In the latest edition of The Scope Forward Show, I’m joined by:
Dr. Aja McCutchen, gastroenterologist at United Digestive and Vice Chair of the American
Gastroenterological Association Research Foundation.
We begin with GI Mastermind, a leadership program for gastroenterologists thinking beyond
day-to-day practice.
Aja is a two-time participant. Since then, she has taken on national leadership roles and co-
founded an AI-driven women’s digestive health company. She is a clear example of what
happens when these ideas are put into action.
The conversation expands into a broader question: where is gastroenterology today, and
where is it headed?
It surfaces things many gastroenterologists sense, but rarely articulate out loud.
Note: The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) is collaborating to offer GI
Mastermind virtually for its members. More details will be announced next week.
Key Takeaways:
1. The kind of people who had a hunch that “the future is unfolding.”
People who are able to look beyond the “day-to-day.” What if you saw the future through the lens that I was seeing? What would you create with it?
2. Why GI Mastermind felt different
Aja: You walked in with a half-formed idea, and instead of being shut down, you found a room that expands thinking, not limits it.
3. Back in 2012, I sat in a self-driving car. GIs resisted stool DNA tests
Beyond Scope Forward, I wanted industry-wide action. The impact was beyond technology and business.
4. How did you change the mindset of GI leaders?
This had to have immediate practical value. But fundamental change isn’t possible without a shift in mindset. Without change, I see significant disruption for the industry.
Aja: “Identify the pain point, narrow it down, come up with a simple solution, and remain disciplined – that was worth its weight in gold.”
5. How big a role did COVID have?
The pandemic wasn’t just about survival. Beyond that period, leaders became deeply reflective. They started asking, “What do I really want to do with my life?” In that context, GI Mastermind provided “a mirror and a map.”
6. A bunch of third-party vendors are taking over healthcare. Physicians need to start creating more whitespace.
“What works today will absolutely not work tomorrow.”
7. Physicians are some of the most brilliant people on the planet. On the other side, there’s suicide, burnout, and uncertainty.
The aging curve tells you where you are and where GI is. The answer is self-revealing.
8. Where do you see the field of GI evolving now?
The biggest thing is AI. It’s doubling every six, seven months. By 2030, we will experience many doublings, and the world will look very different. To drive into unprepared is reckless.
9. My challenge to the GI space is, can you 10x to over $1 trillion
This will come from AI-enhanced care, microbiome, robotics, non-invasive tests, virtual GI care, and beyond. Learning to unlearn is critical.
10. Traditional institutions with their antiquated structures resist change. How do we approach that?
Start at the periphery and not at the center, because the center is the cash cow that pays your mortgage.
11. Does our existing training and education need change?
Medical education is quickly becoming irrelevant. We are in a world where OpenEvidence has just completed 1 million clinical consultations. Against this backdrop, it’s very bold of the AGA, as the oldest GI organization in the world, to actively embrace the future.
Watch this important conversation.
Reflect on what it means for your career and practice. GI Mastermind offers a mirror and a map to do exactly that.