Dear friends,
Since the last issue of The New Gastroenterologist, the GI Fellowship Match has occurred and CONGRATULATIONS to the Class of 2026! You’ve all been on an arduous journey to get here, and it’s really time to slow down and soak up as much as you can. For those who did not match, do not give up, because you are still the future of GI!
Dr. Judy A. Trieu
This issue of TNG is particularly special to me, because it marks my first official selection of articles as I embark on my own TNG journey, and the theme is the future of GI. In the “In Focus” article this quarter, Dr. Eugenia N. Uche-Anya and Dr. Tyler M. Berzin review the vast and emerging advances of artificial intelligence (AI) in colonoscopy, its role in augmenting patient care, obstacles in incorporating AI into current practice, and the future of AI in gastroenterology and hepatology. One important aspect of developing our future in these technologies includes getting involved with industry. Dr. Raman Muthusamy gives practical tips on developing and navigating relationships with industry, with highlights on understanding intellectual property and conflicts of interest.
Continuing our trek into the future of GI, telemedicine came into the fold with the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is clearly here to stay. Dr. Russ R. Arjal repositions telemedicine as a way to increase access to care and optimize practice revenue, with the aim of improving patient outcomes in the future.
Last, to ground this issue clinically, Dr. Jason Kwon and Dr. Paul T. Kroner review the gastrointestinal, hepatic, and pancreaticobiliary adverse manifestations and management of immune checkpoint inhibitors, especially now that immunotherapies have revolutionized the treatment of cancer. As gastroenterologists, we are and will be seeing more and more of these adverse events.
If you are interested in contributing or have ideas for future TNG topics, please contact me (jtrieu23@gmail.com). You may also contact Jillian Schweitzer (jschweitzer@gastro.org), managing editor of TNG.
Until next time, I leave you with a historical fun fact: Philipp Bozzini is credited with having developed the first endoscope in 1805, called the Lichtleiter (German for “light conductor”), using a candle as its light source. Adolf Kussmaul, however, developed the first rigid gastroscope in 1868, recruiting a sword-swallower in his first demonstration.
Yours truly,
Judy A. Trieu, MD, MPH
Editor-in-Chief
Advanced Endoscopy Fellow
Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
