A nationwide survey of gastroenterologists and their acquisition of knowledge

The Gastroenterology (GI) Core Curriculum is a culmination of efforts from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Gastroenterological Association, and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy to develop a review of knowledge and skills for those training in a gastrointestinal subspecialty. Fellows are expected to conduct scholarly activity, attend seminars, and read textbooks and syllabus materials. While efforts to standardize education across the nation are welcomed, we sought to ascertain the learning preferences of GI fellows and attending physicians.

A national online survey was e-mailed to directors of US adult GI programs, who were also asked to invite their colleagues and fellows to participate.

While majorities of both fellows and attendings affirmed regular attendance at national conferences, more attendings affirmed that their knowledge was improved by their participation. Asked how they acquire knowledge best, 45 fellows and 67 attendings responded; 42% of attendings favored journal articles, and 40% of fellows favored conferences. More attendings than fellows felt that writing a manuscript and belonging to a GI society improved knowledge.

We believe the Gastroenterology Core Curriculum provides trainees with essential tools for becoming an autonomous gastroenterologist who can appreciate various learning modalities.