Welcome from the Fellowship Program Director

As the Interventional Pulmonology Fellowship Program Director, I would like to welcome you to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, South Carolina. I am grateful for your interest in our program, and I hope that this website informs you of the extensive training opportunities and learning environment that our program has to offer.

My pathway to MUSC in 2022 was somewhat circuitous, but it has been an amazing journey. Originally from southcentral Pennsylvania, I had spent most of my life in that area, including much of my medical training. I completed my Internal Medicine training at The Reading Medical Center and spent an additional year as Chief Resident. During my training I became enthralled by all the offerings of becoming a Pulmonary and Critical Care physician. I next moved on to complete my Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship at Thomas Jefferson. I was also able to complete a Master of Science degree during my fellowship at Jefferson as part of the K30 program. During this time, I discovered a new passion for Interventional Pulmonology. I then completed my Interventional Pulmonology Fellowship at Johns Hopkins in 2012. 

After finishing my fellowship, I returned to Pennsylvania and worked at Penn State Medical Center for a few years. Eventually, I was presented with an opportunity to move to the Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle. This shift allowed me to immerse myself in a bustling thoracic surgery/oncology tertiary referral system with a strong focus on clinical research, even though it wasn't an academic-based institution. During this period, I continued honing my skills in evaluating and managing various pulmonary/thoracic diseases processes and was able to get involved in multiple aspects of research in interventional pulmonology and thoracic oncology. However, in 2022, I was offered a remarkable opportunity to join MUSC and contribute to developing the interventional pulmonology program. This role involved expanding the program to align with MUSC's core mission of education, research, and clinical care.

Since my arrival, we have been able to rapidly expand the program. This includes expansion of clinical services in both breadth and volume. We are now involved in multiple clinical trials within the field of interventional pulmonology and thoracic oncology. We have developed curriculum and programs for the pulmonary fellowship program while also initiating an interventional pulmonology fellowship, the only one available in the state of South Carolina.

We are looking forward to continued growth and expansion of the program, again with the focus remaining on the tripartite mission of MUSC and serving the people of South Carolina. This expansion comes with the ongoing support of many dedicated people/partners within the institution, including program directors in many of the other programs we often interface with including Dr. Eddie Kilb and Dr. Anna Brady (Pulmonary and Critical Care), Dr. Rita Bakhru (Critical Care Medicine), and Dr. Barry Gibney (Thoracic Surgery).   

On this website, you can explore further details about our program. However, what truly sets us apart is the bond of friendship and camaraderie that permeates our institution, from nursing and office staff to trainees and faculty, along with the allure of Charleston, SC. As you venture into your quest for an interventional pulmonology fellowship, I wish for you to discover a place that resonates with you as deeply as MUSC has with me. Regardless of where you end up training, I highly recommend visiting and experiencing the unique charm of Charleston, SC.

If you have additional questions regarding our fellowship program, please contact me at gilberch@musc.edu or Sara Croft, program coordinator, at frampto@musc.edu.

Sincerely,

Christopher R. Gilbert, D.O., MS, FCCP
Associate Professor of Medicine
Program Director, Interventional Pulmonology Fellowship