Why is GI so competitive?.....

[ThinkTooMuch]

other than the extremely high salaries?

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[gluon999]

other than the extremely high salaries?

GI is competitive for four reasons:

1) $
2) $
3) $
4) Fun procedures.

 

[asmallchild]

All competitive specialties are competitive for that reason

 

[dragonfly99]

Agree with above.
Colonoscopies and other procedures are cash cows for right now. Also, GI has better hours than other procedural specialties like general surgery and cardiovascular medicine. The only real GI emergencies are acute GI bleeds.

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

Agree with above.
Colonoscopies and other procedures are cash cows for right now. Also, GI has better hours than other procedural specialties like general surgery and cardiovascular medicine. The only real GI emergencies are acute GI bleeds.

How related is this to the increase in screening, i.e. colonoscopy every year or every other year, or whatever the recommendation is? How much is related to actual signs/symptoms that suggest a colonoscopy is needed?

I would expect that with a rocky economy, people will cut down on the screening and go when they're in pain or something looks wrong.

 

[ThinkTooMuch]

How related is this to the increase in screening, i.e. colonoscopy every year or every other year, or whatever the recommendation is? How much is related to actual signs/symptoms that suggest a colonoscopy is needed?

I would expect that with a rocky economy, people will cut down on the screening and go when they're in pain or something looks wrong.

please explain "something looks wrong."

 

[Magic Hateball]

please explain "something looks wrong."

Something like large amounts of blood in poo.

 

[Art Vandelay]

As an intern, I used to joke around with people who were interested in GI. I was hardcore cards. However, after looking after pt's admitted w/ GI problems, it really struck me as being interesting and gratifying. Pt's come in sick as all get out...bleeding, IBD, cholangitis, obstructions, etc. Typically w/ good care from all players (certainly not just GI), they leave pretty much the way they came in. Didn't seem so true in cards from my experience. Procedures are nice but I was not a huge procedure guy in residency. It turns out that GI is very intellectually stimulating w/ the variety to keep me interested. At least for me, screening colons are not all that fun. I'm probably wrong but I can't see med students or interns watching screening colons and thinking..Oh yeah baby...I want to do that for the rest of my career.

 

[superdood]

Agree with above.
Colonoscopies and other procedures are cash cows for right now. Also, GI has better hours than other procedural specialties like general surgery and cardiovascular medicine. The only real GI emergencies are acute GI bleeds.

Even then acute gi bleeds are only emergencies during regular business hours. Otherwise it's too unstable for a scope or they're stable enough to wait till the morning.

 

[Gastrapathy]

Even then acute gi bleeds are only emergencies during regular business hours. Otherwise it's too unstable for a scope or they're stable enough to wait till the morning.

There are occasional bleeders that require a scope after hours. Not many though. And since this is a common refrain/complaint about GI, how many GI bleeders have died waiting for a scope, in your experience?

Now if we could just find a way to hold the *&^*&! food impactions off until morning, that would be perfect.

 

[Vision]

There are occasional bleeders that require a scope after hours. Not many though. And since this is a common refrain/complaint about GI, how many GI bleeders have died waiting for a scope, in your experience?

Now if we could just find a way to hold the *&^*&! food impactions off until morning, that would be perfect.

Glucagon baby, glucagon!