title: Endoscopy services and training: a national survey of general surgeons.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Delivering high-quality endoscopy services depends largely on the competence of endoscopists. General surgery residency training in endoscopy and the associated quality of endoscopy services being delivered by general surgeons have been the subject of considerable controversy. In conjunction with the Canadian Association of General Surgeons (CAGS) executive board, we formulated a survey to evaluate the general state of endoscopy practice and training among general surgeons in Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey. General surgeons who are members of CAGS were selected to participate in the study and were emailed a link to the online questionnaire regarding the importance of endoscopy. They were asked to compare their training to resident training today.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-nine surveys were completed. The majority of general surgeons (95.7%) indicated that endoscopy was an important skill to possess, and more than 85.5% used endoscopy in their own practices. However, nearly half (46.4%) felt that general surgery endoscopy training in Canada is currently inadequate to produce competent endoscopists. The main qualitative themes emerging from the survey were the inadequacy of current postgraduate endoscopy training (37.5%) and the absence of standardization in training (25.0%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endoscopy is considered integral to academic and community general surgeons' practices; however, the adequacy of training seems to be questioned. Postgraduate training in endoscopy needs to be formalized and standardized, with a greater emphasis placed on teaching endoscopy.
authors.affiliation: From the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, (Skubleny); and the Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, (Switzer, Karmali, de Gara), Edmonton, Alta.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Skubleny
authors.affiliation: From the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, (Skubleny); and the Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, (Switzer, Karmali, de Gara), Edmonton, Alta.
authors.forename: Noah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Switzer
authors.affiliation: From the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, (Skubleny); and the Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, (Switzer, Karmali, de Gara), Edmonton, Alta.
authors.forename: Shahzeer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karmali
authors.affiliation: From the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, (Skubleny); and the Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, (Switzer, Karmali, de Gara), Edmonton, Alta.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Gara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D066231:Surgeons / Q000592:standards*