The branch of medicine that deals with the disorders of the digestive system is called gastroenterology. Gastrointestinal tract includes the organs from the mouth to the anus. Physicians who practice this specialty of medicine are called a gastroenterologist. The physicians spent long duration of study to graduate in this specialty. One has to undergo eight years of medical education to become a successful gastroenterologist. The physician has to undergo three years of internal medicine residency and three years in gastroenterology fellowship in addition to the general medicine. There are many sub specialties in gastroenterology like radiology, hepatobiliary and gastric medicine. A gastroenterologist is one who specializes in treating disorders of the digestive system.
A gastroenterologist treats diseases like the colon cancer, polyps, pancreatitis, hydrocele, liver disorder, colonitis, and hepatitis, diseases of the gall bladder, irritable bowel syndrome, peptic ulcer and pancreatitis. There are many techniques that the physician uses to treat these diseases. One of the prominent techniques is the endoscope. It is a thin tube with a small camera and light. The tube is introduced in the affected area where it enables the physician to examine the nature and scope of the disease. This is one of the highest paying jobs in medicine. One can find a lot of career opportunities in gastroenterology.
The salary varies according to geographical location, years of experience and the organization. Location contributes a lot to the pay range of the physicians. For example, there is a difference of about USD 5000 variation from one state to the other. However the average salary for a gastroenterologist is USD 265,000. Gastroenterologist salary varies based on the years of experience. Salary increases as the experience increases. Pay also varies based on the number of patients and surgeries the physician performs. A physician with two years of experience is paid about USD 260,000 where as a physician with more than 4 years of experience earns about USD 350,000. The maximum earning that a gastroenterologist can make per year is about USD 595,000.