ABS and GI Societies Announce Joint Assessment of U.S. Endoscopic Education and Training
August 29, 2011
The American Board of Surgery (ABS), the nation's certifying body for surgeons, and the nation's four leading gastrointestinal (GI) societies—the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), and the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA)—are pleased to report that they will begin a joint assessment of endoscopic education and training in the United States.
Based on their strong commitment to patient care and safety, the GI Societies and the ABS wish to ensure that physicians performing endoscopy have appropriate training and education. All parties agree that credentialing decisions should be based on the evaluation of physicians' qualifications and skills, as assessed by the experienced doctors with whom they have trained, not solely on a simple counting of procedures performed.
The GI Societies and the ABS will form a joint working group to develop recommendations on endoscopic education and training to help medical institutions ensure the technical and cognitive competence of individuals requesting endoscopic privileges.
