Contact Information:
Julie Miller
SAGES
310.437.0555, ext. 179
[email protected]
Release Date: April 11, 2024
Los Angeles, Calif., April 11, 2024. The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) and Surgical Science (previously Simbionix) are proud to celebrate a decade of impactful education with the Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery (FES) Program. The FES initiative has set a new standard for General Surgery residents across America, providing a mandated competence benchmark in the field of GI Endoscopy.
The FES Program is a test of knowledge and skills in flexible gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, designed to set a competence benchmark for the foundational knowledge and skills required for the practice of GI endoscopy with the manual skill component performed on Surgical Science’s GI Mentor virtual reality simulator.
In March 2014 FES was mandated by the American Board of Surgery (ABS) as a pre-requisite for the board exam in General Surgery across the USA and Canada, as part of their larger Flexible Endoscopy Curriculum. The test is the first case with computerized simulation and objective performance assessment used as a high-stakes exam mandated for a formal clinical accreditation.
“The mission statement of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons is to innovate, educate and collaborate to improve patient care,” says FES chair Dr. Eric Pauli. “These goals are fully realized in the Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery Program. FES teaches and assesses the basic knowledge, clinical judgment, and technical skills necessary to perform gastrointestinal endoscopy. By assuring a standard baseline assessment, we hope to improve the overall quality of endoscopic interventions and improve patient confidence in surgeon performed endoscopy. Other disciplines might follow this path for the benefit of clinicians and patients alike.”
Says Ran Bronstein, Surgical Science President, “We at Surgical Science are honored to be the simulation partner in this groundbreaking advancement of clinical standards towards improved patient safety. The GI Mentor was the first simulator developed by Surgical Science (then Simbionix) in the late 90s. I am proud to see the progress we’ve made since, and our technology being utilized to set the standards of surgical competency.”
Today, the FES test is administered at 85 SAGES-certified training centers across the U.S. and Canada, with four additional centers in Europe and East Asia. The testing is proctored by trained proctors, with results securely aggregated in an online server. A designated SAGES FES and Surgical Science team is dedicated to the ongoing success of the program, supporting the testing sites and maintaining all of the GI Mentor simulators being used.
Jessica Mischna, Director of the fundamental exam programs at SAGES says, “The FES Testing program is one example of SAGES collaborations on evidence-based testing. It is the first program with strong validity evidence to use VR simulation for hands-on testing. As such FES has its unique benefits as well as challenges. Today, after proctoring more than 13,000 FES tests, and with almost 10,000 test takers passing the test on their first attempt, we consider the program a true success.”
“Our absolute commitment to the SAGES FES project is manifested in this decade of growing from a handful of testing centers to more than 80 test centers. FES was made available on four different simulation platforms during this period,” adds Gilat Noiman, Sr. Director, Market Development and Strategic Partnerships at Surgical Science. “It is a privilege to partner on such a pioneering initiative. SAGES FES sets a perfect example for decentralized hands-on testing, using simulation objective skill assessment for high volume competence-based certification purposes.”
About SAGES
The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) is a leading surgical society representing a global community of more than 7,000 surgeons bringing minimally surgery and emerging techniques to patients worldwide. SAGES’ mission is to innovate, educate and collaborate to improve patient care with a vision of reimagining care for a healthier world. For more information, go to https://www.sages.org.
About Surgical Science
Surgical Science is a leading provider of medical simulation training and software solutions. Together with healthcare partners and customers worldwide, we enhance patient safety and healthcare outcomes using evidence-based customized simulations to improve clinical proficiency and performance. For more information, go to https://www.surgicalscience.com.