Visiting Inflammatory Bowel Disease Observership Program

Case Report

The competitive Visiting IBD Observership Program accepts qualified 2nd & 3rd year gastroenterology fellows who express an interest in learning more about adult or pediatric IBD—regardless of their plans to be in private practice or in academics—for a one-month, (most) expenses-paid observation at one of our partner IBD centers.

 

The program is designed for GI fellows who have not had exposure to IBD-specific curricula or a sufficient volume of IBD patients.

 

Contact [email protected] for questions.

 

Interested in applying? Click here for the Fall 2026 - Spring 2027 VIBD Fellow Application

 

Program Details

The Visiting IBD Observership program is designed for 2nd and 3rd year gastroenterology fellows who express an interest in learning more about IBD—regardless of their plans to be in private practice or in academics. Ideally, the program targets GI fellows who are at centers that do not have IBD-specific curricula or a sufficient volume of IBD patients for training.

 

This highly-competitive program has limited space and is open to GI Fellows interested in either adult or pediatric IBD. The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation pays most program-related expenses, including travel and accommodations. 

 

Participant selection criteria include the following:

  • Candidates must be enrolled in an accredited fellowship training program within the U.S. at the time of application and at the time of scheduled rotation.
  • Candidates employed by a participating host institution may apply and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, but candidates from other programs will receive priority.
  • Candidates should express a specific interest in IBD education for a future career (not necessarily IBD specialty or academics).

Candidates should have the full support of their program director for time away from the candidate's home institution for the duration of the program.

Program Locations

Foundation Visiting IBD Observership Host Centers:

Program Testimonials

“Prior to this experience, I had very little exposure to complex IBD patients and even less experience in management of these patients. IBD is such a large part of GI that I am grateful for the incredible learning experience.” 

 

“This has been an invaluable experience for me. I will highly recommend it to fellows at my center. I can't say enough good things about my time at [host IBD Center].”

 

“Interestingly, I will be joining the [host] IBD center for a faculty position starting this fall. The VIBD month definitely helped tremendously in landing the job. Thank you again for all of your support in coordinating the rotation.” 

 

Contact

Questions? Contact [email protected].

 

Thank you to our 2025-2026 Supporters!

VIBD Sponsors