This is a 10 minutes web based survey aims at exploring the current, global state of digestive endoscopy training among physicians to identify what are the unmet needs and how to improve it.

Currently, gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy training is not a standardized and is variable from country to country. A number of certifying authorities in different countries grant privileges of performing GI endoscopy according to predefined rules, requisites and regulations, especially in the Western countries (1-4). However, in many other countries, physicians who perform GI endoscopy as part of their medical practice may not require to be certified or acknowledged by a relevant regulatory body (5-8).

In the absence of quality assessment of GI training, patient safety and evidence-based medical care cannot be guaranteed. According to major societies of GI endoscopy, the credentialing decisions for GI endoscopy should be based on the evaluation of physicians' qualifications and procedural skills, as assessed by experienced doctors with whom they have trained, not solely on a simple counting of procedures performed (9). Therefore, there is a need for a WEO training guideline that defines training duration, procedural skills and competency that should be acquired by young GI endoscopists during their endoscopy training.

It is particularly important for WEO to standardize the fundamentals of GI endoscopy training globally by developing recommendations on endoscopic education and training to help medical institutions ensure the technical and cognitive competence of individuals requesting endoscopic privileges.

Objective:

To assess the current global state of GI endoscopy training programs and to identify the unmet needs and how to improve it through a web based questionnaire.

Methods:

Endoscopists from all over the world will be invited to answer in the questionnaire through e-mail invitations. Results will be analyzed to assess the current global status of GI endoscopy training in their countries, the unmet needs and to how improve it.

Survey link:

http://www.surveymonkey.net/create/survey/preview?r=true\&sm=R74C8rWWwbO8\_2BQM2fg9Yr5HcAtrkz8XwZogb4Bbaqr8oC9mFJrq8WAvNY33O45r1

Inclusion Criteria:

• Physicians practicing gastrointestinal endoscopy from all over the world

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any other persons whom are not physicians or physicians not practicing gastrointestinal endoscopy

Physicians practicing gastrointestinal endoscopy

Final results will be made available but not individual participant data.