EMIGS: The Dawn of a New Era!

Since the launch of the AAGL’s Essentials in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (EMIGS) at the beginning of 2023, tremendous progress has been witnessed in the field of OBGYN surgical simulation training and testing. Approximately 1,300 residents from 155 trailblazing residency programs have enrolled in EMIGS. The EMIGS program is comprised of Didactic web-based narrated lectures and validated, virtually proctored, Cognitive and Manual Skills exams. EMIGS is the only GYN-specific program that fulfills the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) Surgical Skills Program standard for ABOG certification.

This impressive leap in OBGYN surgical training and testing is only the beginning. The EMIGS Steering Committee and the AAGL staff are tirelessly working to update and strengthen the program and add more resources for our trainees and physicians in practice.

On the EMIGS Didactics front, we have developed additional modules on the surgical approaches to hysterectomy, and on safe and efficient office procedures including office hysteroscopy. The content is carefully curated and developed by expert educators in the field. Once residents are enrolled in EMIGS, they have 3-year unlimited access to the lectures, using the Didactic curriculum as a resource for continued education throughout their residency training.

On the EMIGS Cognitive exam front, a large committee of dedicated educators and subject matter experts (SMEs), along with expert psychometricians, are actively working on the analysis of the exam content and blueprint, evaluating the performance of the exam forms, updating and adding more questions, and ensuring the content is up-to-date and evidence-based.

On the EMIGS Manual Skills exam front, we continue to optimize our virtually- proctored exams and evaluate candidates’ performance. Our team seeks innovative solutions to facilitate and streamline test scheduling, administering, grading, and reporting. We are actively communicating with ABOG, ACOG, and CREOG to solicit feedback and to explore the potential addition of EMIGS Hysteroscopy skills.

AAGL and EMIGS have partnered with Hologic and Inovus to expand and improve resident training by providing innovative hysteroscopic and laparoscopic platforms to all ACGME-accredited OB/GYN residency programs in the United States. These Augmented Reality (AR)-enabled simulators are offered to strengthen our residents’ training in laparoscopy and hysteroscopy. To clarify, the AR technology is not used for testing at this time and EMIGS Hysteroscopy testing is not currently mandated by ABOG. Looking into the future, we will be exploring the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in training and assessment with the addition of the LapAR and HystAR platforms.

On the EMIGS Research front, a new EMIGS Research Award has been offered, in collaboration with the Foundation of the AAGL. Thanks to a generous endowment of $80,000, the Foundation and EMIGS will offer $10,000/year in MIGS research grants. We have received an overwhelming number of grant submissions for this first cycle, with numerous excellent proposals that are sure to strengthen and elevate EMIGS as a staple in Gyn surgical education. The proposals are carefully reviewed and graded by an expert committee of researchers and educators, and the awards will be announced by June 1^st.

While our team is actively engaged in these initiatives among many others, we are in conversations with several international societies to pave the way for making EMIGS available to our international partners.

After many years of development, EMIGS is truly one of AAGL’s crowning achievements. We give our sincere gratitude to the EMIGS Steering Committee members, the twelve AAGL Boards who held the vision, the AAGL staff who continue to work tirelessly behind the scenes, the numerous faculty members who developed and continue to enhance the EMIGS program, the hundreds of volunteers who participated in the pilot studies, and the 1300 residents and 155 residency programs who have partnered with us to shape the future of Gyn surgical training and assessment.

Visit the AAGL EMIGS website for more information. Please contact Kyle Hicks, EMIGS Manager at khicks@aagl.org with any questions.