How to Become a gastroenterologist doctor

Gastroenterology is a branch of medicine that deals with the digestive system and its disorders. All organs that are part of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus are in focus along with their possible diseases, treatments and management. Physicians practicing in this field are called gastroenterologists. Becoming a gastroenterologist takes years of hard work, studying, and training, usually a total of about 8 years across MBBS, PG and residency. 

So, what do gastroenterologists do? Gastroenterologists are trained to perform a number of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures such as colonoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound, severe diarrhea, liver biopsy, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and such. Any disease that affects the following organs is treated by a gastroenterologist:

1. Esophagus
2. Stomach 
3. Small intestine 
4. Colon 
5. Rectum 
6. Pancreas 
7. Gallbladder 
8. Bile ducts 
9. Liver 

Naturally, given the vast network of organs in the gastrointestinal tract, the field is further divided into specialties focusing on the major components – such as the liver, nutrition, small and large intestine, and such. To tackle gastroenterologist as a whole, it would be easier to approach the field one topic at a time. Listed below are some certificate courses that could help you. These online courses cover introduction to the field, diagnosing and treating diseases, and management of the diseases.

Courses

1. Constipation and Its Management

• Dr. Deepa Agarwal Consultant Nutritionist at Apollo Cradle

Constipation occurs when bowel movements become less frequent and stools become difficult to pass. It happens most often due to changes in diet or routine, or due to inadequate intake of fiber. This expert speaker course will help you understand the basics, causes of constipation, how to diagnose, treat and prevent constipation, and dietary modifications for constipation.

2. Eating Disorders and Their Management

• Dr. K. Sunitha Premalatha AGM Chief Dietitian at Yashoda Hospital, India

Eating disorders are serious and potentially fatal illnesses that are associated with severe disturbances in eating behavior. Preoccupation with food, body weight, and shape may signal an eating disorder. This group includes anorexia nervosa (restricted eating), bulimia nervosa (binge-eating followed by purging), and binge-eating disorder (uncontrolled eating). This course will help you understand the causes, diagnosis, and management of the same.

3. Ketogenic Diet and Therapeutic Ketosis

• Dr. Raffaele Pilla, Professor St. John of God Hospital, Italy

Obesity continues to be one of the major worldwide health hazards. Most chronic diseases such as diabetes, PCOD, thyroidism, and hypertension are either directly or indirectly related to obesity and poor diet and lifestyle. Tailored diets are known to help with this, one such diet regimen is the ketogenic diet which consists of high-fats, moderate-proteins, and very-low-carbohydrates. This course explores the success rate of this diet for weight management with its benefits, effects, and possible shortcomings. 

4. Nutrition for Body Building

• Dr. Shiny Chandran, Dietitian/Nutritionist

Depending on the desired results, our process, methods and means change. Similarly, the diet and nutrition plan for someone looking to lose weight versus someone looking to build their body and muscle mass will be different. A healthy bodybuilding diet goes beyond merely alternating between periods of caloric surplus and caloric deficit. Instead, bodybuilders should focus on utilizing fasting and specialized nutrition to attain their goals. Learn a lot more about nutrition requirements for bodybuilding in this expert speaker course.

5. Probiotics and Its Importance 

• Dr. Priyanka Rohatgi. M.Sc. ADND, Ph.D. Nutrition

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for your digestive system. Though bacteria is often thought of as germs carrying diseases, fact is that there is good bacteria and bad bacteria. Probiotics come under “good” or “helpful” bacteria. They can influence and boost your immune response!

Did you know that yoghurt has probiotics? So, how does symbiotics work? What is the recommended amount for an average adult? Learn more about probiotics and their importance in this expert speaker course.

Few more courses to choose from:

6. Impact of COVID-19 on Gastroenterology Specialization

• Dr. Sangeeta Agrawal, Associate Professor of Medicine, Chief of Division of Gastroenterology, and GI Fellowship Program Director at Wright State University

We know the Covid19 pandemic has affected healthcare, but what’s the specific impact to the many branches of medicine? How has Covid19 impacted our dietary habits and our GI understanding.

7. Liver Diseases and Its Nutritional Management 

• Dr. Priyanka Rohatgi, M.Sc. ADND, Ph.D. Nutrition

Any liver disorders and conditions may lead to abnormalities in nutrition metabolism and subsequent malnutrition. Dietary therapy and pre and post-operative nutritional management and status are imperative for patients undergoing liver transplantation.

8. Diarrhea and Constipation – Medical Nutritional Therapy 

• Dr. Priyanka Rohatgi M.Sc. ADND, Ph.D. Nutrition

Our consumption habits and gut health can dictate our body’s ability to prevent diseases and heal from ailments. Diet and nutrition plans can make diarrhea and constipation a near rarity! The primary objective of feeding should always be to minimize the adverse effects of the illness on nutritional status. Learn more about MNT in Diarrhea and Constipation in this expert speaker course.

9. Pancreatic Cancer and its Management 

• Dr. Priyanka Rohatgi M.Sc. ADND, Ph.D. Nutrition

Pancreatic cancer continues to pose an enormous challenge to clinicians and oncologists. Newer treatment modalities have also increased the survival rate by five years. Risk factors, including established risk factors and novel possible risk factors for pancreatic cancer, are still in research. Learn about pancreatic cancer and its management in this course designed by Medvarsity and Dosily.

10. Diseases of Small Intestine – Medical Nutrition Therapy

• Dr. Priyanka Rohatgi M.Sc. ADND, Ph.D. Nutrition

Did you know that not only in the GI tract, but in the whole body, the small intestine is the most metabolically active part? Disorders which involve small intestine and alimentary canal can lead to significant effects in nutritional status of the patient. This course will help you get a working understanding of the small intestine and GI tract.

Now more than ever before, healthcare professionals are front and centre. And the pressure on HCPs will only build as we strive to move ahead of the 2020 pandemic that brought the world to a standstill. Like the ones listed above, there are many courses in gastroenterology that will help you upskill and take your career forward. Online courses are particularly beneficial in today’s learning environment with the constant demand of being up to-date. Add to this the benefits of having adaptable skills and knowledge beyond your specialisation. These courses can be done by anyone in the medical field, like those who are pursuing or completed their MBBS, those who are in their residency and also those who just have an interest in healthcare. 

Qualifications to become a Gastroenterologist 

As gastrointestinal organ diseases are quite tough to diagnose and spread quickly, a gastroenterologist must be well qualified, have up-to-date knowledge and know-how of all the latest prevailing causes and treatment of diseases relating to these organs.

Thus, aspiring gastroenterologists should have broad knowledge of the medical discipline along with critical analytical skills, excellent communication skills and ability to work for unpredictable hours, fuelled by the desire to help patients overcome their medical problems. So, what does this translate into?

 The minimum qualification to become a gastroenterologist in India is a 5½-year MBBS degree followed by 2 years MD (Medicine) Course further followed by 3 years DM (Gastroenterology) course – specialization of the fields. Aside from the formal qualifications, other skills that gastroenterology doctors should be mindful of:

• excellent communication skills with the ability to research, teach, multi-task and work long hours
• broad knowledge of gastrointestinal anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology; a sound understanding of microbiology, oncology, nutrition and immunology
• the psychological aspects of the disease as symptoms often impact on the patient’s lifestyle and procedural skills

Gastroenterologist Salaries 

Much like in any other field, the salary of a doctor is dependent on various factors such as degrees of qualification, years of work experience, institution of training, hospitals / clinics of experience, field of specialisation, and in India the salary also differs from state to state. Add to this the difference in practicing in a government hospital, private hospital, clinic or own practice. 

For the most part, the average MBBS doctor makes about ₹ 40,000 in a government set up and about ₹ 50,000 in private practice. This is after a doctor has finished their 5.5 years of MBBS training. After this comes MD/MS, at this level a doctor makes around ₹ 70,000 in a government setting to about ₹ 90,000 in private practice. By now a doctor will have about 8 to 12 years of training and experience to their name. Finally, we have the Mch tier or Fellowship, at this point depending on the past experience and >12 years of experience, a doctor will make anything from ₹ 60,000 to ₹ 3,00,000 per month!

As is abundantly evident now, there is no fixed bracket or fixed answer for how much doctors make and what salary they can expect. However, this is a connection between degrees of qualification and salary slab. So, it is safe to assume that doctors or healthcare workers are accordingly incentivised to upskill and grow, thereby awarding themselves the ability to ask for higher pay! 

Pediatric Gastroenterology

As is the case in most branches of medicine, in gastroenterology too, there is a subspecialty for pediatric treatment. Infants and children grow and develop rapidly with constant changes, and so diseases and disorders in children are treated differently as compared to adults. Developed as a cross-function between pediatrics and gastroenterology, this subspecialty is concerned with treating the gastrointestinal tract, liver and pancreas of children from infancy until age eighteen. The principal diseases it is concerned with are acute diarrhea, persistent vomiting, gastritis, and problems with the development of the GI tract.  

Given that children are in their developmental stages, the correct function of the gastric tract and internal health is directly related to the nutrition that the child or its mother receives. One of the most common problems in a newborn is iron deficiency. However, this does not necessarily require treatment but management as the infant will reach normal levels of iron with the weaning process and starting whole foods. If the weaning process is not carried out correctly or if the child rejects the transition of food, the iron deficiency could lead to anemia or even allergies to certain food. In such cases a pediatric gastroenterologist should be consulted.

Another common nutritional problem during childhood is being overweight or underweight – both caused by an imbalance in the number of calories consumed versus the number burned. This too should be treated in children by a gastric pediatrician and/or a pediatric nutritionist to help the child recover his normal weight without secondary effects (hypertension, gastritis, etc.). While the nutrition chart will be tracked by the nutritionist, the pediatric gastroenterologist will be the one checking how the change in food habits affects the correct functionality of the digestive system.

Gastroenterology Today

Fact is that at present given the sheer size of the Indian population, the healthcare system is facing acute shortage of healthcare professionals, more so specialised professionals! There aren’t nearly enough gastroenterologist doctors to serve the demand, which seems to only be growing, rather exponentially.

One of the prime factors driving the rise of gastroenterological disorders and diseases is the poor diet and lifestyle that most people indulge today. Sometimes, disorders also develop due to uninformed changes and choices in diet in order to lose weight or build muscle mass and such. That is why it is imperative to always consult a trained nutrition and qualified gastric specialist for any matters and issues regarding the GI tract and digestive system.

With these courses, you can be part of the solution, you can be part of the change, and so make an impact on healthcare! If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to us and one of the expert panelists from Dosily would be happy to address your queries.