Gastroenterology: evolution of specialty choice in recent years

Introduction: Gastroenterology is one of the medical specialties offered to residency training candidates each year. This project analyzes the data associated with the choice of a Gastroenterology residency program in recent years. Material and methods: Data related to specialty selection were obtained from official reports with regard to the allocation of residency places by the Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality. Information was collected from various teaching centers via their training guides, the Spanish National Catalogue of Hospitals and the National Transplant Organization. Results: The median consecutive number involved in the choice of Gastroenterology training has decreased year after year, and this specialty is now positioned among the five most commonly selected residency programs in 2015. The median number of hospitals with a higher number of beds, adult liver transplantation activities and dedicated GI bleeding units is significantly lower. This is also true when centers are analyzed according to the presence of specific Gastroenterology on-call shifts for residents or their association with medical schools. Data from the past five years highlight Madrid, Aragón and the Basque Country as the autonomous communities where Gastroenterology is the most popular. Centers selected by candidates with the lowest median consecutive numbers from 2011-2015 included the university hospitals Ramón y Cajal, Santiago de Compostela and Gregorio Marañón. Conclusions: Gastroenterology has gradually escalated in the ranking of residency choices and is now one of the five most popular options. Potential residents prefer larger centers with complex-care patients and more research activity.