The education and training of gastroenterologists for the 21st century: a paradigm for the education of medical specialists in technology-intensive fields - an international and Israeli perspective

Gastroenterology in the developed world as a paradigm for technologically i ntensive medical specialties has undergone dramatic changes during the last half-century with expansion, proliferation and affluence followed by serio us reactions on the part of cost-conscious and demanding governments, insur ers and consumers. A review of events in several regions within the develop ed world reveals tremendous technological progress but inadequate attention to professional, economic and ethical issues, which are crucial for the ed ucation of a model gastroenterologist who will embody the qualities that wi ll enable him/her to function well clinically, technologically, scientifica lly, professionally and ethically and thus enable him/her to cope with the increasingly complex challenges that are likely to arise during the next de cades. The possibility and need for defining a specific ethic for technolog y-intensive medical specialists is discussed.