EMIGS at CREOG: Connecting with the Residency Community

Since its inception, the AAGL Essentials in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (EMIGS) program has emerged as a transformative force in gynecologic education, setting a new standard for the assessment and advancement of surgical skills. Its widespread adoption across training programs reflects not only its rigor and relevance, but also its meaningful impact on elevating the quality, consistency, and safety of minimally invasive gynecologic care. In addition to the scores of participants in EMIGS, success of this program is measured by the responses AAGL staff receive at the annual CREOG meeting.

For the last three years, the AAGL EMIGS team has presented a booth at the CREOG annual meeting. This event is a highlight for the EMIGS team each year as it provides a valuable opportunity to connect with residents, program leaders, and practicing physicians from across the country. One of the most rewarding aspects of hosting the EMIGS booth is finally meeting many of the individuals we have been emailing and collaborating with for months. It is always great to put a face to a name and strengthen those relationships.

In our booth this year, we had many meaningful conversations with residency programs about their experiences transitioning to EMIGS. Hearing how programs are implementing the curriculum and supporting their residents offered helpful insights and reaffirmed the importance of the work being done across training programs. We also noted how the types of comments over the years have evolved from considering incorporating EMIGS and asking many questions, to now most programs having adopted EMIGS or are expressing awareness and plans to include it.  

One of the most notable takeaways came from practicing physicians who stopped by the booth. Many shared that a program like EMIGS was not available during their residency training and expressed how valuable they believe it will be for today’s residents. Several commented that the structured curriculum and certification will help prepare new physicians to enter practice with stronger MIGS skills and instill a higher level of confidence when operating.

As EMIGS continues to grow, events like CREOG are increasingly important for our program. They give us the opportunity to engage directly with the residency and program communities, answer questions, gather feedback, and strengthen awareness of the needs of the MIGS field. The enthusiasm and engagement we saw this year reinforced the growing impact of EMIGS in residency education and it continues to be exciting to see how the program is helping shape the future of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery training.

Sincerely,
The AAGL EMIGS Team