"It's not just pushing scopes. There is much more to it than that.''
Prof Schultz, head of the gastroenterology department at the Dunedin School of Medicine, alongside nurses convener Karen Kempin, a charge nurse at Dunedin Hospital, is convener of the society's conference which opens in Dunedin tomorrow.
"Bowel screening is an important part of the field, but there are so many other patients who need gastroenterology input but who have no signs of bowel cancer,'' Mrs Kempin said.
About 380 people have registered for the conference.
The conference stages a series of sideline events today, including a meeting of the NZ Hepatitis Network.
It officially opens tomorrow and runs until Friday, with a range of national and international papers and presentations.
Keynote speakers include senior clinicians from Australia, England and Scotland, and Health Minister David Clark.
