Dr. Robert Bechara was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. After receiving an honors bachelor’s degree in Cell and Molecular Biology (2004), he graduated from the University of Toronto Medical School. Dr. Bechara completed his internal medicine and gastroenterology residency training at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. He completed his fellowship training in advanced therapeutic endoscopy at St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto (2014) which included EMR, ERCP, EUS, double balloon enteroscopy, luminal stenting and zenkers septoplasty.
Dr Bechara was the first Canadian to complete the 1 year advanced therapeutic fellowship under Dr. Haruhiro Inoue at the Showa University Digestive Disease Center Koto-Toyosu Hospital in Tokyo, Japan. His training included POEM (Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy), POET (Peroral Endoscopic Tumor resection), ESD (Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection), ARMs (Anti-Reflux MucoSectomy) and magnifying endoscopy. He has experienced over 300 POEM procedures during his training. He subsequently acquired the position of assistant professor at Queens University. His current clinical interests include POEM, ESD and ARMs.