as a prominent researcher and pioneer in digestive health. For over 15 consecutive years, he has been named on the Southern California Super Doctors list and recognized as a Physician of Excellence by the Orange County Medical Association. In 2021, he was celebrated as the Orange County Business Journal Innovator of the Year Award Winner. Dr. Chang is actively involved in national and global organizations including the American College of Physicians, American College of Gastroenterology (Fellow), American Gastroenterological Association (Fellow), American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (Master; awarded Master Endoscopist in 2022), American Foregut Society (Founding Board Member and Fellow; awarded Distinguished Service Award), Natural Orifice Surgery Consortium for Assessment and Research, Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Japan Gastroenterological Society, Bockus International Society of Gastroenterology, Christian Medical Society, Orange County Gastroenterology Society and Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons. <style> .hoag-people__bio-content p a { display: inline-block; padding: 15px 30px; background-color:#f16c13; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; border-radius: 50px; font-weight: bold; transition: background-color 0.3s ease; } .hoag-people__bio-content p a:hover { color: #fff; background-color: #f68d2a; } </style>
Jennifer Phan, MD
Dr. Jennifer Phan is a board-certified gastroenterologist serving as the Medical Director for the Hoag Irvine Advanced Endoscopy Center, Director of Bariatric Endoscopy and Program Director of the Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship. She completed her gastroenterology and advanced endoscopy fellowship at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and specializes in complex diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy including management of pancreaticobiliary diseases through use of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), removal of large polyps through endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), endoscopic management of gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) and Barrett’s esophagus, and complex defect closure via endoscopic suturing. Dr. Phan has special clinical and research interests in the endoscopic management of obesity and metabolic disorders such as diabetes and fatty liver disease. Dr. Phan’s multidisciplinary approach to bariatric endoscopy provides patients a minimally invasive option for weight loss through a procedure called endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG), or revisional procedures for patients who experience weight regain following bariatric surgery. She provides cutting-edge endoscopic procedures for patients with Type 2 diabetes through duodenal mucosal resurfacing (DMR). Dr. Phan was inducted into 2021 class of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Young Physician Leadership Scholars Program and the 2022 class of the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) Leadership Education and Development program for distinguished female junior faculty. She sits on the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Center for GI Innovation and Technology (CGIT) and serves as Women in Endoscopy (WIE) Committee Chair of Industry Relations. She is active in the ACG, ASGE, AGA and American Bariatric Endoscopy (ABE) societies. She has given many national and international lectures, and has authored numerous peer-reviewed papers and reviewed articles on the above topics as well.
Paul J. Korc, MD
Paul J. Korc, M.D. serves as medical director of the Hoag GI Lab and is a board-certified gastroenterologist with fellowship training in advanced endoscopic procedures. After completing his residency and fellowship at USC, he went on to spend a year at Indiana University, one of the nation’s top programs for biliary and pancreatic disorders. There, he received training in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), gaining extensive experience in the management of complex cases. Dr. Korc’s expertise also includes removal of large polyps and early stage cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, using endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). He spent time in Seoul, Korea learning ESD, a cutting-edge technique in which pre-cancerous lesions and superficial cancers are removed en bloc (in one piece), avoiding the need for surgery. Additionally, Dr. Korc performs peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), a specialized procedure that restores the ability to eat and drink for people with achalasia, an esophageal motility disorder. Dr. Korc brings to Hoag his expertise in these procedures, some of which are available at only a handful of medical centers in Southern California. Dr. Korc offers patients compassionate, personalized care along with the very best advances in endoscopic treatment.
Phuong T. Nguyen, MD
Phuong T. Nguyen, M.D., is the Medical Director of Hoag Advanced Endoscopy Center and a therapeutic endoscopist in Newport Beach. She has clinical interests in interventional endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), endoscopic bariatrics (weight management), gastrointestinal oncology (pancreatic tumors) and pelvic floor health. Dr. Nguyen is a nationally recognized expert in the field of gastroenterology, and she is one of Orange County’s most experienced physicians in the use of minimally invasive gastrointestinal procedures, including her expertise in the outpatient imaging procedure EUS and endoscopic interventions for the treatment of GERD and obesity. Additionally, she is the original co-founder of a nonprofit organization, Association of Women Endoscopists (AWE), which promotes education in the field of gastroenterology, both locally and internationally. Dr. Nguyen graduated from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and completed an internal medicine internship and residency at the University of Pennsylvania/Graduate Hospital. She completed a fellowship in gastroenterology and therapeutic endoscopy at the University of California, Irvine. She is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in gastroenterology and speaks Vietnamese.
Ravi J. Kankotia, MD
Dr. Kankotia is a board-certified gastroenterologist at the Hoag Digestive Health Institute. His focus is in advanced endoscopic procedures, and his clinical interests include pancreaticobiliary disease, tissue resection, Barrett’s esophagus, and bariatrics. Other services offered include luminal stenting, radiofrequency ablation, endoscopic mucosal resection, esophageal pH monitoring (Bravo), liver biopsy, portal pressure measurement, and endoscopic suturing. He strives to provide his patients and their families with personalized care plans that help each patient reach their health goals. At the Hoag Digestive Health Institute, Dr. Kankotia works with a team of digestive health experts to provide a comprehensive approach to wellness. Dr. Kankotia earned his medical degree at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He completed internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship at University of Southern California/LAC+USC Medical Center. He then completed an additional fellowship in advanced endoscopy at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he developed expertise in ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography), diagnostic and therapeutic EUS (endoscopic ultrasound), and other techniques while garnering experience managing complex cases. Dr. Kankotia is a current member of the American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association, and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Additionally, he has contributed to several publications on topics such as gastric cancer, biliary disease, pancreatic cysts, and luminal strictures.
Current Fellows
Badar Hasan, MD FRCP(C), ESEGH (UK)
Past Fellows
Avni Jain, MD, FRCPC
Michael Yu, MD, MSGM
Atif Saleem, MD, FASGE
