2025 Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (FMIGS) Board of Directors Nominations – Now Open!
Secretary-Treasurer – One Position Open
The Secretary-Treasurer shall serve a total of four years: first, as Secretary-Treasurer; second, as Vice President; third, as President; and fourth, as Immediate Past President. The term of office shall commence on January 1st of the subsequent year. Eligibility: The Secretary- Treasurer nominee must have served as a member of the Board of Directors of the AAGL, Board of Directors of FMIGS, Board of Directors of Foundation of AAGL, JMIG Executive Editorial Board or on the SurgeryU Editorial Board. Additionally, every elected officer must be a current or former Director or Associate Director of an FMIGS program.
Director-at-Large – Two Positions Open
The Directors-at-Large shall serve for a total of two years. The term of office shall begin on January 1st of the subsequent year. Eligibility: Eligible nominees for Directors-at-Large are individuals who have an interest in MIGS, are not currently serving on the Board, have not had more than one prior term of service as Director-at-Large, and have never served as an Officer of the FMIGS Board.
Fellow Representative – One Position Open
The elected Fellow representatives shall serve for a total of two years. The term of office shall commence on January 1 of the subsequent year. Eligibility: Eligible nominees for the Fellow representatives are FMIGS graduates who finished their training within two years before being elected and have never served as an Officer of the FMIGS Board.
Ineligibility for all positions: Include anyone who has previously served as an elected FMIGS Officer is not eligible to be nominated again. Officers of the FMIGS Board are those individuals who have been elected to serve on the FMIGS Executive Committee (President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, Immediate Past President). Nominees who currently hold other AAGL related major positions on the following Boards: AAGL Board, Foundation of the AAGL Board, JMIG Editorial Board, SurgeryU Editorial Board and the Fellowship in MIGS Board are not eligible to be nominated until their term is over.
Nominees will be required to provide a current curriculum vitae (CV), a vision statement (not to exceed 500 words) that includes their goals and why they believe they are ideal for this position and a letter of recommendation. You may submit the name of a peer for nomination, or you may self-nominate. If you self-nominate, you must include the same documentation required above.
All nominees must be current AAGL members in good standing and if selected, maintain membership until their term is over.
Deadline to respond is August 16, 2024 by 11:59 pm PDT.
(Please indicate the position in your submission)
Upcoming FMIGS Program Requirements: 2024 FMIGS Program Requirements
AAGL’s Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (FMIGS) was developed to address the concern that most graduating residents in obstetrics and gynecology were not fully trained in modern endoscopic surgery.
The Fellowship offers two and three year comprehensive training program in advanced gynecologic endoscopy to graduating gynecologic residents who are interested in a focus in minimally invasive surgery.
Offered through 54 hospital sites across the USA, 3 in Canada, 1 in Brazil, 1 in Colombia, 1 in Mexico and 1 in Ireland.
Educational objectives focus on evidence-based medicine, anatomical principles, instrumentation, operative laparoscopy, operative hysteroscopy, and robotics.
600+ fellow have successfully graduated the FMIGS program.
Definition of a MIGS Surgeon: A minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon is a physician who has obtained additional training and/or experience to manage complex gynecologic disorders, and can serve as a consultant for the community.
Mission Statement
The mission of the national and international Fellowships in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery is to assure quality training for graduates of OBGYN residencies who desire to focus their career in the delivery of excellent advanced benign gynecologic surgery and clinical practice. We aspire to do this through:
- Program Oversight—We oversee all FMIGS fellowship programs and work closely with their PDs, APDs, and fellows to maintain a high standard of training.
- Educational Opportunities—We align with AAGL to provide annual educational opportunities for FMIGS fellows that follow our educational objectives and connect fellows with nationally-recognized faculty and encourage their growth as leaders.
- Research Opportunities—We organize committees and identify resources to allow fellows to participate in national collaborations for the design, implementation, and publication of research that aim to improve women’s health.
- Strategic Planning—We will closely monitor the need and opportunity for MIGS training in the US and abroad; and collaborate with other OBGYN organizations regarding subspecialty recognition and benchmarks. Additionally, we will continue to assess ongoing patient outcomes in order to modify training parameters and suggest practice guidelines.
- Patient Care—In addition to surgical training, we will provide high-level educational opportunities for the medical treatment of complex benign gynecologic disorders. We will collaborate with patients and patient-advocates to provide evidence-based educational materials and facilitate communication about these conditions.
Our vision is to assure quality and uniform training of graduates of the fellowship in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.
History
In the late 1980s, Veasy Buttram, M.D. proposed and initiated a one-year fellowship in reproductive surgery. The program was developed because he recognized that most graduating residents in obstetrics and gynecology were not fully trained in modern endoscopic surgery. In addition, it was recognized that private physicians were developing most of the advances in endoscopic surgery in non-university hospitals. Several leading reproductive surgeons who were recognized for their surgical skills and interests in teaching were recruited to serve as preceptors for the SRS (Society of Reproductive Surgeons) Fellowship.
During the 1990s, similar fellowships were established on an ad hoc basis without formal affiliation with the AAGL or the SRS. These fellowships focused on a variety of clinical areas, primarily due to the interests and practices of the sponsoring physician. In 2001, the AAGL and the SRS Fellowship Committee collaborated to establish the Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (FMIGS) with a standardized minimal curriculum and a requirement for research. The first Fellowships were granted to seven preceptees at seven sites throughout the United States. No longer affiliated with the SRS, the AAGL/FMIGS program has successfully graduated 450+ fellows.