Bariatric, Complex GI Surgery and Foregut Fellowships are not eligible for the certificates unless they are ALSO designated as Advanced GI MIS and/or Comprehensive Flexible Endoscopy. They may be eligible for the SAGES Area of Concentrated Training (ACT) Seal in Advanced Flexible Endoscopy.
Requirements must be uploaded or confirmed by July 31, 2026. Application reviews will take place in November 2025, February 2026 and August 2026. For additional questions, please email Vanessa Cheung.
Advanced GI MIS and Comprehensive Flexible Endoscopy Certificates
- SAGES Membership: Fellows are encouraged to become part of the SAGES community of advanced MIS and endoscopic surgeons, and Active Member in SAGES is required for the certificate program. If not already a member, we invite you to join SAGES now as a Candidate Member. Upon completion of fellowship, you can upgrade to Active Membership with a discounted fee of $165. This discount applies to an upgrade only and is not available to first-time applicants to Active SAGES Membership. Members also receive discounted registration for the SAGES annual meeting.
- Defined Category Cases (mandatory)
- Program Director’s On-line Survey: An invitation will be sent to the Program Director once the application is received.
- Proof of an Abstract submitted to a major meeting during fellowship.
- Proof of attendance a major meeting, in person or virtually, during fellowship year.
- FLS, FES and FUSE certification (all three are mandatory).
ACT Seal in Advanced Flexible Endoscopy
- Society Certification: Proof of society certification affiliated with the program’s fellowship designation
- EPAs (See list below) – by July 31, 2026
- Must cover educational content of EPAs 1 and 2
- Must cover educational content of 3 of the remaining EPAs
- Case Volume – by July 31, 2026
- 75 total cases in flexible endoscopy
- Minimum of 30 therapeutic cases
- Program Director’s online survey: an invitation will be sent to the Program Director once the application has been received
- FES & FUSE Certification mandatory
EPAs Include:
- Sedate and monitor patient for a flexible endoscopic procedure
- Endoscopy in the patient with altered GI tract anatomy
- Evaluation and management the patient requiring advanced tissue resection/transection/ablation
- Evaluation and management of obstructing or eroding GI tract processes
- Evaluation and management of GI tract bleeding
- Evaluation and management of partial and full thickness defects
- 3rd space endoscopy/translumenal endoscopy
- Evaluation and management of pancreaticobiliary diseases
- Evaluation and management of patients needing complex endoscopic enteral access
- Evaluation and endoscopic management of the patient with gastroesophageal reflux