Question for GI residents/docs

[Stillwell]

---

Members do not see this ad.

What kind of hours do GI docs work? I know most people will say it's highly variable. I am interested in this field, but one thing I've learned from the rotation (and others like surgery) is that I don't want to wake up *every* night to go scope someone with a gi bleed. I can cope with working late, just not going back and forth between the hospitals and home every night.
So I'm just wondering what their work day is like. (FYI my GI doc worked way more than most physicians in the city probably, so he isn't a good example of the average gi doc)

Also, why are there so many IMG's in the field?
I thought it was a competitive field.

Thanks in advance -

 

[task]

I'm still a Medicine intern (for two more weeks), but I think I can shed a little light on the subject. For the most part, the only thing that will keep you up at night as a GI doc is bleeding. I think how much will vary on the type of practice situation you're in, etc. Of course, some bleeds can be managed conservatively o/n and then scoped in the AM. As for how busy you are/how much you work, I also think it depends on the nature of your practice -- how much you volume in cases, etc. The big therapeutic endoscopy guys are always in the GI suite scoping people, in addition to clinic and consults. Others who do more bread and butter scoping probably aren't quite as busy but could make it up thru voluming EGDs and colons. In the end -- practice situation and expectations, as well as how much you want to work all play a part.

As for IMGs still in the field -- GI didn't get competitive until a couple of years ago, and before that programs couldn't even fill so the IMGs in programs now are (for the most part, not all mind you) the last vestiges of the non-competitive era.

 

[Stillwell]

Thanks, that does help a lot!