Specialty ‘can’t be blasé’ about recruitment

Speaking to the Medical Independent (MI) at the Irish Society of Gastroenterology (ISG) Summer Meeting 2025, ISG President Prof Orla Crosbie described her pride in having held the position of President of the Society and in the content of this year’s meeting.

“The standard of abstracts and submissions was excellent and we had four fantastic sessions,” she said. “We had President’s choice of top oral presentations, we heard about hepatology, IBD [inflammatory bowel disease], and endoscopy – there were 20 presentations in total, and all of them were absolutely excellent. Even the ones who did not get to present orals were of really high quality and we also had 30 poster presentations.

“We continue to get better and better quality, mainly from our trainees but also from their supervisors, so the standard continues to be excellent, which augurs well for the future.” Prof Crosbie also pointed out the value of the ‘meet the experts’ session, where attendees heard from three experts who trained in different countries and systems. “We also heard an excellent talk from Prof Geoff Dusheiko, who spoke on hepatitis D,” she said.

Prof Crosbie also commented on staffing within the specialty. “I think recruitment and retention are always a concern,” she said. “No matter how good recruitment and retention are, you can’t be blasé about it. We have always been very fortunate, in that highly talented people are interested in doing gastroenterology but, like other specialties, it is tough – not just mentally, but some aspects of it are tough physically too, particularly endoscopy.

“I do think that we have to encourage people to be interested in the specialty, to nurture them and make them feel welcome,” Prof Crosbie continued. “One thing I have noticed at this meeting is that interns and SHOs presented and some medical students also gave presentations. It is fantastic to see them interested in the specialty at such a young age, and hopefully we are encouraging them.”

Prof Crosbie pointed out that as gastroenterology is a highly varied field, those thinking of entering the specialty will find their own areas of interest, such as inflammatory bowel disease or endoscopy, or in her case, hepatology. “But none of us can be experts in every area and with regard to recruitment, if you develop a niche area and you are good at it, you’ll attract patients and develop it, so there are always potential and opportunities.”

Prof Crosbie concluded by commenting on her term as President of the ISG. “It has been absolutely fantastic, and the highlight of my career,” she told MI. “I was asked at a time that was good for me professionally and personally…. I can’t thank my consultant colleagues in gastroenterology enough for all the support they have given me over the last two years, which has allowed me to go to meetings and attend the ISG conference,” said Prof Crosbie.

“What I have been really struck by is everyone’s enthusiasm for the ISG. We have invited a variety of speakers from Ireland and throughout the world and every one of them was delighted to come to the ISG,” she said. “Some had connections with Ireland, but others have never been to Ireland before. I think we are a great group for making people feel welcome – we welcome their expertise and take on their ideas, and that helps to forge relationships going forward.

“Personally, I have really enjoyed it,” she continued. “While there is a lot of work involved, it is great fun. I love working with our trainees – they are fantastic and it’s great to feel their energy and we have great colleagues throughout Ireland. On a day-to-day basis, we stay in contact and chat with each other for advice, so it has been a real privilege.”