How to Become a Gastroenterologist?

Answer 1

The study of Gastroenterology is a complex one, and it is probably not for the faint of heart as it involves looking in detail at the human digestive tract, diagnosing and then treating diseases concerned with the whole digestive system. This is of course is not just a small area of study, as it includes the colon, stomach, esophagus, liver and pancreas. However, the financial rewards after you’ve become a fully qualified gastroenterologist can be huge.

• Start off by enrolling in an undergraduate course in either medicine or biomedical science.

• After completing your first degree, you then have to go to medical school which in the United States will take another four years to complete.

• After medical school is done with, you can then begin your 3 years residency at a hospital. This will be your first taste of hands-on experience after a long period of academic study.

• Finally you will have to have completed a 2 year fellowship in Gastroenterology to become a fully accredited member of the American college of Gastroenterology and American Board of Internal Medicine. So by the end of your studies and residency you will not only have lots of letters after your name, but you will also have the necessary certification to start practicing.

If you can stomach (no pun intended), looking at peoples digestives systems all day then the compensation for doing this is well worth it. There are many top earners earning over $700,000 annually. What attracts many people to the profession is not only the money but is the combination of working in a practice, diagnosing problems and distributing medicine but also the opportunity to perform live procedures as well. Furthermore, qualified gastroenterologists are able to own their practice, or they could even become a partner in an existing practice.