An introductory course for training in endoscopy

Endoscopy practice must respect the ethical aspects of medicine, and the principles of humanism must be reinforced when teaching endoscopy. A well-organized, structured training is essential if we are to ensure that procedures are performed in a safe and effective manner. The most difficult period of training is with the novice endoscopist, so we recommend the introduction of a structured pre-endoscopy training curriculum. This should ideally include introductory lectures and courses, the use of didactic videotapes and training in endoscopy on a computer-based simulator. We also advocate 'train the trainers' international courses to encourage a uniform approach to the teaching of endoscopy. Their aim will be to educate skilled endoscopists in the principles of teaching, which should be thoroughly grounded in the ethics of our profession.