Pediatric Surgery Fellowship
About the Program
The Pediatric Surgical Fellowship Program at the University of Iowa is a highly competitive program that prepares our fellows to become excellent pediatric surgeons. Fellows work closely with pediatric surgery faculty as well as a multidisciplinary team of physicians to gain an understanding of the pre-operative, operative, and post-operative management of surgical problems in infants and children.
Fellows train in the following areas:
- Neonatal and pediatric critical care
- ECMO
- General pediatric surgery
- Cancer surgery
- Trauma surgery
- Neonatal surgery
- Gastrointestinal surgery
- Thoracic surgery
Our fellowship is a two-year ACGME accredited clinical program that recruits a new fellow every other year through the NRMP match. Having only one fellow at a time allows the fellow to lead the pediatric surgical service from the onset. Fellows obtain extensive operative experience and provide comprehensive perioperative care.
Upon completion of the training program, fellows will be competent pediatric surgeons, who have demonstrated mastery of the six competencies set forth by the Accreditation Council of Medical Education and are qualified for certification in Pediatric Surgery by the American Board of Surgery.
Facilities
The University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital is a free-standing children’s hospital located on the University of Iowa medical campus and adjacent to the rest of the campus. It is connected to University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and the Carver College of Medicine.
As the only quaternary referral center in the state and region, our fellows are exposed to diverse and complex cases.
All fellowship training occurs in the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital, so no travel is required for our fellows.
Our team
Our team includes surgical residents, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and is led by pediatric surgery faculty. Faculty are responsible for training and supporting the fellows throughout the fellowship experience.
Quick facts
- More than 170 pediatric physicians and surgeons
- More than 200 pediatric physicians, surgeons, and dentists
- UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital cared for 83,937 children last year from all 99 Iowa counties, 45 states, and 20 other countries
- 190 pediatric beds
Patient stories
Hear about some of the great work our surgeons are doing for children.
Clinical Rotations
During the two-year curriculum fellows have designated rotations in the following specialties:
- NICU
- PICU
- Otolaryngology
- Urology
Education
Our fellowship is a two-year ACGME accredited clinical program that recruits a new fellow every other year through the NRMP match. Having only one fellow at a time allows the fellow to lead the pediatric surgical service from the onset.
Fellows work with our diverse group of faculty as well as our multi-disciplinary team to gain expertise in the preoperative, operative, and post- operative care of infants and children.
As the only academic referral center for children in the state of Iowa and in the region, we see a wide range of operative pathology and care for highly complex patients. Upon completion of the training program, fellows are competent pediatric surgeons, who have demonstrated mastery of the six competencies set forth by the Accreditation Council of Medical Education and are qualified for certification in Pediatric Surgery by the American Board of Surgery.
In addition to their clinical responsibilities, our fellows also lead our didactic pediatric surgery and multidisciplinary conferences. Additionally, they participate in hospital wide quality improvement projects and research activities within the Division of Pediatric Surgery.
Each fellow will have the opportunity to attend the following courses and conferences.
Courses
- Pediatric oncology course
- Pediatric advanced minimally invasive surgery course
- Anorectal malformation course
- ECMO training course
National conferences
Pediatric Surgery Daily/Monthly Schedule
How to Apply
If you are interested in applying to the Pediatric Surgery Fellowship, applications are accepted through ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service).
Our program selects on candidate every other year through the NRMP.
Application requirements
- Completion of approved General Surgery residency prior to beginning the fellowship
- Eligible for certification by the American Board of Surgery
The following materials are required to complete your application:
- Curriculum vitae
- Brief personal statement
- Three letters of recommendation
Candidates must be registered with the National Resident Matching program (NRMP).
Individuals applying to our program can submit their materials through the ERAS system.
Application deadline
See the ERAS website.
- Applications will be reviewed in December 2019 for program year beginning August 1, 2021
- Interviews will be held January through March of 2020. Invited candidates will receive instructions to plan for interviews. We use the Thalamus scheduling program.
- Match date: May 13, 2020
As noted above, the fellowship application process and materials are entirely through ERAS.
Interviews
Invited candidates will receive instructions to plan for interviews.
Interviews will be held January through March.
Contact information
Please contact Cate Unruh is you need further assistance.
Email: cate-unruh@uiowa.edu
Interviews
Invited candidates will receive instructions to plan for interviews. Interviews will be held January through March. Please contact Cate Unruh if you need further assistance by email (cate-unruh@uiowa.edu) or phone (319-467-5302).
Our People
Our people are the heart of our program. The pediatric surgery team is collegial, collaborative, and committed to clinical excellence, teaching as well as innovation. The surgical team works hand in hand with outstanding pediatric clinicians, researchers, and teachers.
Pediatric Surgery Team
Pediatric Surgeons
Erica M. Carlisle, MD
Education
- BS, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
- MD, University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago
- Residency, General Surgery, University of Chicago, Chicago
- Fellowship, Pediatric Surgery, University of Chicago, Chicago
- Fellowship, Surgical Ethics, MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics, University of Chicago, Chicago
Graeme Pitcher, MBBCh
Education
- MBBCh, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
- Residency, Surgery, Johannesburg Hospital, Johannesburg
- Fellowship, Pediatric Surgery, Johannesburg Hospital, Johannesburg
- Fellowship, Pediatric Surgery, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Fellowship, Transplant Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Neb.
Julia Shelton, MD, MPH
Education
- BS, Georgia State University, Atlanta
- MPH, Vanderbilt University, School of Medicine, Nashville, Tenn.
- MD, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Ga.
- Residency, Medical Internship, Surgical Training, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn.
- Residency, General Surgery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn.
- Fellowship, Surgical Education Research, Association for Surgical Education, Los Angeles
- Fellowship, Pediatric Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, Ky.
Joel Shilyansky, MD
Education
- BS, Biology, University of California, Los Angeles
- MD, University of California, Los Angeles
- Residency, General Surgery, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Mich.
- Fellowship, Surgical Oncology, National Cancer Institute Building, Bethesda, Md.
- Fellowship, Pediatric Surgery, University of Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto
Nurse Practitioners
Anna M. Arens, ARNP, CPNP
Education
- MSN, University of Illinois, College of Nursing, Chicago
- BSN, University of Iowa, College of Nursing, Iowa City, Iowa
Stephany Walk, DNP, ARNP, CPNP
Education
- DNP, University of Iowa, College of Nursing, Iowa City, Iowa
- BSN, University of Iowa, College of Nursing, Iowa City, Iowa
Ashley Wilkens, ARNP, CPNP
Fellows (current and alumni)
Current Fellow
Alexis Bowder, MD, MPH 2023-2025
Residency: Medical College of Wisconsin, General Surgery
Why Iowa: In the future, I am very interested in practicing in the Midwest and was excited to move to Iowa City. The opportunity here to operate on complex cases right away as a single fellow coupled with a large referral base was very appealing. The program also supports the fellow well with a strong resident and ARNP team to help with patient care and call distribution. Most importantly, the faculty are all very supportive and are dedicated to your education.
Why pediatric surgery: Throughout my training I always enjoyed working with children and had a passion for global health. I have worked in several countries where children don’t have timely access to pediatric surgical care and as a mother, I can’t imagine living in a place where my children would not have access to lifesaving surgery. Therefore, I have chosen to dedicate my career to improving access to pediatric surgical care worldwide.
Get to know Alexis: I was born, raised, and attended college and medical school in Omaha, Nebraska. Throughout medical school and during my research years I have worked in Haiti with the Program in Global Surgery and Social Change at Harvard Medical School. I obtained a master's in public health from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. I have global health field experience in Brazil, Costa Rica, Haiti, India, Peru, and Nepal. Outside of work and when I'm not traveling, I love to spend time with my two young boys, husband and Vizsla.
Alumni Fellow
Lindel Dewberry, MD 2021-2023
Residency: University of Colorado, General Surgery
Current Practice: Assistant Professor, University of Kentucky, Pediatric Specialty Clinic
Ben Farber, MD 2019-2021
Residency: Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center
Current Practice: Assistant Professor, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center
Sarah K Walker, MD 2017-2019
Residency: University of Louisville
Current Practice: Assistant Professor, Texas Tech University at El Paso
Get to Know the Program Director
Joel Shilyansky, MD
Joel Shilyansky, MD is the Robert and Hélène Soper Chair of Pediatric Surgery and surgeon-in-chief for University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
- Medical school: University of California at Los Angeles
- Residency: University of Michigan Medical Center
- Fellowship: Surgical Oncology at National Institutes of Health
- Fellowship: Pediatric Surgery, University of Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children
His research focuses on the immune response in pediatric cancer patients, and additional studies in his laboratory related to cancer vaccine development.
- Why did you decide to be a physician?
- Medicine is something I found fascinating, interesting, and exciting. Being a doctor provided me with an opportunity to serve the community and the people around me, and that’s always been important to me.
- Why pediatric surgery?
- With pediatric surgery, you must be very proactive. It involves being thoughtful. You make decisions, and you execute them, and you don’t get to ‘wait and see’ too much. But you also get to see the results of what you do—sometimes very quickly and very dramatically.
- What attracted you to UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital?
- I knew that Iowa was an outstanding university, and there was a really strong tradition of excellence in pediatric surgery. In Iowa I had the opportunity to build the division of pediatric surgery and add to that tradition. Most importantly I have really good colleagues and that makes work fun.
- What makes our children’s hospital special?
- It’s just an excellent environment for patient care and work because of the expertise and dedication of employees at all levels of care, from the people who clean the rooms to nurses and doctors and others. It has all the new technologies, is state-of-the-art, and the whole team is together