“What is your gut telling you?  A conversation with Dr John Dowd”

Gastrointestinal symptoms and conditions can profoundly impact quality of life and are unfortunately very common.  These conditions range from minor irritating symptoms to life threatening illnesses.  In this discussion which is being delivered during National Colon Cancer Awareness month we shall discuss several of the common gastrointestinal maladies including colon cancer.  Colon cancer is decreasing in incidence overall, but is increasing in incidence in younger patients.  Colon cancer remains the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States in both men and women.  Some of these cases may be preventable by lifestyle modification and routine colorectal cancer screening.

We will also discuss some of the more common reasons people are seen by gastrointestinal specialists and what your body is telling you when you have various GI symptoms.

Dr. John Dowd is a gastroenterologist and Medical Director of Endoscopy at Emerson Health Gastroenterology, renowned for his outstanding patient care.  Dr Dowd has 25 years of experience in the field of Gastroenterology.  Prior to joining Emerson Health Gastroenterology in 2018, Dr. Dowd worked at Dartmouth Hitchcock-Manchester and was a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Giesel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. He received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery at Des Moines University. He completed a fellowship in gastroenterology and clinical nutrition at Yale University and a fellowship in advanced therapeutic biliary endoscopy at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Dowd is a member of the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Gastroenterology Association, and the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, among other organizations. He is consistently named a Top Doctor by Boston Magazine. Visit emersongi.org for more information.

Dr Dowd has three adult children, and lives in Wayland with his wife and stepchildren.  He enjoys traveling, mountain biking and hiking in his free time.