Navigating Career Paths and Challenges in Flexible Endoscopy

Dr. Marybeth Spanarkel describes GI endoscopy as a labor of love. You can hear the passion in her voice when she talks about performing a procedure and the gratification that comes from getting an immediate medical answer to the clinical question that’s being asked.

Spanarkel, however, suffered a career-ending neck injury after 28 years in private practice in North Carolina. Without full strength in her right arm, she lost the ability to perform endoscopy procedures and provide those much-needed answers to patients.

That musculoskeletal injury brought her career to an end, but it was the catalyst sending her down a new path — keeping other GI endoscopists from suffering a similar fate by educating them on the unique ergonomics challenges they face.

She discussed that and more in our first conversation for Endoscopy Insights, which you can listen to here. In this episode, we talk more about her career path, her decision to choose clinical practice over academia, her experiences as a female clinical endoscopist and some of the unique challenges she’s faced and overcome.

Show notes:

• Endoscopy Insights: Dr. Marybeth Spanarkel, Part 1
• Q&A: Addressing Ergonomics Challenges in Colonoscopy
• Survey: Are All Endoscopic-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries Created Equal?
• American College of Gastroenterology
• ColoWrap