Department of Surgery launches new Bariatric Surgery Fellowship program

The Department of Surgery in the West Virginia University School of Medicine recently announced the foundation of a new Bariatric Surgery Fellowship program that is a one-year, Fellowship Council-accredited post-graduate training program that accepts one fellow per year.

The fellowship is for PGY-6 candidates and focuses on bariatric and metabolic surgery, with curriculum that includes a high volume of complex and revisional bariatric procedures along with an innovative simulation curriculum focused on advanced laparoscopic suturing and bowel anastomosis, utilizing a novel training simulator developed at WVU.

“We’re a high-volume training program in a tertiary care center with a combination of faculty who hail from the nation’s strongest training programs. The fellow who joins our program can expect to learn both laparoscopic and robotic modalities and be part of an incredible, collaborative team,” said Nova Szoka, M.D., fellowship program director and associate professor in the Department of Surgery.  

Fellows will also collaboratively learn with faculty from the Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Fellowship, offering trainees a comprehensive knowledge base for their training experience.

“This fellowship combines three unique elements that showcases the strengths of the School of Medicine – an opportunity for developing skills in procedures, a robust simulation curriculum and collaboration with faculty across departments that will produce graduates ready to help patients across the state,” said Erica Shaver, M.D., assistant dean for Graduate Medical Education and assistant DIO. 

The fellowship is seeking a out-of-match fellow for 2025, then will participate in the fellowship match cycle through the Fellowship Council for the 2026-2027 fellowship year.

Interested applicants can find more information on the fellowship’s website.

For more information about the fellowship, reach out to Marta Michalski, program manager, at marta.michalski@wvumedicine.org.