CME Info

This course was created by William M. Steinberg in 1985 because there was a perceived need for a course that would summarize the salient teaching points of the entire field of gastroenterology/hepatology for physicians taking the certifying or recertifying exam in this field. At that time, there were no board reviews in this discipline in the United States. Since then, this course has become the longest standing and most well known course of its kind in the U.S. Thousands of gastroenterologists/hepatologists have taken this course at least once and many have taken it on multiple occasions.

The main method used for Needs Assessment for this course has been yearly questionnaires of the audience and feedback from the faculty (many of whom are directors of GI programs throughout the country). The questionnaires ask each registrant to grade each faculty member and to offer any suggestions concerning future lecturers or different topics. Changes are made on a year-to-year basis based on these evaluations. The course material is meant to cover nearly all aspects of GI/hepatology.  The faculty are hand-picked from all over the U.S. for their teaching excellence.

Because the course is designed primarily for those taking their board exam, course material emphasizes  the “nuts and bolts” of gastroenterology. Guidelines published by the various Gastroenterology/Hepatology societies such as the American Gastroenterological Association, American College of Gastroenterology, American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases are reviewed whenever appropriate.