Colonscopy by 35 year old Doctor? Thoughts?

While younger folks lack experience, they tend to be eager to do well and prove their worth. I wouldn't feel uncomfortable with the doctor, but I might ask some extra questions before the procedure.

In general I would say that a 35 year old doctor has a lot more recent experience with many more things than your current doctor because she was probably training at a teaching hospital under an excellent GI team.

She has probably had access to the latest technology, procedures, medical research and seen some of the toughest cases.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Me personally I'd rather see her than an older GI if those were my 2 options. I have a really tough case so I need to go to a teaching hospital for treatment.

Is she board-certified in gastro specialty? That is something I look for in a doctor, a higher level of proficiency in their chosen field. As far as I know doctors can decide to go into any specialty they want to after graduating and hang their shingle out for that specialty (not sure about surgery) even with little experience. Board-certified means they have more education in their chosen specialty.

You can also look up their education, usually on their practice's page or sometimes at the hospital they have ties to. You can see what hospital they did their residencies at and what specialty that was in.

You can also ask directly how many colonoscopies she has done. You need to ask important questions, it's your life.

35 is better than 85

I will preface with saying I am a nurse anesthetist and frequently provide anesthesia in the GI lab. Since she's 35, she's fairly fresh out of residency. It's possible she's been working for 2-3 years. What's more important than her age is her fellowship (additional training beyond residency, at minimum an extra year). You want someone who specialized in IBD or who had a lot of exposure to that patient population during her fellowship. When you meet her, have no qualms asking about her background. You are the paying client, the customer and she's providing a service. She works for you and you should feel confident with whomever is looking at your colon. If you are really uneasy, call the office and ask them about her credentials. Ask if she is fellowship trained in IBD and if she is board certified which means she took oral boards in her speciality and passed. I have had scopes done by the partners of my GI doc in the past but only when I was really sick and had to have it done and my doc wasn't scoping the day they could fit me in their schedule. Good luck! Colonoscopy time gives me the dreads too.