Fellowship

Gastroenterology Fellowship Program

Our ACGME-accredited three-year Gastroenterology Fellowship offers comprehensive training in the diagnosis, management, and prevention of gastrointestinal and liver diseases. Fellows gain hands-on experience in both inpatient and outpatient endoscopy and develop expertise in the full spectrum of GI disorders.

The program includes protected time for research and electives, allowing fellows to pursue scholarly interests and develop focused skills in areas such as advanced endoscopy, hepatology, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Fellows participate in a rich educational curriculum featuring GI core lectures, case conferences, pathology reviews, journal clubs, research presentations, and morbidity & mortality conferences. Our division is a collegial, mentorship-driven environment that values the vital role fellows play in patient care, education, and academic advancement.

We participate in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), and applications must be submitted via the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).

View our fellowship curriculum.

Thank you for your interest in our fellowship. For more information, please contact:

Shareen Berkowitz
Fellowship Coordinator – Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
Department of Internal Medicine
ECU Health MA Suite 338
gastro@ecu.edu

Current Fellows

Third Year Fellows

Huai-En “Rachel” Chang, MD

Research Interests: Hepatology, Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Residency: Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States Residency Program

Medical School: National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan

Swethaa Manickam, MD

Chief Fellow

Research Interests: Transplant Hepatology, Autoimmune Liver Disease, Acute Liver Failure, Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Residency: ECU Health Medical Center / East Carolina University, Brody School of Medicine, Greenville, NC

Medical School: American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine

Second Year Fellows

Stephanie Ibarra Lepe, MD

Research Interests: Hepatology, Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Residency: ECU Health Medical Center / East Carolina University, Brody School of Medicine, Greenville, NC

Medical School: UAG School of Medicine

Muhammad Bilal, MD

Research Interests: Advanced Endoscopy

Residency: Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, NY

Medical School: Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad, Pakistan

First Year Fellows

Dr. Bobby Thomas

Research Interests: Hepatology, Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Residency: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai | NYC H+H/Elmhurst, Elmhurst, NY

Medical School: Sree Mookambika Institute of Medical Sciences, Kulasekharam, Tamil Nadu, India

Dr. Abdulazeez Riad Swaiti

Research Interests: Hepatology, Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Residency: ECU Health Medical Center

Medical School: Brody School of Medicine at ECU