This post was written for doctors who are wondering if Gastroenterology/Hepatology is a field they’d love to specialize in. Is that you?
From the highly passionate Dr. Asaolu, we were introduced into the world of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria.
The *key* to relevance is a decision to pursue and develop the mindset of excellence in whatever your hands find to do; combined with a decision to be ‘a solution’ in your sphere of influence.
In your journey to Global Relevance, if you’re focused on the accolades then you have missed it.
Let your drive be attached to your passion for a field and a genuine decision to be ‘a solution’
Resources that can help your decision making for Gastroenterology and Hepatology in the Nigerian environment
Key Peculiarities of Gastroenterology and Hepatology practice in Nigeria
- Gastroenterology/Hepatology in Nigeria is trainer/mentor-driven rather than system driven and demands that you position yourself to suit your environment.
- Always keep in mind that evolution in medicine will continue and systems can fail and so you must hold unto a vision& mission rather than being so attached to a person or a system.
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria is often more theoretical and lacks adequate exposure to practical sides and this is not good. Practical solutions to this include: Doing more! Sit down and take advantage of the mental exposure which the internet affords you. You must keep a positive attitude and always believe the best.
Key Advantages of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Practice in Nigeria
- Gastro-enterology/Hepatology is a versatile field that offers you numerous opportunities to sub-specialize in; making it an interesting and never boring path. Some common conditions managed in this field: dyspepsia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, hepatitis, pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel diseases, nutrition diseases, colorectal cancer; making it one of the most important medical fields catering to several medical needs.
- Also, the many options available in Gastroenterology/Hepatology are individually lucrative.
- Gastroenterology/Hepatology is a field that predisposes the expression of individualities and peculiarities at the workplace.
- There is plenty of room for advocacy, research, trainings and more; through them, you can easily find the space for impact and societal relevance.
- For instance, Dr. Asaolu is passionate about speaking and loves to talk about Hepatitis, and so she takes opportunity to speak about them on the media even without being paid- and she is positive that many more doors will open for her in this regard.
- With so many procedures carried out in this discipline, (e.g. Endoscopic procedures like gastroscopies & colonoscopies; other diagnostic procedures e.g. liver biopsy; therapeutic procedures such as polypectomies, gastric banding) it serves at an intersection between medical and surgical disciplines. If you are fascinated by a ‘hands-on’ approach to medical practice, then gastroenterology/hepatology might be for you.
- A lot of grants and scholarships are also available in the field of Gastroenterology e.g. from the World Gastroenterology Organization; since this field is closely-knitted, having the right mentors will expose you to these grants/funding/scholarships.
Pathway to Becoming a Gastroenterologist in Nigeria
- Write Primaries (Internal Medicine): (National Postgraduate Medical College/West African Postgraduate College of Physicians)
- Junior Residency: first 3 years of Internal Medicine Training across fields like Nephrology, Cardiology, Neurology, Hematology, Accident &Emergency etc. This makes you a solid physician, after which you write your Part 1 examination (National Postgraduate Medical College/West African Postgraduate College of Physicians)
- Senior Residency: another 2-3 years of core training in Gastroenterology; where you attain confidence in managing gastroenterology and hepatology cases. After this, you write your Part 2 examination on your path to becoming a consultant.
- Further training: this could be about getting better at certain skills, or training in a sub-specialty that gives you additional exposure and of course, an additional fellowship.
Some Medical Sub-specialties in Gastroenterology/Hepatology
- General Gastroenterology
- Hepatology/Hepatobiliary medicine
- Transplant Hepatology
- Advanced Endoscopy/Interventional Endoscopy
- Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders
- All of these and more, are reasons you should look into specializing in Gastro-enterology/Hepatology as a specialty.
We hope this post has been helpful!
