What does a gastroenterologist do?
A gastroenterologist is a doctor who is specifically trained in diagnosing and treating diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. They are an expert in diseases of the digestive tract. They are expected to perform a series of specific diagnostic tests to ascertain exact issues. They can find work taking care of patients in an office, a hospital setting, a clinic, a nursing home, or an outpatient surgical center.
Gastroenterologist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real gastroenterologist resumes:
- Train and manage new interns/ volunteers assisting with the evidence-based hypertension management program.
- Engage in all surgical procedures associate with obstetrics and gynecology.
- Perform vitals/glucose testing and assist in administering injections, EKG's and urinalysis.
- Develop and direct IBD program.
- Serve as HIPAA compliance officer.
- Provide patient care in ICU and general medical floors.
- Update records with proper diagnosis and current medication list.
- Treat any outstanding arrhythmia within the scope of practice.
- Perform office gynecologic procedures, biopsies, cauterization, IUD insertions.
- Collect copays, self-pay, financial arrangements and deductible /Maintain EHR records
- Scan and index medical records in the ICS (NextGen).
- Perform punch/shave biopsies, abscess removal, suturing under supervision of physician.
- Provide prenatal and postnatal care by using methods of clinical investigation for the correct diagnosis and treatment.
- Administer injections or treatments, and perform routine laboratory tests such as blood, urine, pregnancy, bone density.
- Provide consults and treatment plan for adolescents and adults for ongoing health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, and asthma.
Gastroenterologist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 47% of Gastroenterologists are proficient in EMR, Private Practice, and Exam Rooms. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Compassion, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Gastroenterologists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- EMR, 47%
Worked with EMR system, I am very comfortable with it.
- Private Practice, 19%
Served as obstetrician/gynecologist in office and hospital private practice.
- Exam Rooms, 14%
Assisted in taking biopsies during procedures; chaperoned physician in exam room.
- IBD, 9%
Developed an IBD program with active involvement of GI Fellows.
- Procedure Rooms, 3%
Cleaned and decontaminated procedure room and equipment.
- Patient Referrals, 2%
Developed relationships with other physicians to provide education on practice expertise and generate patient referrals.
Most gastroenterologists use their skills in "emr," "private practice," and "exam rooms" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential gastroenterologist responsibilities here:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a gastroenterologist to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "physicians and surgeons need to be excellent communicators." Gastroenterologists often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "produce proposals for ethiopian journal of reproductive health and media and communication unit to get financial support from international ngos. "
Compassion. Another essential skill to perform gastroenterologist duties is compassion. Gastroenterologists responsibilities require that "patients who are sick or injured may be in extreme pain or distress." Gastroenterologists also use compassion in their role according to a real resume snippet: "provided and directed patient care in an appropriate and compassionate manner. "
Detail oriented. This is an important skill for gastroenterologists to perform their duties. For an example of how gastroenterologist responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "patients must receive appropriate treatment and medications." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a gastroenterologist: "draw blood samples, prepare charts, and take vital signs and detailed patient histories. ".
Dexterity. gastroenterologist responsibilities often require "dexterity." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "physicians and surgeons may work with very precise and sometimes sharp tools, and mistakes can have serious consequences." This resume example shows what gastroenterologists do with dexterity on a typical day: "gained invaluable knowledge of the medical industry and patient care; developed diagnostic and problem-solving skills through hands-on clinical experience. "
Organizational skills. Another common skill required for gastroenterologist responsibilities is "organizational skills." This skill comes up in the duties of gastroenterologists all the time, as "good recordkeeping and other organizational skills are critical in both medical and business settings." An excerpt from a real gastroenterologist resume shows how this skill is central to what a gastroenterologist does: "practice management related: developed and implemented organizational policies, procedures, methods and standards for the medical practice. "
Physical stamina. Lastly, "physical stamina" is an important element of what a gastroenterologist does. Gastroenterologist responsibilities require this skill because "physicians and surgeons should be comfortable lifting or turning disabled patients, or performing other physical tasks." This resume example highlights how gastroenterologist duties rely on this skill: "determined problems utilizing physical examination, imaging, laboratory, and patients' statements as diagnostic aids. "
The three companies that hire the most gastroenterologists are:
- Provider Solutions & Development17 gastroenterologists jobs
- CarolinaEast11 gastroenterologists jobs
- KPG10 gastroenterologists jobs
Compare different gastroenterologists
Gastroenterologist vs. Pulmonary physician
A pulmonary physician specializes in diagnosing and treating respiratory and cardiopulmonary health issues. They provide consultations when it comes to health concerns, conduct various assessments and examinations to identify the patients' conditions, study medical histories, develop care and treatment plans, prescribe medication, and educate patients throughout the procedures. There are also instances when they must refer patients to other specialists, recommend interventions, and participate in research programs to discover new treatment methods. Furthermore, a pulmonary physician must provide advice and support to patients, helping them feel comfortable every step of the way.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a gastroenterologist are more likely to require skills like "eus," "private practice," "hepatology," and "egd." On the other hand, a job as a pulmonary physician requires skills like "bed hospital," "critical care position," "acute care hospital," and "medicaid." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Pulmonary physicians tend to make the most money working in the health care industry, where they earn an average salary of $205,661. In contrast, gastroenterologists make the biggest average salary, $205,686, in the health care industry.pulmonary physicians tend to reach similar levels of education than gastroenterologists. In fact, pulmonary physicians are 1.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 21.6% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Gastroenterologist vs. Doctor
A doctor is a medical expert who diagnoses and treats illnesses and injuries, often specializing in particular areas. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting initial interviews and examinations, studying a patient's medical history and laboratory results, providing consultations and care advice, prescribing medication, and referring patients to specialists when necessary. They must also coordinate and maintain an active communication line with nurses, administrators, and technicians for a smooth workflow. Moreover, a doctor must educate patients about their health conditions, helping them understand their situation better.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, gastroenterologist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "eus," "hepatology," "egd," and "bls." Meanwhile, a doctor has duties that require skills in areas such as "patients," "customer service," "emergency medicine," and "surgery." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Doctors may earn a lower salary than gastroenterologists, but doctors earn the most pay in the health care industry with an average salary of $178,767. On the other hand, gastroenterologists receive higher pay in the health care industry, where they earn an average salary of $205,686.In general, doctors achieve similar levels of education than gastroenterologists. They're 2.8% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 21.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Gastroenterologist vs. Hospital fellow
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a gastroenterologist is likely to be skilled in "emr," "eus," "private practice," and "hepatology," while a typical hospital fellow is skilled in "acute care," "hospital operations," "surgery," and "mph."
Hospital fellows typically earn similar educational levels compared to gastroenterologists. Specifically, they're 4.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 18.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Gastroenterologist vs. Associate professor, physician
Types of gastroenterologist
Updated January 8, 2025
