Gastroenterology is the medical specialty that deals with the function and disorders of the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, intestines, and liver.

Education

Gastroenterologists are physicians that are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of digestive diseases. They complete a residency after medical school in Internal Medicine and then complete a fellowship in Gastroenterology.

Gastroenterology fellowships are 3 year programs which offer intense training in digestive diseases and endoscopic procedures. Digestive disease includes disorders of the gastrointestinal tract as well as the pancreas and liver.

Certification

A gastroenterologist can only take the board exam to become certified after passing the Internal Medicine board examination and completing a gastroenterology fellowship.

All of the gastroenterologists at Alaska Digestive Center are fellowship trained board certified gastroenterologists.

The American Board of Internal Medicine www.abim.org governs the issuance of board certification in Internal Medicine and all of its subspecialties including Gastroenterology.