Physician Bios

Graduated with a M.B., Ch.B., degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He did his Residency in Internal Medicine at the Witwatersrand University & Baragwanath Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa, and his Fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.

Dr. Ou-Tim is a Fellow of the College of Physicans of South Africa. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and A Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology. He was formerly an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and was chairman of the Department of Medicine at Baptist Medical Center Montclair from 1992 to 1996. Member of the following societies: American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association & American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

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Earned a B.A. from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and obtained his M.D. from the University Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis, Tennessee Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society. He did his Internship and Residency training at the University of Alabama Hospitals in Birmingham and his Fellowship in Gastroenterology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center – Nashville, Tennessee. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology.

Dr. Cochran was a Co-Founder and Medical advisor for the Alabama chapter of the American Liver Foundation. He has served as principle investigator for several research studies in the treatment for Hepatitis C. Member of the following societies: American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association & American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

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Graduated MB.ChB from the University of Cape Town Medical School in South Africa and is a Member of the Royal College of Physicians, United Kingdom (MRCP). He completed his Residency in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology at the University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, South Africa. He then relocated to the University of Alabama at Birmingham to complete the Fellowship program and after formally immigrating to the USA with his wife and three sons in 1987, held an Assistant Professorship in the Faculty of Medicine at UAB. Dr. Tobias joined Birmingham Gastroenterology Associates in 1989 and together with his family, became a naturalized citizen of the United States of America in 1992.

He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology with professional membership in the Jefferson County Medical Society. He also holds physician membership in the American Liver Foundation, and Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, having served on the CCFA Medical Advisory Committee from 1994 – 1997, and remains active in the local chapter, participating in fundraising events and lecturing to support groups. Dr. Tobias was accepted as a life member of the National Registry of Who’s Who, published in the 2000 edition. Presently, he serves as a Subspecialty Education Coordinator for the Internal Medicine Residency Program in the Baptist Health System and is actively involved in mentoring and teaching physicians-in-training. Dr. Tobias’ professional interests are widespread, including esophageal, pancreaticobiliary, and inflammatory-bowel diseases. More recently, he is one of only two physicians in the Southeast US performing Double-Balloon Small Bowel Enteroscopy. Dr. Tobias also oversees the group’s participation in clinical research, thereby allowing patients access to state-of-the-art and groundbreaking therapy.

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Graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alabama and obtained his M.D. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society. He completed his Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Alabama Affiliated Hospitals in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Miller did a Clinic and Research Fellowship in Gastroenterology at University Hospital and Boston City Hospital at the Boston University Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Dr. Miller is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and the Gastroenterology subspecialty. He holds membership in the American Gastroenterology Association & The American College of Gastroenterology. Member of the following societies: American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association & American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

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Graduated with bachelor of science and M.D degrees from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. An Internal Medicine Residency was served at Blodgett/St. Mary’s Hospitals in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He completed his Fellowship in Digestive Diseases at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Janich is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and the Gastroenterology subspecialty. Member of the following societies: American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association & American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, in additions to general gastroenetrology concerns, he has a special interest in radiofrequency ablation treatment of Barrett’s Esophagus using the BarrX HALO technology.

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Dr. Philpot received a Bachelor of Arts (Biology), from West Georgia College in Carrollton, Georgia, and his MD from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta and served his internship there. He served his Residency at the University of Alabama affiliated Hospitals in Birmingham and completed his Fellowship in Gastroenterology at Case Western Reserve University Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Philpot is Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. Dr. Philpot joined Birmingham Gastroenterology Assoc., P.C. in 1991.

He practices at St. Vincent’s Birmingham and Trinity Medical Center. His special interests include Endoscopic Ultrasound. He has served as Chairman of Gastroenterology at Trinity Medical Center, was previously Vice Chairman of The Certificate of Need Review Board (CON Board) and presently serves on the Trinity Board of Trustees and CEO of Birmingham Gastroenterology Assoc., P.C. Member of the following societies American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association, and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

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He has a Bachelor of Science from Tulane University in New Orleans, and obtained his M.D. from the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Kentucky. He did his Residency and Fellowship training in Digestive Diseases at Emory University Hospitals with Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society.

He is Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. He is a memeber of the ACG, ASGT and American Gastroenterological Associates. He served as Medical Director for the Crohn’s Coloitis Foundation for America. He has served as the director of the Gastroentestinal Lab at Trinity Hospital. He has an interest in Celiac Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. His practice is at Trinity Medical Center and St. Vincent’s Birmingham. Member of the following societies: American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association & American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

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Dr. Sigman earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and an M.D. degree from Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio. He completed his Residency and Gastroenterology Fellowship at Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio in 1986 and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. Dr. Sigman has a special interest for diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic and biliary diseases and has been instrumental in building state of the art facilities in Birmingham for evaluation of these disorders.

Dr. Sigman was on Faculty of the Division of Gastroenterology at UAB before joining Birmingham Gastroenterology Assoc., P.C. He is currently the Chief of the GI Division and Director of the Endoscopy Lab at Trinity Medical Center. Member of the following societies American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association, and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

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Earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Pennsylvania State University and M.D. from The Ohio State University. He completed internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Fellowship training in Gastroenterology was completed at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Bluhm is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. Member of the following societies: American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association & American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Special interests include GI bleeding and Wireless Capsule Endoscopy of the small bowel.

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Dr. McLean received a Bachelor of Science (Biology), from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and his MD from East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine in Greenville, North Carolina. He served his Residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Internal Medicine and completed his Fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of South Alabama in Mobile.

Dr. McLean received Honors in Department of Hematology/Oncology, and Department of Pathology. Dean’s List, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 1992-1995. Member of the American Medical Association where he served as Delegate in 1999. He practices at St. Vincent’s Birmingham and Trinity Medical Center. His special interests include Capsule Endoscopy (Pill Cam). Dr. McLean is a member of the following societies American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association, and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

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Dr. Landy grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta. He earned a degree in Chemistry at Vanderbilt University. He attended medical school at Emory University in Atlanta, and received an M.D. degree in 1989.

Dr. Landy completed his Internal Medicine residency at Emory University. His Fellowship in Gastroenterology was completed at University of Florida Health Science Center in Jacksonville, Florida.

Dr. Landy has been in private practice since 2000. He is board certified in Gastroenterology, and Dr. Landy is a member of the American Gastroenterology Association, American College of Gastroenterology, American Society of Gastroenterology Endoscopy, and Medical Association of the State of Alabama.

Dr. Landy serves on the board of directors of several community service organizations, including the local chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). The Alabama chapter of the CCFA named Dr. Landy their “2007 Physician of the Year.”

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A native of Huntsville, AL, Chris Shaver attended Birmingham-Southern College where he graduated cum laude with a B.S. in Biology. He was a scholarship athlete at BSC and was named a two-time academic all-american in basketball. Dr. Shaver received his medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine. He completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. Advanced subspecialty training in gastroenterology was completed at the University of South Florida.

Dr. Shaver is board-certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology and is a member of the American Gastroenterological Society, American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the American College of Gastroenterology, The Obesity Society , the Jefferson County Medical Society and the Medical Association of the State of Alabama.

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Dr. Dickinson is a native of St. Petersburg, Florida and attended college at Taylor University in Indiana, wherein he obtained a B.A. degree with Physics major and served in the USMC Platoon Leadership program. He then obtained a Masters degree in Biophysics at Pennsylvania State University and M.D. degree at M.S. Hershey Medical Center (Penn. State) Thereafter, he did medical internship, residency, and Gastroenterology Fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

While in private practice, he has participated in multiple national drug research studies involving peptic ulcer disease, esophagitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and Hepatitis C. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology and is a member of the American Gastroentrology Association, American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and Jefferson County Medical Society.

Dr. Dickinson is married and he and his wife Barbara are proud to have two daughters and one son who live in the Birmingham area.

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Dr. Parikh earned a B.S. in Neural Sciences from New York University and obtained his M.D. from St. George’s University School of Medicine where he graduated in the Honors Society. He did his Internship and Residency training at the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) where he also served as the Chief Medical Resident. He proceeded to complete his fellowship in Gastroenterology at UMDNJ. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Board Eligible in Gastroenterology. Dr. Parikh joined Birmingham Gastroenterology Associates in 2011.

Dr. Parikh practices at Brookwood Medical Center. His special interests include Endoscopic Ultrasound and Gastrointestinal Oncology. He plays a key part in the development of the Endoscopic Ultrasonagraphy program at Brookwood Medical Center. He has presented at numerous national conferences and is a member of the following societies: American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association & American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.