A Conversation with ACG President Carol Burke, MD

Carol Burke, MD, was elected president of the ACG on Oct. 17th at their annual meeting in Las Vegas. Founded in 1932, the ACG represents 13,000 professionals worldwide. Dr. Burke, Vice Chair of the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Director of the Center for Colon Polyp and Cancer Prevention and Head of the Section of Polyposis in the Sanford R. Weiss, MD, Center for Hereditary Colorectal Neoplasia, took time to talk with us about her thoughts on assuming the presidency.

Q: You’ve had a continuous commitment to the ACG over your career. How does it feel to become president?

A:

I am honored to represent the ACG — what I believe is the premier gastroenterology society in the U.S. — as its next president. Being selected to this position by my peers is the pinnacle of my career. I joined the ACG as a trainee member, and the College has become like a family to me over the years. It has provided me research support, superb education, collegiality and an opportunity to work with an organization making a difference in the field of gastroenterology.

The ACG is dedicated to promoting best medical practices by producing clinical guidelines and providing physicians the resources they need to be at the forefront of their specialty. It has a broad and deep reach, from playing an important role in influencing national legislation to helping gastroenterologists in the smallest community hospitals deliver optimal patient care. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, the annual meeting and postgraduate courses are the best in the field of clinical gastroenterology.

Q: You are the third woman president in the history of the ACG. Do women in gastroenterology face special challenges?

A:

Gastroenterology is a male-dominated, procedure-oriented specialty. While nearly half of incoming trainee physicians are women, only 16 percent are in gastroenterology. A few of the challenges that women in GI face include inequities in pay, career advancement and ergonomic injuries, which disproportionately affect female proceduralists. To address disparities, increasing awareness of the issues, leadership courses and dialogue with instrument manufacturers are a few opportunities we can focus on.

There has been a historic lack of women in society leadership. The ACG and other GI societies are making advances by involving more women in governance, which is critically important to ensure diverse representation that parallels the changing demographics in medicine.

Q: Who is your role model and why?

A:

Many have shaped me in my roles as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, physician, educator and researcher… My mother and mother-in-law (who speaks no English) show me it is possible to live a life of selflessness, service, poise and grace, even under the most trying circumstances. My father constantly encouraged me to seek new experiences, identify opportunities and keep fighting for what is meaningful and just (but now at age 92 he tells me to slow down).

My clinical research career was fostered by Rosalind van Stolk, MD, the first woman gastroenterologist at Cleveland Clinic. As a fellow, she stoked the flames of my nascent research career by her resolute commitment to the success of my research. Edgar Achkar, MD, and William Carey, MD, wise and esteemed colleagues in my department and both past Presidents of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) identified leadership potential in me when I did not know it existed, providing me ample networking and leadership opportunities within the Department, Cleveland Clinic and the ACG.

Q: In what directions do you hope to lead the ACG during your presidency?

A:

Clinical research and education have been priorities of mine for decades. The ACG plays an important role in supporting trainees and young investigators through grants and career development awards, which ensure continual advances in clinical medicine and improved care for our patients. This year I plan to work with the ACG to develop a platform that serves to enhance research collaboration at a nationwide level.

The ACG offers innovative educational programs to deliver critical information to doctors at point of service. The ACG Education Universe, a first of its kind program, provides online lectures, videos and other educational materials so that gastroenterologists anywhere can stay current with clinical standards, procedures and best practices. The online GI Circle allows members to privately network regarding disease state management, practice management concerns and other issues in gastroenterology.

Physician “burn-out” is at an all-time high, particularly for gastroenterologists. The healthcare delivery system and regulatory pressures are putting physicians under tremendous stress. The ACG recognizes this threat to our profession and prepares gastroenterologists for the future. Practice management information (e.g. ACG’s MACRA Tidbit for the Week) and quality improvement tools like the GI Quality Improvement Consortium (GIQuIC) help physicians navigate these changes, enhance quality healthcare delivery and hopefully reduce burn-out as well.

Follow Dr. Burke on Twitter @burkegastrodoc and follow the conversation with Cleveland Clinic physicians on Twitter via the hashtag #ACG2016.