Proposal of a formal gynecologic endoscopy curriculum

As minimally invasive surgery becomes the standard of care in the United States and around the world, the formal training of endoscopic surgeons is an issue of growing concern. With the implementation of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists/Society of Reproductive Surgeons (AAGL/SRS)-sponsored fellowship training in gynecologic endoscopy and a growing number of hands-on courses, we have the challenge of credentialing and certifying future gynecologic endoscopists. The objective of this article is to propose and to illustrate a uniform standardized core curriculum for obstetrics and gynecology residents, fellows in AAGL/SRS-sponsored fellowship programs, and participants in postgraduate courses. Consisting of 3 discrete parts, this proposal addresses formal laparoscopic training for gynecologists, already implemented and available to general surgeons, and a novel proposition for core training in hysteroscopy. The curriculum is distributed in a quarterly system with specific educational objectives in each quarter. After quarters 1 and 2, an online examination is given; after quarter 3, participants are required to take and pass a hands-on examination at a specified testing facility; and at the end of quarter 4, participants must demonstrate leadership skills in the operating room and in a teaching capacity, and promote the principles of the AAGL.