| Theme | Training System for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Postgraduate Education Endoscopists in Japan, France and the United States | |
| Publish Date | 2012/11 | |
| Author | Noriaki Matsui | Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National Hospital Organization Fukuoka Higashi Medical Center |
| Author | Norio Fukami | Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Colorado |
| Author | Hiroaki Kubo | Nakabaru Hospital |
| Author | Kazuhiko Nakamura | Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University |
| [ Summary ] | In Japan, a board certification system for gastrointestinal endoscopists is operated by the JSGE (Japanese Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy). All applicants are required to have five years of endoscopic training at certified facilities, and then to pass a certification examination. In France, many years of study and a great deal of medical training are required to be a physician as well as being a gastroenterologist. However, no strict certification program exists to be an endoscopist, despite French endoscopists being known to have excellent knowledge and sophisticated endoscopic skills. In contrast, a structured and systematic training program had been established in the United States. Training programs in the U.S. are supervised by the ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education). Board certification is only granted after the completion of training in an ACGME certified training program ; which is supervised by the ABIM (American Board of Internal Medicine). Certification must be renewed every 10 years. Self-assessment of medical knowledge and practice performance improvement modules must be completed, and physicians must pass re-certification examination. The gastrointestinal endoscopy training system in Japan is situated between the training systems in France and those in the U.S.. The former depends on a great deal of individual physicianʼs effort and the latter is very systematic and controlled. Due to recent changes in the postgraduate medical education system in Japan, the training system for gastrointestinal endoscopy should be re-assessed and will need to be restructured. |
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