Dear colleagues,
It is with bittersweet sentiments that I introduce my last issue of The New Gastroenterologist as its Editor-in-Chief. As I reflect on my time as EIC, I am immensely grateful to the AGA for this opportunity and am proud of the journal’s continuing evolution.
To begin with this issue’s content, our “In Focus” clinical feature reviews nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and is written by Dr. Naga Chalasani and Dr. Eduardo Vilar-Gomez (Indiana University). This is an excellent, comprehensive piece that details the diagnosis of NAFLD and a multifaceted management approach including dietary and lifestyle modifications, pharmacotherapy, and surgical options.
Dr. Vijaya Rao
Learning endoscopy is hard, but so is teaching it. Dr. Navin Kumar (Brigham and Women’s Hospital) lends tangible advice to faculty on how to optimize their endoscopy teaching skills.
Our short clinical review for this quarter, brought to you by Dr. Grace Kim and Dr. Uzma Siddiqui (University of Chicago), offers a helpful discussion on appropriate endoscopic management of duodenal and ampullary adenomas.
Statistical concepts can often be difficult to understand; Dr. Manol Jovani (University of Kentucky) provides a useful, practical explanation of effect modification.
The AGA editorial fellowship is a wonderful opportunity and we are fortunate to have two current fellows share their experience in this issue. Dr. Judy Trieu (Loyola University Chicago) discusses her experience with Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Dr. Helenie Kefalakes (Hannover Medical School – Germany) reports on her time with Gastroenterology.
Ethics manifests itself in gastroenterology in many ways, and I am happy to have introduced a case-based ethics series to our publication. For my last issue, Dr. Ariel Sims (University of Chicago) and I discuss a case of repeated deliberate foreign body ingestion and the ethical considerations for us as endoscopists.
It can be difficult to navigate the many options that exist within the realm of disability insurance. Dr. Trevor Smith (Advanced EyeCare Professionals) reviews the reasons to obtain disability insurance, how to apply and what to look for in a policy.
Lastly, the DHPA Private Practice Perspectives article for this issue is written by Dr. Marc Sonenshine (Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates) who shares his practice’s innovative approach to implementing a formalized mentorship program for physicians early in their career.
As my editorship comes to a close, I would be remiss not to thank several key people who have been instrumental in the last 3 years. First, Dr. Gautham Reddy, an important mentor of mine and former program director who sent me this opportunity and encouraged me to apply. In addition, I am grateful to the chief of our Section at the University of Chicago, Dr. David Rubin, for his collaboration and support. Ryan Farrell, the managing editor of TNG, has been nothing short of amazing to work with and is the true backbone of our publication. I would also like to thank the staff of our publisher, Frontline Medical Communications, especially Kathy Scarbeck and Christopher Palmer, as well as the EIC and former EIC of our parent publication, GI & Hepatology News, Dr. Megan Adams and Dr. John Allen. Finally, thank you to our readers, whose continued interest has made TNG a success.
Taken together, my experience as EIC of TNG for the last 3 years has been unparalleled. The opportunity to translate the questions, challenges, and experiences of early-career gastroenterologists into written pieces that would be shared with the international community is one I truly never thought I would find within a career in medicine. I am excited for the future and growth of TNG in the hands of a new EIC.
If you have interest in contributing or have ideas for future TNG topics, please contact me (vijayarao@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu) or Ryan Farrell (rfarrell@gastro.org), managing editor of TNG.
Respectfully,
Vijaya L. Rao, MD
Editor-in-Chief
