EMIGS Momentum Continues to Grow: A New Era of Surgical Training
The AAGL’s Essentials in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (EMIGS) program has rapidly gained traction as a standardized and practical approach to teaching and evaluating laparoscopic surgical skills. Over the past three years, we’ve witnessed EMIGS evolve from an ambitious concept into a dynamic platform with growing global appeal and strong grassroots support from residency programs across the United States.
When EMIGS first launched, the goal was clear: provide a validated, equitable method for assessing the core manual and cognitive skills needed in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. Since then, the program has surpassed expectations. Over a thousand residents have now passed the cognitive examination and demonstrated proficiency on the manual skills platform, establishing EMIGS as a credible benchmark for surgical readiness. Those who have purchased EMIGS are encouraged to continue their MIGS training through a one year offer of free membership in AAGL.
The 2024 CREOG meeting marked a significant turning point in the perception of EMIGS. During the exhibit hall, the EMIGS team welcomed a steady stream of visitors—program directors, faculty, and residents. Their testimonies were remarkable and truly moving. “We’ve adopted EMIGS and love it,” several directors shared. Others expressed a desire to integrate EMIGS in the upcoming academic year, often encouraged by word-of-mouth endorsements from peers already using the program. This groundswell of support highlights a critical culture change within our OBGYN residency programs: more programs are prioritizing hands-on readiness and objective assessment, not just theoretical knowledge, and the clear shift to the Gyn-specific option is evident.
The success of the current EMIGS platform has inspired the development of EMIGS Pro, designed for fellows and practicing physicians seeking deeper engagement. While EMIGS Pro is still in development, the enthusiasm around it is already palpable. Its future release promises to offer even more rigorous preparation for the evolving demands of gynecologic endoscopic surgery.
One of the impactful milestones of the year has been the distribution of LapAR and HystAR simulators—developed in collaboration with Inovus Medical and supported by a generous grant from Hologic—to over 250 OBGYN residency programs in the US. These portable simulators powered by computer vision, psychomotor analytics and augmented reality allow trainees to practice laparoscopic and hysteroscopic tasks in real time, monitoring their progress and using the power of data to advance their skills. As one Program Director noted, “It’s become a cornerstone of our skills lab.”
Beyond the U.S., EMIGS is beginning to attract international attention. Multiple societies and training programs across the world have reached out to explore partnerships and licensing opportunities. This growing global interest reflects not only the scalability of EMIGS but also its potential to harmonize surgical training across borders.
Ultimately, EMIGS is more than a test—it’s a movement. It is redefining how we prepare the next generation of gynecologic surgeons and how we measure competency in a way that is transparent, reproducible, and inclusive. With EMIGS Pro on the horizon and international collaborations underway, the future of surgical training is bright and exciting.
