Applying for Hernia Fellowships

The Division of Abdominal Wall Surgery is excited to announce that we have begun our search for the 2025-2026 Advanced Abdominal Wall Surgery Fellow at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City.


About the Abdominal Wall Fellowship

This fully funded training opportunity will encompass exposure to a wide range of Abdominal Wall surgery, including extensive experience with both routine and complex inguinal and ventral repairs, abdominal wall reconstructions, management of mesh complications and groin pain. The applicant will also have significant exposure to all aspects of modern robotic hernia and abdominal wall surgery. There will also be significant exposure to soft tissue reconstruction as well.

As of 2024 there are 2 fellowship positions available with a mix of mostly clinical but also research exposure with a full-time research assistant who works solely for our Division.


How to Apply

We are looking for driven individuals with track records of clinical excellence who are interested in a career in Hernia and Abdominal Wall Surgery.

Interested applicants should submit their CV, 2-3 letters of recommendation and a brief personal statement detailing their interest in the Fellowship and the Hernia field overall to: columbiahernia@gmail.com

The application process opens January 10th, 2024. Deadline for applications is March 1st, 2024 and we hope to complete our selection process by April 15th, 2024 (prior to the MIS match)

Unfortunately, we will not be able to consider H-1 or J-1 visa holders/applicants.


Fellowship Graduates

Below is a list of past fellows and their current clinical roles:

2022

Artem Shmelev
Assistant Professor of Surgery at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY

2021

Kimberly Coughlin
Ascension St. John Hospital, Detroit, MI

2020

Kelly Tunder
Abdominal Wall Surgeon at Advocate Aurora Health, Milwaukee, WI

2019

Vagahn Nikolian
Assistant Professor of Surgery at Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, OR

2018

Dina Podolsky
Assistant Professor of Surgery at Columbia University, New York, NY


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