Thank you for visiting the FES Website. We invite you to explore the site and learn more about the FES program and how it can be incorporated into the full range of graduate and postgraduate surgical education, from Residency Programs to Private Practice.
The Fundamentals of Endoscopic SurgeryTM (FESTM) program is a comprehensive educational and assessment tool designed to teach and evaluate the fundamental knowledge, clinical judgment and technical skills required in the performance of basic gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopic surgery (endoscopy). Our goal is to provide participants with an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of endoscopic surgery in a consistent, scientifically accepted format, and to test cognitive and technical skills – all with the goal of improving the quality of patient care.
Program Objectives
- To define a standard curriculum suited for training surgical residents and surgeons in the performance of basic gastrointestinal endoscopic surgery
- To provide a renewable resource for ongoing review of fundamental endoscopic knowledge and skills
- To offer an objective and validated measure of endoscopic knowledge and skills
- To establish a baseline of technical skill and knowledge correlating with a “minimum level of endoscopic proficiencyâ€
What Can You Expect?
The educational module consists of a web-based multimedia presentation of didactic content. The FES test measures cognitive knowledge and judgment, and uses a virtual reality platform to evaluate fundamental endoscopic technical skills. Those who successfully complete both the educational and assessment components will have demonstrated the basic knowledge, judgment and technical skills fundamental to the performance of endoscopic surgery.
Individual Surgeons
FES is useful in assessing whether or not a practicing surgeon possesses the basic knowledge and skills fundamental to the performance of gastrointestinal endoscopic surgery.
Surgical Residency Program Directors
FES provides objective evidence to residency programs that an individual has gained the basic knowledge and skills fundamental to the performance of endoscopic surgery before the trainee completes their program. Â As such, it is a key component of, and primary assessment tool for, the Flexible Endoscopy Curriculum (FEC), such as is mandated for trainees by the American Board of Surgery (see below).
Department of Surgery
FES testing for your full-time surgical faculty or attending staff can provide a validated means for documentation of basic endoscopic skills, and may offer benefits as a reference point in discussions with patients, contractual partners, and credentialing bodies. Â A variety of packages are available for one surgeon or for many, depending on departmental needs.
Exam Eligibility
FES candidates are
- Junior and senior surgical residents and fellows enrolled in an accredited program of surgical education
- Board eligible/certified practicing surgeons
- Residents and fellows in an accredited internal medicine or other program that teaches endoscopic procedures
- Board eligible/certified practicing gastroenterologists and other physicians who perform endoscopic procedures
After completion of the self-instructional web-based program, eligible test candidates may schedule the FES Exam.
FES Benefits
- Helps to standardize each trainee’s experience in a residency program
- Facilitates acquisition of flexible gastrointestinal endoscopy techniques in a safe practice and learning environment, commensurate with current adult learning theory and patient safety priorities.
- Provides a structured strategy for update and review for endoscopic surgeons returning to practice after an extended absence.
CME Information
We are no longer offering CME credits for the FES exam and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
American Board of Surgery (ABS) Mandate
All residents who begin their training in July of 2013 and thereafter must complete FES and the Flexible Endoscopy Curriculum (FEC) prior to completing residency to be eligible for board certification. FES is an integral component of the residency training and testing component of the FEC.
Becoming an FES Test Center
The FES program is currently accepting applications for test centers. To accommodate the expected demand for FES Test Center applications, we are implementing the FES Test Center criteria and application process. These criteria help to ensure a quality testing environment for all test takers.