Recognition of a sub-specialty is generally related to dedicated fellowship training offered within the subspecialty or, alternatively, to surgical pathologists with a special interest and extensive experience in gastrointestinal pathology.
There has been considerable debate among academic and private practice gastrointestinal pathologists regarding the necessity, advantages and disadvantages of Board Certification in this subspecialty.
Due to its success, the first evening subspecialty conference devoted to gastrointestinal pathology was presented the following year at the IAP annual meeting in March 1977.
At that meeting, the establishment of a society was approved, and four subcommittees were formed to deal with membership, finances, bylaws, and educational activities.
During the next year, all organizational functions were completed, and at the 1980 IAP meeting, the organization was officially established, by-laws were approved, the first officers elected, the first dues collected, and the first educational program was offered.
The fourth goal took longer, but it, too, has been fulfilled as exemplified by a published study on adenomas with invasive carcinoma that was shepherded by Harry Cooper.
The remaining 90 to 92% of biopsies are reviewed by highly skilled general surgical pathologists including some who have special interest in gastrointestinal pathology.
General surgical pathologists who practice with a focus in gastrointestinal pathology may attend continuing medical education courses offered by fellowship-trained academic and private practice gastrointestinal pathologists, may attend intensive "mini-fellowships" that are offered by select institutions (i.e. AFIP) to further hone their diagnostic skills and develop close working relationships with gastroenterologists to ensure a broad knowledge base with regards to clinical correlation of the findings under the microscope.
Similar to many aspects of medicine, not all gastrointestinal tissue specimens require sub-specialist review for the accurate diagnosis to be rendered.
In such cases a close working relationship between the pathologist and gastroenterologist with correlation of clinical, endoscopic, and biopsy findings may be of great benefit to the submitting physician and to the patient.
The cost savings of the correct gastrointestinal pathology diagnosis being rendered at first opportunity by expert board certified surgical pathologists is conservatively estimated within the range of $200M – $1B.