Designing a Unique Medical Student Workshop to Provide Early Exposure to Careers in Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Background Medical students have limited knowledge of the subspecialties and procedural components within Gastroenterology (GI)/Hepatology (Hep). We crafted an interactive session to provide medical students with a broader understanding of the career paths in GI/Hep through perspectives from faculty and simulations.  Methodology We conceptualized and organized the workshop in March 2024. The first half consisted of a panel discussion involving seven eminent institutional GI/Hep faculty members. The second part offered hands-on stations involving commonly performed GI/Hep procedures. These included endoscopy, paracentesis, capsule endoscopy, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapies, and an esophageal manometry catheter with readings. Pre- and post-surveys were used to assess the impact of the workshop on participants' interest and understanding of the field. Surveys were reviewed by multiple GI/Hep faculty members for accuracy and appropriateness. The event was advertised via email to all medical students studying at our institution. Results Approximately 600 students were emailed, with 46 expressing interest and 30 students attending the workshop. Of the 30 students, 15 (50%) and 14 (47%) students completed the pre- and post-surveys, respectively. A lack of prior exposure to gastroenterology/hepatology outside the classroom was reported by 60% (15 respondents), and 75% (15 respondents) expressed interest in having a procedural component in their future careers. Participants were asked to rank their familiarity with different domains within GI/Hep, with overall improvement in mean familiarity noted after the event. Student comments were overwhelmingly positive, and 93% (14) of the students reported that they were extremely satisfied with all aspects of the workshop. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that this hybrid panel and simulation workshop improved medical students' understanding of GI/Hep, and that forums such as these can be valuable to provide early exposure and aid students in career planning.