The International Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship Program was created at California Pacific Medical Center in 2002 to provide overseas physicians who are specialized in the field of gastroenterology an opportunity to obtain postgraduate training in endoscopic procedures.
The International Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship Program allows a postgraduate fellow to spend up to one year under the direct mentorship of Kenneth F. Binmoeller, MD, Medical Director of Interventional Endoscopy at the Paul May and Frank Stein Interventional Endoscopy Center.
Dr. Binmoeller has been involved in the training of postgraduate trainees since 1991 at the University of California in San Diego and the University of Hamburg in Germany.
The international fellow selected for training is expected to apply the procedural expertise acquired at California Pacific Medical Center’s Paul May and Frank Stein Interventional Endoscopy Center to enhance the quality of healthcare in their home country. The fellow is also expected to train other physicians in their home country to disseminate expertise in gastrointestinal endoscopy.
During the program, the postgraduate fellow learns a spectrum of advanced endoscopic procedures, including their indications, applications and risks. These include endoscopic ultrasonography, therapeutic ERCP, endoscopic mucosal resection, cyanoacrylate glue injection, anti-reflux procedures, and motility procedures.
The recommended training period is one year. The fellow will spend three to six "theoretical" months observing and interpreting procedures and studying a large library of various print and multimedia materials. The fellow will also participate in one or two clinical research projects, assist in data collection and analysis. Having mastered the prerequisite theoretical foundation, the fellow will progress to a "practical" hands-on apprenticeship under direct supervision. Procedures for hands-on training are carefully selected based on level of difficulty and the fellow’s skill level.
The fellow is directly supervised and mentored on a one-on-one basis at all times.
Training is contingent upon approval by the Medical Board of California.