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Welcome from the Program Director

Thank you for your interest in the Gastroenterology & Hepatology Fellowship at AdventHealth Orlando! This is a three-year ACGME-accredited fellowship that provides trainees with comprehensive training, education, and mentorship to excel as successful, independent, and respected gastroenterologists in any practice setting. Our curriculum is comprised of high-value didactic and practical components that facilitate the development of clinical expertise in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of gastrointestinal, pancreato-biliary, and liver disease through patient care, research, and education. This rigorous training will be delivered in an environment in which the well-being and professional development of our fellows is prioritized. We welcome the highest quality of applicants and invite you to consider the Gastroenterology & Hepatology Fellowship at AdventHealth Orlando!

​​​​​​Mariam Naveed, MD

Program Director

Program Leadership

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Mariam Naveed, MD

Mariam Naveed, MD

Program Director

AdventHealth Orlando & AdventHealth Altamonte Springs

Mohammad Maysara Asfari, MD

Mohammad Maysara Asfari, MD

Associate Program Director

AdventHealth Orlando

Meghana Vellanki, MD

Meghana Vellanki, MD

Associate Program Director

AdventHealth Orlando

Irteza Inayat, MD

Irteza Inayat, MD

Core Faculty

GI Medical Director, AdventHealth Central Florida Division

Markus Agito, MD

Markus Agito, MD

Core Faculty

AdventHealth Orlando & AdventHealth East

Ilan Aharoni, MD

Ilan Aharoni, MD

Core Faculty

AdventHealth Orlando

Mustafa Arain, MD

Mustafa Arain, MD

Core Faculty

Center for Interventional Endoscopy, AdventHealth Orlando

Vishwas Vanar, MD

Vishwas Vanar, MD

Core Faculty

AdventHealth Orlando & AdventHealth Apopka

Abu Hurairah, MD

Abu Hurairah, MD

Core Faculty

AdventHealth Orlando & AdventHealth Apopka

Ayman Koteish, MD

Ayman Koteish, MD

Core Faculty

Medical Director Liver Transplant, AdventHealth Orlando

Torfay Roman, MD

Torfay Roman, MD

Core Faculty

Medical Director Fatty Liver Program, AdventHealth Orlando

Shady Guirguis, MD

Shady Guirguis, MD

Core Faculty

Liver Transplant/Hepatology, AdventHealth Orlando

Andrew Elden, MD

Andrew Elden, MD

Core Faculty

AdventHealth Orlando

Teaching Faculty

The faculty have trained in numerous geographic locations and have come from prestigious training programs - they are eager to teach you!

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Core Rotations

Clinical rotations are specifically structured to ensure trainees receive robust clinical experience. The 36-month fellowship is structured such that approximately 30 months are devoted to clinical experience and at least six months are allocated for research and scholarly activities.

Clinical fellows rotate primarily at the AdventHealth Orlando campus with ambulatory rotations at AdventHealth Apopka, AdventHealth East and AdventHealth Altamonte Springs campuses.

The first year of fellowship will offer intensive clinical experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings with emphasis on the diagnosis and management of a broad spectrum of gastrointestinal and liver diseases. During a four-week elective period, first-year fellows are encouraged to initiate research projects and explore possible areas of sub-specialization.

The second and third-year curricula further build upon the skills gained in first year training and incorporate experiences in motility, and pancreato-biliary disease, while also facilitating more consultative and endoscopic experience.

Additionally, fellows will have the opportunity to further explore numerous clinical gastroenterology & hepatology subspecialties during elective rotations which will permit specific tailoring of their clinical training consistent with personal goals, or alternatively, will permit time to complete a research project.

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Program Overview

Curriculum

The curriculum is structured around the six ACGME Core Competencies: Patient Care, Medical Knowledge, Practice Based Learning, Interpersonal Communication Skills, Professionalism, and System Based Practice. The fellowship curriculum also addresses and fulfills recommendations for best practices in gastroenterology training from the Gastroenterology Core Curriculum, a directive put forth by the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE).

The fellows will have a comprehensive education curriculum, covering the breadth and depth of all aspects of gastroenterology & hepatology through clinical exposure, procedural experience, quality improvement projects, opportunities for clinical and translational research, routine didactic lectures, grand rounds, and multi-disciplinary conferences.

Throughout their training, fellows will work closely with and receive structured mentoring from our diverse faculty that provide experience and expertise in general gastroenterology and hepatology and its subspecialty disciplines. Graduating fellows will meet the requirements to obtain sub-specialty certification in Gastroenterology as outlined by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Regular conferences will include didactic review of gastroenterology & hepatology curriculum, M&M, Pathology and Radiology conference and journal club. Faculty presenting and precepting include experts in the field of inflammatory bowel disease, hepatology, motility, and advanced endoscopy.

Outpatient clinics, inpatient consultation services, state-of-the-art endoscopy units and established robust programs in motility, fatty liver, IBD and liver transplantation provide the framework for clinical training in gastroenterology and hepatology at AdventHealth. Fellows attend a weekly continuity clinic with a faculty preceptor. Ample elective time affords trainees the ability to tailor their learning based on career goals and allows for more time for specialized training in hepatology, advanced endoscopy, transplantation, inflammatory bowel disease and motility. Opportunity exists to interact with colleagues in colon and rectal surgery, pathology, general surgery, and radiology. Fellows also contribute to the informal education of students and residents during outpatient clinics and on clinical rounds. Senior fellows are also expected to participate in the formal teaching of students and residents by delivering lectures and serving as preceptors.

Endoscopy training starts during orientation with assigned modules and time for practice on an endoscopic medical simulator. Procedural skills in diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures are gained and honed as fellows rotate and advance through high volume inpatient and outpatient endoscopy units throughout their fellowship. Fellows also have access to Olympus’s ScopeGuide and can receive real-time feedback on shape and position of the endoscope, which can help fellows improve procedural efficiency and most importantly patient comfort during procedures. Senior fellows may participate in advanced endoscopic procedures at the discretion of the advanced endoscopy faculty. All trainees will receive training in general endoscopic procedures that excels the minimum requirements established by the ASGE.

Conferences

Structured didactic curriculum exists to supplement clinical experiences in a variety of learning formats including lectures, hands-on-workshops (endoscopy boot camp, simulation training), fellow case presentations and teaching rounds. Fellows have protected time each Friday afternoon for didactics. Several conferences occur throughout the week and month including an “Emergency Lecture Series” that focuses on the basics in gastroenterology for the first year GI fellows. As the year progresses, the focus shifts to the latest advances in gastroenterology and hepatology. Fellows frequently participate in the conferences presenting morbidity, mortality, and management talks, and journal article reviews.

Through our partnership with the Center for Interventional Endoscopy (CIE), our faculty and fellows have the opportunity to attend all didactics and conferences organized by CIE. Please see their website for details regarding upcoming events.

GI Conference Schedule
Research

Clinical research is an integral component of the fellowship. Ample opportunities exist for fellows to participate in clinical research, translational research, and other scholarly activities. AdventHealth Orlando campus is home to AdventHealth Translational Research Institute (TRI), a custom-designed 54,000 sq. ft. translational research facility located on the AdventHealth Orlando campus with 250 investigators and more than 500 clinical trials in progress at any given time and over a dozen research areas as well as Nicholson Center.

Our Current Fellows

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Abdul Sattar Shariq Mohammed, MD

PGY-6

Residency: Internal Medicine, John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, IL

Medical School: N.R.I. Medical College, Guntur, India

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Ernesto Robalino Gonzaga, MD

PGY-6

Residency/Chief Resident: Internal Medicine, UCF, Orlando, Fl

Fellowship: GI Motility & Neuro-Gastroenterology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD

Medical School: Universidad de Especialidades Espiritu Santo (UEES) Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Guayaquil, Ecuador

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Sanjeevani Tomar, MD

PGY-5

Residency: Internal Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY

Medical School: People’s College of Medical Sciences and Research Center, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

Aimen Farooq, MD

Aimen Farooq, MD

PGY-5

Residency: Internal Medicine, AdventHealth Orlando

Medical School: Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan

Baha Fawwaz, MD

Baha Bani Fawwaz, MD

PGY-5

Residency: Internal Medicine, AdventHealth Orlando

Medical School: Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan

Mohamad Almujarkesh, MD

Mohamad Almujarkesh, MD

PGY-4

Residency: Internal Medicine, Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University SOM, Detroit, MI

Medical School: University of Damascus Faculty of Medicine, Damascus, Syria

Gurdeep Singh, DO

Gurdeep Singh, DO

PGY-4

Residency/Chief Resident: Internal Medicine, AdventHealth Orlando

Medical School: Cambell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Buies Creek, NC

Sobaan Taj, MD

Sobaan Taj, MD

PGY-4

Residency: Internal Medicine, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Hackensack Meridian Health, Neptune, NJ

Medical School: Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad, Pakistan

AdventHealth Orlando is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a nationally rated leader in Gastroenterology & GI Surgery.

National Leader in Digestive Care

AdventHealth Orlando is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a nationally rated leader in gastroenterology and GI surgery.

Program Information

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Application Process Join Our Team

We proudly received our ACGME accreditation in January 2022. For consideration to our program in appointment year 2025, please note that we participate in the NRMP Match and applicants will need to apply through the ERAS website.

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Contact Information Program Coordinator

Karen Gonzalez

Fellowship Coordinator