Qualifications for Course Endorsement:

• Courses must be directed or coordinated by an IPEG member, or have at least one IPEG member as its primary faculty.
• The course location must be equipped with the adequate facilities for laboratory and classroom instruction. The center must also have a good record of animal care.
• The course topic must be endoscopy or minimally invasive surgery.
• Institutions within the United States should be ACCME accredited and offer CME credits. lf not, an explanation must be provided. Those courses offered outside the U.S. should meet the equivalent national guidelines for their country.
• The Course Director must ensure that ACCME and FDA (or equivalent) guidelines on disclosure of conflict of interest are enforced.
• All brochures and faculty lists much be submitted to the IPEG office as part of the review. lf the review shows a course below standards and if deficiencies are not corrected following notification by IPEG, the Training Center endorsement will be suspended.
• Courses must also meet criteria for definition, objectives, qualification of faculty and participants, site, curriculum, components, and endorsement documentation.

BENEFITS TO COURSE DIRECTORS: