Medical Toxicology Fellowship

Program Overview

The Medical Toxicology Fellowship at The George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) offers a two-year training experience. This ACGME-accredited program, established in 2005, provides comprehensive education in the diagnosis, management, and prevention of toxicity caused by medications, chemicals, occupational hazards, and biological agents.

Key Features of the Program

• Multi-Institutional: Collaborates with Maryland Poison Center, Children’s National Health System, Inova Fairfax Medical Center, and MedStar Georgetown Hospital.
• Multi-Disciplinary: Offers training alongside physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals.
• Multi-Cultural: Serves a diverse patient population in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
• Multi-Faceted: Provides opportunities in public health, health law, forensic toxicology, policy development, and research.

Goals and Objectives

The fellowship aims to develop skilled medical toxicologists capable of:

• Managing acute and chronic toxic exposures
• Applying pharmacology and toxicology principles in clinical settings
• Conducting meaningful research, from design to publication
• Developing and delivering educational programs
• Participating in poison center operations and disaster planning

By the program’s end, fellows will be equipped to achieve board certification in Medical Toxicology and enhance a life-long practice of medicine.

Curriculum Highlights

The two-year curriculum blends clinical practice, didactic learning, and research. Fellows gain expertise through: 

• Clinical Experience: ICU, ED, and clinic consultations, along with poison center-based phone consultations.
• Diverse Rotations: Includes sites like GW Hospital, Children’s National Health System, Maryland Poison Center, Inova Fairfax Medical Center, District of Columbia Medical Examiner, and the Medical Toxicology Clinic at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.
• Educational Opportunities: Fellows engage in teaching, conference presentations, and outreach initiatives locally, nationally, and internationally.
• Advanced Learning: Fellows may pursue a Master’s in Public Health or a Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Occupational Health through GW’s Milken Institute School of Public Health.

The curriculum will follow the “Core Content for Medical Toxicology”, published in February 2004 (Wax, Ford, Bond et. al. The core content of medical toxicology. Ann Emerg Med 2004;43:209-214;

Current Fellows

Alexandra Doan, MD

I chose the Medical Toxicology Fellowship at GWU because of the many, unique experiences that GWU offers within the field of toxicology and the exceptional opportunities to conduct independent research. I am particularly interested in working closely with the poison center and learning more about natural toxins through collaboration with the Botanical Gardens. In addition, the GWU fellowship provides an opportunity to work in forensic toxicology with the DC medical examiner's office. I am also excited to live in Washington D.C, which is a vibrant city offering many exciting cultural experiences.

Sammy Taha, MD

I'm a New Jersey native and earned my BS in Biology from Yale University and my MD from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. I'm currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Army and completed my emergency medicine residency at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood, Texas.

My toxicology interests include the medical management of chemical and biological threat agents. I chose GW for fellowship because of the flexibility and strong faculty support that allow me to pursue these interests.

Alumni

Maryann Amirshahi, MD
Emergency Medicine 
Medstar Health 
2010 - 2012

Brian Schultz, MD
Pediatric Emergency Medicine 
John Hopkins University 
2020 – 2022

Dan Laub, MD 
Emergency Medicine 
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center 
2023-2025

Salary and Benefits

• Resident Annual Salary Scale Effective 7/1/2025
  • PGY 1 $70,625.76 - $72,744.53
  • PGY 2 $73,126.77 - $75,320.57
  • PGY 3 $76,845.08 - $79,150.43
  • PGY 4 $79,943.67 - $82,341.98
  • PGY 5 $83,639.85 - $86,149.05
  • PGY 6 $86,871.24 - $89,477.38
  • PGY 7 $89,438.64 - $92,121.80
  • PGY 8 $92,116.71 - $94,880.21
• Fellows work approximately 12 hours per week clinically as a faculty member at an affiliated hospital where they will assist in the clinical training of medical students and residents
• For information on current salaries, benefits and employment-related policies please visit the SMHS Office of Graduate Medical Education website.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Join the GW Medical Toxicology Fellowship and become a leader in the field of toxicology.

Applications are accepted starting in July through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and we participate through the National Residency Match Program (NRMP).

Interviews will be held virtually in August and September

Contact Us

Natasha Tobarran, DO 
Medical Toxicology Fellowship Director
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine
ntobarran [at] mfa [dot] gwu [dot] edu (ntobarran[at]mfa[dot]gwu[dot]edu)

 

Julia Plant 
Program Coordinator 
jplant [at] mfa [dot] gwu [dot] edu (jplant[at]mfa[dot]gwu[dot]edu)