Narayanan Venkatasubramani, MD, MBBS, MRCPCH, is a pediatric gastroenterologist whose fascination with the resilience of children in overcoming their medical conditions drew him to a career in medicine. He is program director of the Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship Program, and sees patients at Duke Children’s Specialty Services of Brier Creek. He particularly enjoys forming long lasting relationships with pediatric patients and their families, and watching them grow over time.
How long have you been at Duke?
Nine years.
How did you decide to come here?
Great academic center, perfect weather, close proximity to the mountains/water.
What are your current responsibilities in the Department of Pediatrics?
- Fellowship Program Director
- Medical Director at Duke Children's Specialty Services of Brier Creek
- Educational Manager for residents
- GI Clerkship Course Director for medical students
What does your typical day look like?
Caring for children with GI issues, including seeing patients in the clinic and performing procedures, administrative duties as well as teaching residents and students.
How and when did you initially become interested in medicine? What made you decide to pursue a career in pediatric gastroenterology in particular?
Fascination with the resilience of children in overcoming their medical problems is what made me consider to take up medicine. I pursued my career in pediatric gastroenterology as I like to have long-term connection with the children and their families as I see them grow and mature into young adults. Furthermore, I felt it was rewarding to see the children getting better with the appropriate management and felt the constant curiosity of caring for children with chronic gastrointestinal medical problems.
What do you see as the biggest current challenges and opportunities in the field of pediatric gastroenterology?
Most physicians, including pediatric gastroenterologists, are spending less time with their patients given the increase in patient load and time spent completing paper work to meet billing requirements. This can affect the morale of the physician taking care of the patients over the long term. Another challenge facing the pediatric gastroenterologist is the limited availability of support staff including psychologists and nutritionists. The pediatric gastroenterology community still faces a major hurdle to find a cure for many of the common GI conditions including inflammatory bowel disease. However, this also provides an opportunity to use advanced technology and genomics to identify a potential cure for this incurable condition. Physicians should be able to continually update their clinical knowledge to meet the challenges of new developments in the field.
Can you tell us about the research you are currently involved in?
I am a clinician taking care of patients.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
Interaction with family/staff/patient care, student/resident education.
What passions or hobbies do you have outside of Duke?
Hiking, traveling and gardening.
