Evidence increasingly shows that the skill level of fellows completing endoscopic training varies widely. That’s proof enough for many in the profession that the quality of endoscopic training, which includes ensuring that endoscopists have the skills to teach trainees effectively, needs to be improved.

Endoscopic trainers can hone their teaching skills and learn the latest evidence-based teaching methods on Friday, May 17, at DDW^® during the ASGE hands-on session Train the Endoscopic Trainer.

Course co-director Shivakumar Vignesh, MD, FASGE, AGAF, gastroenterology fellowship director at the State University of New York, Downstate Campus, Brooklyn, said endoscopy trainees need to have high-quality skills and be ready to perform procedures independently when they finish training.

“Teaching faculty have been exposed to a variety of trainers and pass on many different styles to their trainees,” he said. “I repeatedly hear from trainees that they are confused by the differences in style and technique taught to them by different trainers. There’s a need to standardize training methods to achieve uniformity among endoscopic training programs and to ensure that all our trainees get the most out of endoscopic training during their fellowship.”

Course co-director Catharine Walsh, MD, MEd, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Toronto, Ontario, agreed that the traditional model of endoscopic training can be improved.

“There’s increasing recognition that endoscopy training should be provided by individuals who have the requisite skills and behaviors to teach effectively and efficiently,” she said.

Dr. Walsh said many of the skills to be taught in the ASGE course originated in the United Kingdom, where accreditation standards for endoscopy services stipulate that trainers should complete a train-the-trainer course to learn teaching skills.

“We don’t have a similar requirement in North America yet, but we can teach these skills during continuing education opportunities such as DDW,” Dr. Walsh said. “We want endoscopists to be aware of what they’re doing and why they’re doing it, so they can convey information to trainees in a way that’s understandable to them.”

The four-hour course will offer interactive, hands-on learning in a small group setting. The session will be limited to 30 attendees.

The session will begin with an interactive presentation on the principles of teaching endoscopy that incorporates role-playing exercises and activities to reinforce those principles. Attendees will then receive hands-on, simulation-based training to apply the principles. The simulation-based training will allow participants to give performance-enhancing feedback and learn the appropriate terminology to use when teaching.

“I had been involved in endoscopy training for nine years when I attended a program for endoscopic trainers,” Dr. Vignesh said. “It was an incredible experience that really changed the way I teach endoscopy. Since then I have been passionate about organizing similar courses designed to improve our endoscopy teaching methods.”

The course will feature an international faculty. Several faculty members, including Dr. Walsh, are certified in the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Skills Enhancement Program. Other faculty members are leaders in the Joint Advisory Group Endoscopy Training System or have experience working with the World Endoscopy Organization to introduce their train-the-trainer program.