EMIG: An Epic Year of Accomplishment

2022 has marked a year of remarkable progress for AAGL’s Essentials in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (EMIGS) program. The expansion of EMIGS is made possible by initiatives introduced by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) to improve standardization and simulation training for OBGYN residents. In 2018, ABOG introduced the requirement for residents to pass a manual skills assessment to meet eligibility requirements. In May 2022, the EMIGS rigorous validation process was recognized by ABOG, and is now accepted as an option for board eligibility.

After receiving the greenlight from ABOG, the AAGL EMIGS team has been working tirelessly to prepare for the successful deployment of the exam in early 2023. We held a webinar for CREOG Program Directors and coordinators in August 2022 that was highly successful. We also held an “Industry Forum” to engage with our industry partners. We then manufactured and distributed the EMIGS’ proprietary LaparoBowl and kits to residency programs. Each CREOG site that plans to incorporate EMIGS has received one LaparoBowl kit complimentary of the AAGL’s commitment to improving residents training and the care for women worldwide. The kits include one LaparoBowl, trocars, tech items for the test, and one set of consumables. As of early December, over 90 CREOG sites have received their kits.

We also developed the new EMIGS website, established proctoring and grading protocols, developed additional modules for the EMIGS Didactics, and are gearing up to update our Cognitive blueprint. 

The EMIGS program was featured at the AAGL’s Global Congress earlier this month. We provided attendees an opportunity to try out EMIGS through an “EMIGS Experience” with Trainers and LaparoBowls. In addition, our faculty was on hand to answer questions and demo the different skills. Attendees were thrilled to see the LaparoBowl in action!

EMIGS registration and testing will begin in January 2023, after residents have had time to practice the five laparoscopic tasks with the LaparoBowl. The test registration also allows residents access to the EMIGS didactics for a period of three years. Registration will be available to individuals and programs, giving program coordinators the ability to easily register all residents at once. We strive for excellence in MIGS education and assessment, and we look forward to collaborating with every OBGYN resident and residency program in the US for many years to come.

After many years of development, EMIGS is truly one of AAGL’s crowning achievements. We give our sincere thanks to the EMIGS Steering Committee, the nine AAGL Boards who held the vision, and the AAGL staff who contributed to its completion. Visit the AAGL EMIGS website for more information. If you have any questions, please contact Angie Diaz, EMIGS Manager at adiaz@aagl.org.