The competition was fierce at the Charlotte Convention Center as the contestants tightly grasped their buzzers.

The three pairs of finalists at the American College of Gastroenterology’s Annual GI Jeopardy Championship provided question after question as more than 100 fellows and gastroenterologists watched. There was no monetary prize. They played only for the coveted gold trophy and the glory of their fellowship program.

After the last clue was read, the St. Luke’s Gastroenterology Fellowship team of Brian Kim, DO, and Hussam Tayel, MD, reigned victorious.

The champions now work for St. Luke’s Gastroenterology.

Dr. Kim sees patients in Jim Thorpe and Coaldale, and Dr. Tayel sees patients in Bartonsville.

Gastroenterologists diagnose and treat conditions and diseases of the GI tract, which goes through the body from the mouth through the colon. Their practice includes screening, prevention and treatment of colon cancer and also involves the liver and the pancreas.

GI Jeopardy tests what students in fellowship programs have learned during their training. The competition began with a written test sent to over 100 programs nationwide. The top five teams were invited to compete live.

“We’re a relatively new program,” Dr. Kim said. “It was an honor to compete for our program, get our name out there, and bring the trophy home, not only in the state competition but also in the national one. I credit my co-fellow, Dr. Tayel, one of the smartest people I’ve met.”

There is a national shortage of gastroenterologists. St. Luke’s started the GI fellowship program to meet the community’s needs for GI specialists for years to come.

“I’m sort of homegrown St. Luke’s,” Dr. Kim said. “I completed my internal medical residency and gastroenterology fellowship at St. Luke’s, and now am joining the staff and faculty. When I joined St. Luke’s, we had about six gastroenterologists. Now there are more than 30.”

A Philly boy raised in Ambler, Dr. Kim graduated from the University of the Sciences and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. His path to gastroenterology was as “twisty-turny” as the colon itself. He came to St. Luke’s with that goal of being an interventional cardiologist. During his surgical intern year, however, he found he enjoyed GI-related surgeries, such as gall bladders and appendixes, but what clinched his decision was the Gastroenterology Department at St. Luke’s.

“I enjoyed working with people passionate about caring for their patients,” he said. “There’s such a great camaraderie within the department, and the attendings were incredibly supportive of working with residents. They were enthused about treating patients with GI issues.” Dr. Kim also appreciates the St. Luke’s nurses and the office staff, who make his job “infinitely easier” by expediting care so he can focus on the clinical aspect of gastroenterology.

Dr. Kim encourages people to see a doctor if they have blood in their stool, pain or difficulty swallowing or are losing weight without trying, or even if they have more vague symptoms, such as belly or abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or a change in bowel habits. He also urges people to follow their doctor’s routine colorectal screening guidelines.

“This great gentleman under my care was adamant against getting a colonoscopy,” he said. “We had a great rapport, but for three years, every time I would bring it up, he did not want one. In my last year of residency, after I had decided to go into gastroenterology, he was hospitalized with abdominal pain and severe constipation. We found a cancerous mass in his colon that caused the blockage. I was part of his care in the hospital. We had him undergo surgery to remove the part of the colon involving cancer. Things turned out well for him because of the excellent care he received at St. Luke’s.”

Due to St. Luke’s commitment to improving access to GI services, Dr. Kim can see patients for most conditions in few weeks from the time they call for an appointment and within a couple of days for urgent needs.

“If there’s any concern whatsoever, we’d be happy to see you,” he said. “We’ll expedite your care and get you feeling better. Diagnosing patients and getting patients the care they need before it’s too late is the greatest feeling.”