Gastroenterology is an area of medicine that focuses on the health of the digestive system or the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Diseases that affect the gastrointestinal tract, as well as the related organs, are focused on, in this branch. Gastroenterologists can treat everything from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to hepatitis C. Gastroenterologist or GI doctors are specialists in digestive systems. A gastroenterologist specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of patients affected by problems related to gastrointestinal organs (also known as digestive system) like small intestine, gallbladder, colon, Bile duct, pancreas, stomach, and other related parts. They specialize in treating and possibly curing all forms of digestive diseases. These specialists treat a number of conditions affecting the GI system. This includes acid reflux, ulcers, IBS, hepatitis C, polyps, or growths, which typically occur in the large intestine, jaundice, or yellowing of the skin, hemorrhoids, bloody stool, pancreatitis, or a rare disease-causing inflammation of the pancreas, colon cancer.
Areas of Specializations
- GI physiology/functional bowel specialist
- Gastrointestinal oncologist
- MCH in Gastroenterology.
- General gastroenterologist
- Hepatologist
- Nutrition specialist
- Laboratory scientist
- Clinical trialist
Personal Attributes:
Human values and humanities don’t come with educational degrees. Though these doctors deal with humans at their most crucial stages so they should possess certain qualities like patience, politeness, ability to build a harmonious relationship with their patients, strong ethics, service mentality, self-motivation, understanding, etc. In addition to these, a good doctor should have the ability to deal with young patients ( children) with love and the ability to understand their behavior, Good communication skills, and keen observation and playful manner around children.
Some of the Best Books for Gastroenterology
- Robbins & Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, 9TH Edition
- Textbook of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology
- Atlas of Upper Gastrointestinal and Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Board Review: Pearls of Wisdom, Third Edition
Top Colleges :
Gastroenterology is regarded as one of the prominent specializations in the medical course. There are many reputed colleges in India that provide a full-time degree in this subject. Some of the top colleges that provide Gastroenterology as a course are mentioned below:
-
All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi
-
King George's Medical University, Lucknow
-
University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, Delhi
-
Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research Puducherry
-
Institute of Medical Sciences Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
Highlights:
The Highlights section of Gastroenterology contains all the details regarding the course in a summarized format for the easy understanding of the students. This section contains brief information regarding the duration of the course, the admission process, eligibility criteria, top recruiters, etc.
| Course Level | Undergarduate, Doctorate |
|---|---|
| Course Duration |
Doctorate: 3 Years Undergarduate: 5 and half-year |
| Examination Type | Semester wise |
| Admission Process | Entrance based selection followed by counselling rounds. |
| Top Recruiters | Government Hospitals, Private Hospitals, Health Care, Research centres, Medical Health Centre, etc |
| Top Career/Job profiles | GI Physician, Endocrinologist, Gerontologist, Consultant Pulmonologists, Hepatologist, etc |
Eligibility:
Before applying for a degree in Gastroenterology, applicants have to qualify certain eligibility criterias . The eligiblity criteria contains some mandatory qualification requirements like Minimum marks, Minimum degree required, age limit, nationality, entrances, etc. If a candidate is found uneligible, then the registration of the candidate will be cancelled. Therefore students are requested to check their eligiblity properly before applying. The elibility criteria of DM in Gastroenterology is mentioned below:
| Courses | Duration | Eligibility | Entrances |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's course (MBBS) | 5 and half-year |
|
AIIMS, AIMEE, NEET PG |
| Postgraduate courses (M.D-Doctorate in Medicine) | 3 years |
|
NEET PG, AIPGDEE, |
Top Recruiters:
After a degree in Gastroenterology, a student can pursue any job out of the numerous career oppurtunities provided by this field. Students who are interested in this field can build their bright futures with the lucrative job offers provided by the Medical Industry. The recruiters in this field search for trained and skilled professionals, as this area of work demands, Good theoritical knowledge, Research ability, etc. Some of the top recruiters of Gastroenterology in India are mentioned below:
- AIM Consultants
- Kendall and Davis
- Linde Healthcare
- locumtenens.com
- Health care network
- Hospitals
Admission Process:
For a degree in Gastroenterology most of the colleges select candiates on the basis of performance in the national entrance examination like NEET P.G, PGIMER. AIIMS, etc. Only the students who score above or equal to the cut-off will be eligible for the admission process. The merit list of students will be prepared according to the cut-off mark. Many institutions have a Group Discussion stage, yet many institutions directly invite students for the counselling process. However, some institutes carry out their own entrance exams followed by personal interviews and counseling in some cases.
Important Note:
- The candidates can get admission into the Gastroenterology course with the NEET PG score.
- After the completion of MBBS, one can apply for the PG course of Gastroenterology with a qualified NEET PG score. Some of the institutes conduct their own entrance exam to take admissions
Syllabus:
In this section, the subject curicullumn of a full time degree in Gastroenterology is briefy described. Syllabus contains the entire course plan for the students. The curicullmn is divided into different core subjects categories for the 3 years course period of, Doctor of Medicine (M.D) in Gastroenterology. The complete syllabus is mentioned below:
Basic Sciences
| Immune system of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and its importance in various GI disorders | Molecular biology in relation to GIT |
| Genetic diseases of the GIT and the liver | Gene therapy |
| GI tumours and tumour biology | Gastrointestinal hormones in health and diseases |
| Embryology of the gut, liver, pancreas and congenital anomalies |
Miscellaneous
| Upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding | Gastrointestinal tuberculosis |
| HIV and the GIT, hepatobiliary and pancreatic systems | GIT and liver in systemic diseases |
| Cutaneous manifestations of GI diseases | Vascular diseases of the GIT |
| Gastrointestinal side effects of drugs especially NSAIDs | Gastro-intestinal symptoms physiology and interpretation |
Esophagus
| Basic anatomy, histology and physiology | Congenital anomalies |
| Motility of the esophagus and motor disorders | Mechanism of deglutition and dysphasia |
| Approach to a patient with dysphasia | Gastro-esophageal reflux disease |
| Tumours of the esophagus | Esophageal webs, membranes and diverticulum |
| Management of benign and malignant esophageal strictures | Esophagus and systemic diseases |
| Infectious diseases of the esophagus | Foreign bodies in the esophagus and stomach |
| Esophageal perforation | Drug-induced esophagitis |
Stomach
| Anatomy, histology, functions | Physiology of acid and bicarbonate secretion in health and diseases |
| Defence mechanisms against acid and pepsin | Gastroduodenal motor function in health and diseases |
| Gastritis (nonspecific and specific) | Helicobacter pylori infection |
| Peptic ulcer | Dyspepsia |
| Stress and stomach | Gastric hypersecretory states including Zollinger Ellison syndrome |
| Ulcer complications and their management | Surgery for peptic ulcer |
| Postgastrectomy complication | Bezoars |
| Tumours of the stomach | Diverticuli and hernia of the stomach |
Small Intestine
| Anatomy, blood supply, histology | Motility of the small intestine |
| Congenital anomalies | Normal absorption of the nutrients |
| Intestinal electrolyte absorption and secretion | Malabsorption syndromes Pathophysiology, manifestations and approach |
| Celiac sprue | Infection-related diseases |
| Small intestinal ulcers | Short bowel syndrome and intestinal transplantation |
| Eosinophilic gastroenteritis | Food allergies |
| Intestinal obstruction and pseudo-obstruction | Short bowel syndrome |
| Acute appendicitis | Malrotation of the gut |
| Bezoars | Management of diarrhoea |
| GI lymphomas | Small intestinal tumours |
| Small intestinal transplantation |
Colon
| Basic anatomy blood supply, histology and functions | Motility of the colon and disorders of motility |
| Congenital anomalies | Megacolon |
| Constipation | Colonic pseudo-obstruction |
| Fecal incontinence | Antibiotic-associated diarrhoea |
| Inflammatory bowel disease | Diverticular disease of the colon |
| Radiation entero-colitis | Colonic polyps and polyposis syndromes |
| Malignant diseases of the colon | Other inflammatory diseases of colon including |
| Hemorrhoids | Diseases of the anorectum |
Pancreas
| Anatomy, physiology, blood supply, developmental anomalies | Physiology of the pancreatic secretion |
| Pancreatic function tests | Acute pancreatitis |
| Recurrent acute pancreatitis | Chronic pancreatitis |
| Malignancies of the pancreas (Exocrine and endocrine) | Cystic fibrosis and other childhood disorders of the pancreas |
| Hereditary pancreatitis | Pancreatic transplantation |
Biliary Tree
| Anatomy, Physiology | Physiology of bile formation and excretion |
| Enterohepatic circulation | Bilirubin metabolism |
| Approach to a patient with jaundice | Gallstones, its complications, and management |
| Acute acalculous cholecystitis | Miscellaneous disorders of the gallbladder |
| Acute cholangitis | Benign biliary structure |
| Benign and malignant neoplasms of the biliary system | Endoscopic management of biliary obstruction |
| Motility and dysmotility of the biliary system and sphincter of Oddi dysfunction | Congenital diseases of the biliary systems |
Liver
| Anatomy, physiology, blood supply | Functions of the liver |
| Microcirculation of liver | Liver function tests |
| Portal hypertension | Acute viral hepatitis |
| Chronic hepatitis | Fulminant hepatic failure |
| Subacute hepatic failure | Cirrhosis of liver |
| Ascites | Hepatorenal syndrome |
| Autoimmune liver disease | Metabolic liver disease |
| Sclerosing cholangitis- primary and secondary | Primary biliary cirrhosis |
| Hepatic venous outflow tract obstruction | Fibrocystic diseases of the liver |
| Wilson’s disease | Hemochromatosis |
| Liver in porphyria | Hepatic tumors |
| Infections of the liver | Liver in pregnancy |
| Liver in congestive heart failure | Liver biopsy |
| Liver transplantation and artificial liver support |
Peritorium and Retroperitoneum
| Ascites | Chronic peritonitis |
| Budd-Chiari syndrome | Malignant ascites |
| Diseases of the retroperitoneum |
Nutrition
| Normal nutritional requirements | Assessment of nutritional status |
| Protein-energy malnutrition | Manifestations and management of nutritional deficiency and excess |
| Nutritional support in various GI disorders (malabsorption, acute and chronic pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease) |
Vascular Diseases of the GI Tract
| GI Radiology | GI Pathology |
| Endoscopic Training |
Skills Required:
There are some of the primary skills set requried for a good future in the long run. Not all skills are inherited rather many have endured a long practicing period and then have earned a particular skill set. Some of the important skills required in this field of Gastroenterology are mentioned below:
- Excellent Communication
- Multi-tasker
- Self-motivation
- Patience
- Research and teaching
- Compassion and Empathy
Top Entrances:
Students can apply for admission into a degree in Gastroenterology only after qualifying the college-based entrance or national based entrance examination. The scorecard of national-based entrance examinations like NEET, AIIMS, JIPMER, etc is accepted by many top colleges of India.
Career and Job Prospectives:
With the growing trend of eating fast foods, the digestive problem patients in India are increasing at an alarming rate, so is the demand for specialists in Gastroenterology. There is huge career/job scope for students after completion of their degree in Gastroenterology. One can work for Government or Private hospitals, Research Institutions, Health care clinics, medical colleges, etc. The career scope in this field can extend overseas depending up on the experience and academic qualification.
| Job Post | Job Description | Salary |
|---|---|---|
|
GI Physician |
diagnoses and treats disorders related to the esophagus, stomach, intestines, gallbladder, liver, and pancreas. | 2 lacs to 3.5 lacs |
|
Hepatologist |
Deals with the study, prevention, diagnosis and management of diseases that affect the liver, gallbladder, biliary tree and pancreas | 6 lacs to 12 lacs |
|
Endocrinologist |
examines the patients, makes the diagnosis and prescribes medication or recommends surgery, depending on the disorder | 4.5 lacs to 9.5 lacs |
|
Gerontologist |
study of the aging process and the problems that elderly individuals might encounter | 11 lacs onwards |
|
Consultant Pulmonologists |
Managing the care of chronic respiratory diseases, use therapies to treat diseases, including antibiotics, steroids and other medications, delivered in pill or injection form or through the familiar inhalers, or "puffers." | 3.5 lacs to 6.5 lacs |
|
Orthopedics |
treat a variety of conditions such as fractures and dislocations, arthritis, and damage to tendons, muscles, and ligaments. | 1.5 lacs to 3 lacs |
|
Anesthetist |
involve in the safe administration of anesthesia and other pain killers to their patients both before, during and post-surgery, and other major medical procedures | 5.5 lacs to 10.5 lacs |
|
Ortho Surgeon |
perform surgery and examinations on the musculoskeletal system of the human body. | 1.5 lacs to 3.5 lacs |
FAQs:
Q: What is a gastroenterologist test?
Ans: Gastroenterology involves the diagnosis and treatment of digestive system disorders affecting the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, rectum, liver, gall bladder and pancreas.
Q: What is the difference between a Gastrologist and a Gastroenterologist?Ans: gastroenterology refers to a branch of medicine that focuses on the digestive tract whereas, gastrology deals with the study of the stomach and stomach related diseases.
Q: What are the top colleges providing a degree in Gastroenterology?
A: Some of the top colleges are mentioned below:
-
All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi
-
King George's Medical University, Lucknow
-
University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, Delhi
-
Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research Puducherry
-
Institute of Medical Sciences Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
Q: What is the eligibility criteria for a degree in Gastroenterology?
A: The eligibility criteria are mentioned below:
Bachelor's course (MBBS):
- Should have passed 10+2 with 50% mark in Physics, Chemistry, and Bio
- Candidates have to appear and qualify in the relevant entrance exams
Postgraduate courses (M.D-Doctorate in Medicine)
- MBBS course with a one-year internship
- Minimum marks in MBBS degree should not be less than 55%.
- Candidates have to appear and qualify in the relevant entrance exams
Q: What are the Top Career Profiles associated with Gastroenterology?
A: Some of the top career profiles are mentioned below:
- GI Physician
- Hepatologist
- Endocrinologist
- Consultant Pulmonologists
Q: What is the duration of a course in Gastroenterology?
A: The duration of the course is mentioned below:
- Bachelor's course (MBBS): 5 and half-year
- Postgraduate courses (M.D-Doctorate in Medicine): 3 years
Q: What are the important skills required in this field?
A: The important skills are mentioned below:
- Excellent Communication
- Multi-tasker
- Self-motivation
- Patience
- Research and teaching
Q: Who are the top recruiters in this field of Gastroenterology?
A: Some of the top recruiters are mentioned below:
- Government Hospitals
- Private Hospitals
- Health Cares
- Research centres
- Health care network
Q: What is the starting salary after a degree in Gastroenterology?
A: It depends on the organisation for which the person is working and his/her designation. However, the average starting salary can be around 2-3 lakhs per annum.
Q: What is the admission process in Gastroenterology?
A: Admission in Gastroenterology in most of the colleges is done on the basis of performance in the entrance examination. However, some institutes carry out their own entrance exams followed by personal interviews and counseling in some cases.
