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Dr. Joseph Choma, MD

Dr. Choma was born and raised in rural Vermont. He attended Union College, where he majored in biology and psychology, graduating Magna Cum Laude. He received the award as the top premedical student and was also a member of the varsity soccer team. He went on to medical school at the University of Vermont. There, he met his wife, Dr. Jessica Saunders, who practices cardiology in Albany. They went on to complete internal medical residency at Tufts in Boston, MA. After completing residency training, Dr. Choma completed gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship at the University of Vermont. He gained extensive training in all aspects of advanced and therapeutic endoscopy including diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic ultrasound, ERCP including cholangiopancreatoscopy, endoscopic mucosal resection and ablation, luminal stenting and enteroscopy. He was also trained in all aspects of general gastroenterology and hepatology.

Dr. Choma joined Albany Gastroenterology Consultants in 2008. In addition to maintaining his busy practice specializing in complex patients, he has continued to develop new skills in advanced and therapeutic endoscopy. Embracing new technology has allowed him to remain on the cutting edge of advanced endoscopy. He was the first doctor in the northeast to place a fully-covered metal biliary stent. He has helped to develop and maintain the St. Peter’s Advanced Endoscopy and Hepatobiliary Center, the leading center for advanced endoscopy in New York state. Dr. Choma has become proficient in performing endoscopic submucosal dissection, as well as per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM). This required extensive training across the United States and culminated with an intensive training session at Fudan University in Shanghai, China. Most recently, Dr. Choma has completed training in endobariatrics including endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG), gastric bypass and gastric sleeve revisions and intragastric balloon placement.