Gastroenterology As A Career

The medical industry offers a wide array of choices when it comes to what field you select to practice in. But due to the competitive nature of medical schools, your first choice of field to practice in may not be possible based on your test scores and grades. Demand for the top paying disciplines within the medical field are very high, yet the supply of jobs is low in most of these fields. One such field within the medical industry is Gastroenterology.

Gastroenterologists study, diagnose, and cure problems associated with the digestive system. The digestive system includes every stop along the digestive tract. Starting with the mouth, ending with the anus; the tract measures more than 30 feet in most adult humans! Although not the most glamorous of jobs as a medical doctor, Gastroenterology is one of the most profitable. If you’re considering a job in this highly lucrative, but highly competitive field, this article will walk you through the steps necessary to achieve your goals.

The first step in any professional career is, of course, a high school diploma. This is the most basic of education requirements, and you cannot even consider entering college without it, much less medical school. This will take you four years.

Your next step is to get your college degree with the appropriate medical school prerequisites. It is not mandatory that you get your degree in premed, but it certainly can’t hurt you on your path through med school. Most professors and advisors will tell you that students in medical school with a premed bachelors degree do a lot better than those with degrees in other fields. This step will also be a pretty general education, but the prerequisites will begin to get you immersed in the medical field. The average college student can complete their degree program in 4 years, but some have been know to accomplish this goal in as little as 2 years!

After graduating with a bachelors degree, next you have to go to medical school, which takes three years to complete. But wait a minute. You did get good grades in college…right? If not, you may not make it into the school you choose, or even worse, you might not get in to a medical school at all! Medical school take the top applicants based on their GPA in college and their MCAT score. The MCAT, or the Medical College Admissions Test is a test given several times each year that is the standard exam to get into medical school. A high score on this test is essential to getting into a good school.

Once you graduate medical school, you’re on your way to becoming a gastroenterologist! The next step is to go through a 3 year residency in internal medicine, where you learn from doctors in the field. But don’t think the tests are over yet. You see, throughout medical school and residency, you will be taking the USMLE, or the United States Medical Licensing Exam. This four part exam not only determines IF you can get into medical school, but also determines what medical field you qualify for. If your scores are good enough in med school you get to go on to your residency in internal medicine.

After passing all the exams, and getting through your residency, you begin the last leg of your long journey - a fellowship in gastroenterology. In this two year phase, you learn everything there is to know about working in the field from people already working as gastroenterologists.

Congratulations your now a doctor in one of the highest paying fields in the medical community. You’ll need all that extra cash after going through 12 years of college!