Happenings from FMIGS

Greetings everyone and happy summer! The close of each program year is bittersweet as endings meld with beginnings. For many of us, it is simultaneously a time of reflection as well as excitement.

The AAGL Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (FMIGS) has recently celebrated 21 years of providing MIGS training. What initially began as seven apprenticeships that developed into formalized fellowship programs, has now grown into 60 fellowships with 53 sites across the United States, 3 in Canada, 1 in Brazil, 1 in Columbia, 1 in Ireland, and 1 in Mexico.

The last 21 years have seen explosions of growth, mammoth revolutions in technology and national and international recognition of the importance of women’s health. As the needs of our patients evolved, so too did our fellowships. We have seen an over 35% growth in the number of programs in the last five years alone. Following this trend of growth, MIGS is, and remains, one of the most competitive fellowships in OBGYN. Our comprehensive training is focused on evidence-based medicine compounded by in-depth surgical exposure using anatomical principles, instrumentation, state-of-the-art techniques, and most importantly, the commitment of surgeons to the science of surgery and the art of education. Thus far we have graduated 578 fellows, with an additional 109 currently in training.

The FMIGS Boot Camp on November 30^th kicks-off this year’s Global Congress in Aurora, Colorado, December 1-4, 2022. This full day program for 1^st and 2^nd year FMIGS fellows is designed to enhance their surgical techniques through simulation models. Divided into small groups, fellows will rotate through four hands-on modules including robotics, chronic pelvic pain, vNOTES and suturing. This will allow fellows to explore various robotic platforms, unify their skills necessary for vaginal and laparoscopic techniques, learn practical pelvic pain techniques and treatment, and master the fundamentals of laparoscopic suturing. Second year fellows will receive more advanced versions of each module including a focus on surgical decision-making skills.

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We invite you all to join us in celebrating the next generation of MIG surgeons by attending the FMIGS Graduation Ceremony held November 30^th from 6:00-7:00pm, followed by a networking reception.

As we embark on the new academic year, and as advocates for both women and women’s health, I encourage everyone to tackle the challenges of the future head-on, with ferocity and hope for our collective futures.