Future career in gastroenterology: how is it perceived by internal medicine trainees? Results from a national survey

ObjectiveTo investigate the perceptions of internal medicine trainees (IMTs) towards a career in gastroenterology and identify factors influencing their specialty choices.Design/MethodA 26-item electronic questionnaire was circulated to IMTs across the UK. The responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, χ² and multivariate analysis to identify differences in specialty perceptions and influencing factors based on demographic characteristics.Results316 IMTs, mean 29.2 years, 58.2% female, 56.3% Caucasian, participated. The majority (70.9%) graduated from UK medical schools and completed foundation training (76.0%). Only 10.1% identified gastroenterology as their most likely specialty despite being positively perceived as a specialty by 67.7% of trainees. Key factors influencing specialty selection were lifestyle/flexible work (73.1%), mentorship (60.4%) and patient-centred care (56.0%).Positive aspects of gastroenterology included specialty-specific procedures (80.1%), interesting and manageable patients (49.7%), and academic opportunities (33.2%). Negative aspects were a difficult workload (70.6%), ‘poor lifestyle’ (59.5%) and high burn-out risk (52.5%). Lifestyle and flexibility were more important for those not pursuing gastroenterology compared with those pursuing gastroenterology (p<0.001). Factors identified to increase diversity and inclusivity included less-than-full-time training, increased flexibility and job-sharing opportunities. These were significantly preferred by females, UK graduates and foundation programme completers (p<0.05).ConclusionGastroenterology remains a popular specialty among IMTs; however, addressing lifestyle concerns, enhancing mentorship and promoting diversity are essential for improving recruitment and retention. Reforming training pathways could further enhance the specialty’s appeal.