LSUHSC/Pennington Bariatric Surgery Fellowship
Thank you for your interest in the Bariatric Fellowship with LSUHSC/Pennington. The program has 2 clinical positions, one based at Pennington in Baton Rouge with cases performed at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, and one based in New Orleans with cases based at University Medical Center. The fellows will rotate between the two sites with approximately 6 months being spent at each facility. The program is heavily geared toward bariatric surgical procedures and work up and treatment of severely obese patients, although there will be ample opportunities in the area of flexible endoscopy, complex MIS, foregut and abdominal wall reconstruction. Procedures are mostly laparoscopic with some (around 40%) robotic exposure.
In the current climate with bariatric surgery numbers decreased across the country and less bariatric surgery jobs available, one might wonder why we continue to have only the bariatric designation. The most obvious answer is that is where our strength is. Fellows that graduate from our program are well prepared for a career in metabolic surgery. Fellows typically graduate with nearly double the required numbers, with comfort in revisional procedures and exposure to managing and growing a metabolic surgery practice. We believe that this experience makes our fellows more competitive for the available jobs than fellowships that seek multiple designations and provide less depth of experience in any single area. Finally, Bariatric Surgery positions often require a dedicated fellowship while faculty positions in Foregut, Hernia, and Advanced MIS do not.
Highest preference will be given to applicants with an interest in academics. Fellows
will be well prepared for an academic career, with many opportunities for clinical
and basic science research as well as guidance toward first learning proficiency in
procedures, then learning to pass that knowledge and skill to resident learners.
Fellows are encouraged to take advantage of numerous opportunities for leadership
and clinical skills courses across the country (often sponsored by industry partners).
The 2 clinical fellows are split evenly between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, although the time spent at each facility may be adjusted to meet the needs of the fellowship and to ensure the best experience for each fellow.
In Baton Rouge the fellow will primarily be working with Dr. Philip Schauer, a world famous bariatric surgeon and scientist, and will have access to the research facilities at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, a well funded facility on the cutting edge of obesity and nutrition research. Fellows in Baton Rouge will also spend a significant amount of time with Dr. Vance Albaugh, another surgeon scientist and a rising star in the field of metabolic surgery.
In New Orleans, the fellow will be based at University Medical Center New Orleans, a state of the art facility with a clinically active bariatric service. The bulk of the robotic experience will be at this site, working with Dr. Carlos Galvani, an internationally recognized robotic surgeon, and program director, Dr. Michael Cook. The experience is rounded out with Dr. James Leithead, who provides valuable insight into the world of private practice.
A one year research position is also available for graduating residents or surgery residents in training who are interested in pursuing a career in metabolic surgery. Graduating residents would be expected to complete the research year and then progress into one of the clinical positions the following year. Previous fellows have been extremely productive with numerous publications, research grants, and national awards achieved during their time at LSU. The research fellow works on clinical projects with all faculty and in animal labs at Pennington when available.
Michael Cook MD, FACS, FASMBS
Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery, LSU Health Sciences Center – New Orleans