The GI Fellowship Viewpoint

The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute greatly appreciates and agrees with the sentiment of the Institute of Medicine1 (IOM) that ongoing evaluation and reassessment must be made of the American College of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)'s requirements to the adjustment of residency hours in the hopes of further reducing the risk of medical error owing to fatigue and sleep deprivation. In the subspecialty of gastroenterology, this is particularly cogent where emergency situations such as gastrointestinal bleeding and acute liver failure mandate around-the-clock availability. Furthermore, the gastroenterology subspecialty service is often needed to make definitive endoscopic or cognitive recommendations in an effort to salvage critical situations and optimal mental acuity and judgment is mandatory.