In a deeply personal reflection spanning three generations of gastroenterologists, Dr. Sameer Berry argues that today’s GI practice bears little resemblance to what many physicians trained for. What once felt relational and manageable has evolved into a daily exercise in capacity constraints, reimbursement pressure, and administrative overload.
Physician shortages are no longer a future risk — they are actively reshaping access, burnout, referral networks, and practice economics. Recruitment is slowing just as patient demand and clinical complexity accelerate, forcing practices into reactive modes that quietly erode growth and continuity of care.
Technology alone, Berry suggests, won’t break this cycle. Instead, he points to emerging hybrid care models that rethink how clinical work is distributed — not by replacing gastroenterologists, but by reshaping who does what, and where.
What these models enable — and why they may redefine autonomy, scale, and sustainability for GI practices — is where the conversation gets interesting.