Training and certifying gastroenterologists as physician nutrition specialists

Because nutrition is an integral aspect of the science and practice of gastroenterology, all gastroenterology fellows should receive training in core aspects of nutrition (level 1 training). Some gastroenterologists also wish to train more extensively in nutrition (level 2) and become physician nutrition specialists. The Intersociety Professional Nutrition Education Consortium, composed of representatives from eight national societies with significant nutrition interests, including the American Gastroenterological Association, and three credentialing bodies, has developed a paradigm and training requirements for physician-nutrition specialists that recognizes their varied backgrounds and areas of interest. Opportunities exist for gastroenterology fellows to obtain physician nutrition specialist training within their gastroenterology fellowships and to be eligible to take the Certification Examination for Physician Nutrition Specialists offered by the new American Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists.* This article reviews the development of consensus on subspecialty training for physicians in nutrition; it also encourages directors of gastroenterology fellowships to develop training opportunities and gastroenterology fellows to consider identifying nutrition as an area of emphasis for their careers.     

Endoscopic training during fellowship: A nationwide French study: Impact of theoretical courses and simulation-based training during fellowship

BackgroundIn France, it is mandatory that gastroenterology fellows have mastered the basic level of endoscopy by the end of training. The aim of this study was to assess improvement in the quality of fellows’ endoscopy training in France during the last four years.MethodsAll fellows in France in training were eligible for participation. A 21-item questionnaire was sent out. The primary outcome was the completion by fourth year fellows of all the number of procedures recommended. Results were compared with those of a 2016 survey.ResultsTwo-hundred-and-sixty-five fellows responded to the survey. The participation rate was 47.0%. The mean age was 27.3 ± 1.0 years and 56.4% were female. Access to theoretical courses (63.7% vs. 30.6%, p < 0.001) and simulation-based training (virtual reality simulator: 58.4% vs. 28.2%, p < 0.001, animal models: 29.4% vs. 17.2%, p < 0.001) was significantly higher in 2020. Although the number of procedures did not increase, significantly higher perception of skill acquisition in colonoscopy as well as diminished pressure to advance procedures were noted.ConclusionAccess to theoretical courses and simulation-based training and perceived acquisition of numerous skills has gotten better. However, the quality of training in endoscopy still needs improvement.     

Subtle skills: Using objective structured clinical examinations to assess gastroenterology fellow performance in system based practice milestones

BACKGROUND System based practice(SBP) milestones require trainees to effectively navigate the larger health care system for optimal patient care. In gastroenterology training programs, the assessment of SBP is difficult due to high volume, high acuity inpatient care, as well as inconsistent direct supervision. Nevertheless,structured assessment is required for training programs. We hypothesized that objective structured clinical examination(OSCE) would be an effective tool for assessment of SBP.AIM To develop a novel method for SBP milestone assessment of gastroenterology fellows using the OSCE.METHODS For this observational study, we created 4 OSCE stations: Counseling an impaired colleague, handoff after overnight call, a feeding tube placement discussion, and giving feedback to a medical student on a progress note. Twentysix first year fellows from 7 programs participated. All fellows encountered identical case presentations. Checklists were completed by trained standardized patients who interacted with each fellow participant. A report with individual and composite scores was generated and forwarded to program directors to utilize in formative assessment. Fellows also received immediate feedback from a faculty observer and completed a post-session program evaluation survey.RESULTS Survey response rate was 100%. The average composite score across SBP milestones for all cases were 6.22(SBP1), 4.34(SBP2), 3.35(SBP3), and 6.42(SBP4)out of 9. The lowest composite score was in SBP 3, which asks fellows to advocate for cost effective care. This highest score was in patient care 2, which asks fellows to develop comprehensive management plans. Discrepancies were identified between the fellows' perceived performance in their self-assessments and Standardized Patient checklist evaluations for each case. Eighty-seven percent of fellows agreed that OSCEs are an important component of their clinical training,and 83% stated that the cases were similar to actual clinical encounters. All participating fellows stated that the immediate feedback was "very useful." One hundred percent of the fellows stated they would incorporate OSCE learning into their clinical practice.CONCLUSION OSCEs may be used for standardized evaluation of SBP milestones. Trainees scored lower on SBP milestones than other more concrete milestones. Training programs should consider OSCEs for assessment of SBP.     

Research training in six selected internal medicine fellowship programs

BACKGROUND: Effective July 1997, the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) established a research pathway to certification to encourage research training of general internists and subspecialists. OBJECTIVE: To document the current status of research training in six selected subspecialty programs, to examine opportunities available for trainees to undertake formal course work, and to report the percentage of subspecialty programs that might accept research pathway fellows. DESIGN: National Study of Graduate Education in Internal Medicine questionnaires from 1996-1997 and 1997-1998. SETTING: Programs in internal medicine subspecialties accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. PARTICIPANTS: 1163 (84%) and 1094 (79%) directors of internal medicine subspecialty programs in 1996-1997 and 1997-1998, respectively. MEASUREMENTS: Survey questions on the amount of time fellows usually spend conducting research and available opportunities to pursue course work leading to an advanced degree. RESULTS: On average, during their last year of training, fellows enrolled in infectious disease, nephrology, endocrinology, and rheumatology programs spent 40% to 50% of their time conducting research, whereas fellows in gastroenterology and cardiology spent 25% to 30% of their time conducting research. Compared with programs sponsored by major teaching hospitals, a greater percentage of programs sponsored by academic medical center hospitals planned to accept persons interested in pursuing the new ABIM Research Pathway (28% vs. 8%) and to provide opportunities for fellows to obtain an advanced degree (60% vs. 14%). CONCLUSIONS: Few internal medicine subspecialty programs are currently designed to provide adequate research training as defined by the Institute of Medicine and the ABIM.     

Use of a continuing medical education course to improve fellows' knowledge and skills in esophageal disorders

Advanced esophageal endoscopic procedures such as stricture dilation, hemostasis tools, and stent placement as well as high‐resolution manometry (HRM) interpretation are necessary skills for gastroenterology fellows to obtain during their training. Becoming proficient in these skills may be challenging in light of higher complication rates compared with diagnostic procedures and infrequent opportunities to practice these skills. Our aim was to determine if intensive training during a continuing medical education (CME) course boosts the knowledge and skills of gastroenterology fellows in esophageal diagnostic test interpretation and performance of therapeutic procedures. This was a pretest–posttest design without a control group of a simulation‐based, educational intervention in esophageal stricture balloon dilation and HRM interpretation. The participants were 24 gastroenterology fellows from 21 accredited US training programs. This was an intensive CME course held in Las Vegas, Nevada from August 7 to August 9, 2009. The research procedure had two phases. First, the subjects were measured at baseline (pretest) for their knowledge and procedural skill. Second, the fellows received 6 hours of education sessions featuring didactic content, instruction in HRM indications and interpretation, and deliberate practice using an esophageal stricture dilation model. After the intervention, all of the fellows were retested (posttest). A 17‐item checklist was developed for the esophageal balloon dilation procedure using relevant sources, expert opinion, and rigorous step‐by‐step procedures. Nineteen representative HRM swallow studies were obtained from Northwestern's motility lab and formed the pretest and posttest in HRM interpretation. Mean scores on the dilation checklist improved 81% from 39.4% (standard deviation [SD]= 33.4%) at pretest to 71.3% (SD = 29.5%) after simulation training (P < 0.001). HRM mean examination scores increased from 27.2% (SD = 16.4%) to 46.5% (SD = 15.8%), representing a 71% improvement (P < 0.001). Pearson's correlations indicated there was no correlation between pretest performance, medical knowledge measured by United States Medical Licensing Examination examinations, prior clinical experience, or procedural self‐confidence and posttest performance of esophageal dilation or HRM interpretation. The education program was rated highly. This study demonstrated that a CME course significantly enhanced the technical skills and knowledge of gastroenterology fellows in esophageal balloon dilation and HRM interpretation. CME courses such as this may be a valuable adjunct to standard fellowship training in gastroenterology.     

The Impact of Health Care Reform on Gastroenterology Fellows: Are Training Programs Preparing Them for the Future?

Objective : Health care reform is dramatically changing the practice and delivery of medical care. The goal of this investigation was to examine gastroenterology trainees' outlook on the impact of health care reform on training programs. Methods : A 24-question survey was mailed in February 1996 to 780 GI fellows obtained from the comprehensive American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) database. Results : A total of 362 fellows responded (46%): 85% were male, 57% Caucasian, 75% married, and 86% were university-based. Ninety-six percent of fellows believed that health care reform is adversely affecting the quality of health care and 94.1% felt that it was adversely affecting fellowship training. Eighty-eight percent expressed concern over the impact of health care reform on practice opportunities. Only 9% of fellows reported that their training program had established a specific educational program addressing health care reform. where 83% of fellows felt that their program should do so. Conclusion : Gastroenterology fellows are concerned about the impact of health care reform on the quality of care and the quality of their fellowship training. Trainees believe that programs are not providing sufficient education to help them respond to the changes in health care.     

Training with the compactEASIE biologic endoscopy simulator significantly improves hemostatic technical skill of gastroenterology fellows: a randomized controlled comparison with clinical endoscopy training alone

BACKGROUND: The Erlangen Active Simulator for Interventional Endoscopy (EASIE) was introduced in 1997 for interventional endoscopy training. compactEASIE developed in 1998 is a modified, light-weight version of the original model. Objective evidence of the benefits of training with these models is limited. A randomized controlled study, therefore, was conducted to compare the effects of intensive 7-month, hands-on training in hemostatic techniques by using the compactEASIE model (in addition to clinical endoscopic training) vs. pure clinical training in endoscopic hemostatic methods. METHODS: Thirty-seven fellows in gastroenterology in New York City area training programs were enrolled. Baseline skills were assessed on the simulator for the following techniques: manual skills, injection and electrocoagulation, hemoclip application, and variceal ligation. Twenty-eight fellows were then randomized into two comparable groups. Those randomized to Group A received purely clinical training in endoscopic hemostatic techniques at their hospitals. Those in Group B, in addition, were trained by experienced tutors in 3 full-day hemostasis workshops over 7 months. Both groups underwent a final evaluation on the compactEASIE simulator conducted by their tutors and additional evaluators who were blinded to the method of training. Initial and final evaluation scores were compared for each group and between groups. Outcomes of actual clinical hemostatic procedures performed during the study period also were analyzed. RESULTS: Ten of 14 fellows randomized to Group A (standard training) and 13 of 14 in Group B (intensive training) returned for the final evaluation. For Group B, scores for all techniques were significantly improved. In Group A, a significant improvement was noted for variceal ligation alone. CONCLUSIONS: compactEASIE simulator training (3 sessions over 7 months), together with clinical endoscopic training resulted in objective improvement in the performance by fellows of all 4 endoscopic hemostatic techniques, whereas significant improvement was noted for variceal ligation alone for fellows who had standard clinical training. In clinical practice, fellows who had intensive simulator/clinical training had a significantly higher success rate and a nonsignificant reduction in the frequency of occurrence of complications.     

Canadian pediatric gastroenterology workforce: current status, concerns and future projections.

BACKGROUND: There is concern that the Canadian pediatric gastroenterology workforce is inadequate to meet health care demands of the pediatric population. The Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Pediatric Committee performed a survey to determine characteristics and future plans of the Canadian pediatric gastroenterology workforce and trainees. METHODS: Estimates of total and pediatric populations were obtained from the 2001 Census of Population, Statistics Canada (with estimates to July 1, 2005). Data on Canadian pediatric gastroenterologists, including clinical full-time equivalents, sex, work interests, opinions on workforce adequacy, retirement plans, fellowship training programs and future employment plans of fellows, were gathered through e-mail surveys and telephone correspondence in 2005 and 2006. RESULTS: Canada had an estimated population of 32,270,507 in 2005 (6,967,853 people aged zero to 17 years). The pediatric gastroenterology workforce was estimated at 9.2 specialists per million children. Women accounted for 50% of the workforce. Physician to pediatric population ratios varied, with Alberta demonstrating the highest and Saskatchewan the lowest ratios (1:69,404 versus 1:240,950, respectively). Between 1998 and 2005, Canadian pediatric gastroenterology fellowship programs trained 65 fellows (65% international trainees). Twenty-two fellows (34%) entered the Canadian workforce. CONCLUSIONS: The survey highlights the variable and overall low numbers of pediatric gastroenterologists across Canada, an increasingly female workforce, a greater percentage of part-time physicians and a small cohort of Canadian trainees. In conjunction with high projected retirement rates, greater demands on the workforce and desires to partake in nonclinical activities, there is concern for an increasing shortage of pediatric gastroenterologists in Canada in future years.     

Assessing cultural competency skills in gastroenterology fellowship training

AIM:To assess and teach cultural competency skills at the fellowship training level through the use of objective structured clinical examinations(OSCEs).METHODS:We revised four scenarios to infuse a specific focus on cross-cultural care,and to render them appropriate for gastroenterology fellows.Three are discussed here:(1)Poor Health Literacy;(2)Disclosing/Apologizing for a Complication to a Patient Who Mistrusts the Healthcare System;and(3)Breaking Bad News to a Fatalistic Patient.A fourth case emphasizing shared decision-making will be described elsewhere.Four stations were completed by fellows and observed live by four faculty members,and the fellows’performance was assessed.RESULTS:Eleven fellows from four programs participated in the four OSCE.In the"Poor Health Literacy"case,18%(2/11)of participants recognized that the standardized patient(SP)had below-basic health literacy.None successfully evaluated the SP’s reading skills in a culturally-sensitive manner.In"Disclosing/Apologizing for a Complication",4/11(36%)personally apologized for the complication.1/11 recognized the SP’s mistrust of the medical system.With"Breaking Bad News",27%(3/11)explored the patient’s values to identify her fatalistic beliefs.CONCLUSION:OSCEs can be used to assess deficiencies in culturally-competent care at the fellowship level.OSCEs also afford fellowships the opportunity to inform future training curricula.     

Computer simulator training enhances the competency of gastroenterology fellows at colonoscopy: results of a pilot study

OBJECTIVES: Computer-based colonoscopy simulation (CBCS) is being utilized in endoscopy training without supporting evidence that it improves patient-based colonoscopy performance. The goal of this pilot study was to determine if CBCS training improves gastroenterology (GI) fellows' patient-based colonoscopy skills. METHODS: Competency at colonoscopy among 4 novice GI fellows who completed a 6-h CBCS curriculum was compared with 4 novice fellows who were not CBCS-trained. Measurements of competency were rendered by supervising faculty by recording "insertion time,"depth of unassisted insertion,"independent procedure completion,"ability to identify endoscopic landmarks,"inserts in a safe manner,"adequately visualizes mucosa on withdrawal," and "responds appropriately to patient discomfort" with each colonoscopy. RESULTS: Simulator-trained fellows outperformed traditionally trained fellows during their initial 15 colonoscopies in all performance aspects except "insertion time" (pp < 0.05). Simulator-trained fellows inserted the endoscope significantly further and reached the cecum independently nearly twice as often during this early training period. Three parameters ("depth of insertion,"independent completion," and "ability to identify landmarks") demonstrated a continued advantage out to 30 colonoscopies. Beyond 30 procedures, there was no difference in the performance of the two groups. CONCLUSION: In this pilot study, a 6-h CBCS curriculum provides an early training advantage by enhancing competency at the early stages of patient-based colonoscopy. These advantages are negligible after approximately 30 patient-based procedures. CBCS-enhanced training may allow faculty to be more efficient with their colonoscopy practice.     

National Study of Internal Medicine Manpower: XVI. Subspecialty fellowship programs, 1988 update

Much of the debate about medical manpower during the 1980s has focused on the growing number of medical subspecialists. We examined the number of subspecialty fellows since 1976, paying particular attention to data collected in the 1987-1988 academic year. The number of fellows in subspecialty training at a given time has increased by 27% since 1976; however, much of this increase is due to the increased length of the training programs. The number of first-year fellows has increased only 7% since 1976. Growth in the number of fellowships has varied by subspecialty. The number of fellowships in geriatrics, critical care, and general internal medicine has increased dramatically. Additionally, the traditional subspecialties-cardiology, pulmonary disease, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, rheumatology, and allergy-immunology-have all grown to some extent. Program directors in all subspecialties anticipate continued growth in the coming years.     

Perceptions of gastroenterology fellows regarding ERCP competency and training

BACKGROUND: The adequacy of ERCP training in the United States may be suboptimal because many training programs do not provide fellows with the exposure to the procedures necessary to achieve competence. METHODS: A short survey questionnaire, which assesses the training program, the personal ERCP experience, the perceptions regarding training adequacy, and the post-training practice plans, was sent to all fellows graduating from gastroenterology training programs. RESULTS: Graduating fellows performed a median of 140 ERCPs and 35 sphincterotomies during training, with an associated median comfort level for independently performing sphincterotomy of 7.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. The median estimated success rate for independent free cannulation was 75%. Based on nonparametric correlation and regression analysis, 180 ERCPs would be necessary to achieve a free cannulation rate of 80% and 69 sphincterotomies to achieve a comfort level of 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. Thirty-six percent of fellows achieved the number of procedures and cannulation success determined by this study to indicate procedural competence. Sixty-four percent of fellows did not achieve procedural competence and 33% reported inadequate ERCP training. Nevertheless, 91% of fellows expected to perform unsupervised ERCP after training. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study are consistent with those of previously published studies demonstrating that 160 to 200 ERCP procedures are necessary to achieve competence to perform ERCP. The majority of graduating fellows do not achieve an acceptable success rate during training, yet still intend to perform ERCP after training.     

Gastroenterology training and career choices: a prospective longitudinal study of the impact of gender and of managed care

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine if gender differences exist in the selection and training of female and male gastroenterology fellows. METHODS: One hundred seventy-six of 218 training program directors returned an 18-question survey about their programs, including leave policies, training, and prevalence of female faculty. Two cohorts of graduating trainees from 1993 and 1995 (N = 393) returned anonymous surveys regarding their training program experiences, demographics, and business training. RESULTS: Female gastroenterology trainees are more likely to choose programs according to parental leave policies (p < 0.05), female faculty (0.2990 correlation coefficient), and "family reasons" (p < 0.04) than the male trainees. Female trainees were more likely to remain childless (p < 0.001) or have fewer children at the end of training despite marital status not unlike their male colleagues. Female trainees altered their family planning because of training program restrictions (20% vs 7%, p < 0.001). They perceived gender discrimination (39%) and sexual harassment (19%) during gastroenterology training. Trainees of both sexes had mentorship during training (65% vs 71%, ns); female trainees were more likely to have an opposite sex mentor (71% vs 3.4%) despite an almost 50% prevalence of female full-time and clinical faculty. Female trainees were apt to be less trained in advanced endoscopy (p < 0.005). Trainees of both sexes were influenced by the changing health care environment in career choice (49% vs 42%, ns); neither gender felt adequately prepared for the business aspects of gastroenterology. CONCLUSION: Alterations in gastroenterology training are needed to attract qualified female applicants. New graduates of both sexes lack practice management education.     

Factors predicting initial career choices in gastroenterology fellows

BACKGROUND AND GOALS: As academic gastroenterology (GI) fellowship programs often gear trainee recruitment to those displaying potential for academic careers, the aim of the study was to determine whether predictive factors exist that determine whether GI fellows pursue academia versus private practice. STUDY: Educational file review was conducted on all GI fellows from Mayo Clinic-Rochester from 1990 through 2003, with demographic variables extracted. The outcome of interest was whether the first job after fellowship was in academics or private practice. RESULTS: Of 92 fellows completing training, 60 accepted academic positions (65%) (P=0.005, 95% confidence interval: 0.55-0.74), whereas 32 (35%) pursued private practice. Those of Asian descent were significantly more likely to enter academics versus those of African American (P=0.02) or Hispanic (P=0.01) descent. There were nonsignificant trends of more women than men (85% vs. 62%), military than non-military (86% vs. 63%), bachelors of arts than science degrees (70% vs. 50%) and advanced fellowship training than not (74% vs. 61%) going into academics. There was no significant difference in career choices between fellows entering the National Institutes of Health training tract versus the Clinical Scholar or Clinical Investigator tracts. There were no significant associations between age, marital status, hometown population, foreign medical degree, research mentor factors or type of research during fellowship and practice choice. CONCLUSIONS: Although there seem to be predictive variables in determining whether GI fellows enter private practice or academia, the initial practice choice likely results from multiple combined factors.     

Association of trainee participation with adenoma and polyp detection rates

AIM To investigate whether adenoma and polyp detection rates(ADR and PDR, respectively) in screening colonoscopies performed in the presence of fellows differ from those performed by attending physicians alone. METHODS We performed a retrospective review of all patients who underwent a screening colonoscopy at Grady Memorial Hospital between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2015. Patients with a history of colon polyps or cancer and those with poor colon preparation or failed cecal intubation were excluded from the analysis. Associations of fellowship training level with the ADR and PDR relative to attendings alone were assessed using unconditional multivariable logistic regression. Models were adjusted for sex, age, race, and colon preparationquality. RESULTS A total of 7503 colonoscopies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. The mean age of the study patients was 58.2 years; 63.1% were women and 88.2% were African American. The ADR was higher in the fellow participation group overall compared to that in the attending group: 34.5% vs 30.7%(P = 0.001), and for third year fellows it was 35.4% vs 30.7%(a OR = 1.23, 95%CI: 1.09-1.39). The higher ADR in the fellow participation group was evident for both the right and left side of the colon. For the PDR the corresponding figures were 44.5% vs 40.1%(P = 0.0003) and 45.7% vs 40.1%(a OR = 1.25, 95%CI: 1.12-1.41). The ADR and PDR increased with increasing fellow training level(P for trend 0.05).CONCLUSION There is a stepwise increase in ADR and PDR across the years of gastroenterology training. Fellow participation is associated with higher adenoma and polyp detection.     

Women’s Health Training in Gastroenterology Fellowship: A National Survey of Fellows and Program Directors

Background and Aims  

The Gastroenterology Core Curriculum requires training in women’s digestive disorders; however, requirements do not necessarily produce knowledge and competence. Our study goals were: (1) to compare perceptions of education, fellow-reported levels of competence, and attitudes towards training in women’s gastrointestinal (GI) health issues during fellowship between gastroenterology fellows and program directors, and (2) to determine the barriers for meeting training requirements.     

Disruptive behavior in the workplace: Challenges for gastroenterology fellows

AIM To assess first-year gastroenterology fellows' ability to address difficult interpersonal situations in the workplace using objective structured clinical examinations(OSCE).METHODS Two OSCEs("distracted care team" and "frazzled intern") were created to assess response to disruptive behavior. In case 1, a fellow used a colonoscopy simulator while interacting with a standardized patient(SP), nurse, and attending physician all played by actors. The nurse and attending were instructed to display specific disruptive behavior and disregard thefellow unless requested to stop the disruptive behavior and focus on the patient and procedure. In case 2, the fellow was to calm an intern managing a patient with massive gastrointestinal bleeding. The objective in both scenarios was to assess the fellows' ability to perform their duties while managing the disruptive behavior displayed by the actor. The SPs used checklists to rate fellows' performances. The fellows completed a selfassessment survey.RESULTS Twelve fellows from four gastrointestinal fellowship training programs participated in the OSCE. In the "distracted care team" case, one-third of the fellows interrupted the conflict and refocused attention to the patient. Half of the fellows were able to display professionalism despite the heated discussion nearby. Fellows scored lowest in the interprofessionalism portion of post-OSCE surveys, measuring their ability to handle the conflict. In the "frazzled intern" case, 68% of fellows were able to establish a calm and professional relationship with the SP. Despite this success, only half of the fellows were successfully communicate a plan to the SP and only a third scored "well done" in a domain that focused on allowing the intern to think through the case with the fellow's guidance.CONCLUSION Fellows must receive training on how to approach disruptive behavior. OSCEs are a tool that can assess fellow skills and set a culture for open discussion.     

Unemployment and Underemployment in 1996 Graduates of New York City Gastroenterology Training Programs

Objective: Based on anecdotal reports of young gastroenterologists facing extreme difficulty in finding a job, we sought to gain information about the success of newly trained gastroenterologists in finding employment in their subspecialty, and to find any possible predictors of unemployment.
Methods: We surveyed all fellows finishing basic or advanced gastroenterology fellowship training in New York City in June 1996. Data were collected on unemployment, underemployment (practicing less than half-time gastroenterology), and also type of job, employment terms, training program, medical school, gender, and satisfaction with job plans.
Results: Of the 59 study subjects who sought gastroenterology employment in the United States, data were collected on all of them (100%). Fifteen subjects (25%) were unemployed. An additional 10 subjects (17%) were underemployed. Of the 24 subjects expecting to be associates in a group practice, eight (33%) had either no signed contract, were underemployed, or both. Programs that did not participate in the National Residency Matching Program were more likely to have both unemployed and underemployed graduates.
Conclusion: Unemployment among newly trained gastroenterologists in New York City is very high. Also, there is substantial underemployment, and this phenomenon needs to be taken into account when studying the workforce.     

The Bockus International Society of Gastroenterology: historical review

The Bockus International Society of Gastroenterology was founded in 1958 in honour of Dr Henry L Bockus (1894-1982) by his former students, residents and fellows at the Graduate School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA. It was a celebrated tribute to Dr Bockus' outstanding leadership in the development and teaching of clinical gastroenterology as a subspecialty, which was in its infancy in the post-World War II era. He established the first formal training course in clinical gastroenterology in America. His department of gastroenterology became the leading graduate school of clinical gastroenterology in the world, training many clinical gastroenterologists in America and from many regions around the world. For many years, Dr Bockus was the most prominent American in world gastroenterology. The Bockus Society holds biennial scientific congresses in different continents, thus continuing to foster Dr Bockus' lifelong interest and vision to promote international medical friendship, and excellence in education and research collaboration.     

Perceptions of the Inpatient Training Experience: A Nationwide Survey of Gastroenterology Program Directors and Fellows

Background

Inpatient training is a key component of gastroenterology (GI) fellowship programs nationwide, yet little is known about perceptions of the inpatient training experience.

Aim

To compare the content, objectives and quality of the inpatient training experience as perceived by program directors (PD) and fellows in US ACGME-accredited GI fellowship programs.

Methods

We conducted a nationwide, online-based survey of GI PDs and fellows at the conclusion of the 2016 academic year. We queried participants about (1) the current models of inpatient training, (2) the content, objectives, and quality of the inpatient training experience, and (3) the frequency and quality of educational activities on the inpatient service. We analyzed five-point Likert items and rank assessments as continuous variables by an independent t test and compared proportions using the Chi-square test.

Results

Survey response rate was 48.4% (75/155) for PDs and a total of 194 fellows completed the survey, with both groups reporting the general GI consult team (>90%) as the primary model of inpatient training. PDs and fellows agreed on the ranking of all queried responsibilities of the inpatient fellow to develop during the inpatient service. However, fellows indicated that attendings spent less time teaching and provided less formal feedback than that perceived by PDs (p < 0.0001). PDs rated the overall quality of the inpatient training experience (p < 0.0001) and education on the wards (p = 0.0003) as better than overall ratings by fellows.

Conclusion

Although GI fellows and PDs agree on the importance of specific fellow responsibilities on the inpatient service, fellows report experiencing less teaching and feedback from attendings than that perceived by PDs. Committing more time to education and assessment may improve fellows’ perceptions of the inpatient training experience.