This autumn witnessed the launch of our first, eagerly anticipated, standardised Basic Colonoscopy Training Course in the Growth Emerging Markets (GEM) region. It is going to provide healthcare professionals across 16 countries with the same high quality learning experience, including special techniques and skills for painless colonoscopy.
This intensive 2-day course, developed together with Prof. Mostafa Ibrahim, utilizes the innovative mikoto colon simulator, so participants receive hands-on training using one of the most advanced simulators available. But what makes this project especially impactful is the team behind it – a diverse group of experts from different countries, all driven by passion for elevating healthcare standards and patient well-being. We’ve talked to Saskia Papa, a Training and Education Manager in Fujifilm Healthcare Europe, for some personal insights.
What makes this training special?
– In the past, we did courses for physicians in different countries, but now it’s something so much bigger. Now, there is a consistent, standardized approach. The ultimate goal is to make high-quality training accessible and reliable across borders. Our medical advisor, Prof. Mostafa Ibrahim introduces the course in each country, involving a local expert to ensure that unique differences of each country are taken into account, and the course is adopted effectively. At the same time, the standard approach helps us ensure the same high quality of training for everyone.
Another thing that makes this course stand out is the mikoto colon simulator that is utilised. At the moment, I think it’s the most realistic training simulator for colonoscopy. And what’s important, it gives you instant feedback: if you’re hurting the “patient”, you’ll hear a “be-e-ep”, or an “ouch”. You can also watch the video back, as everything is recorded and you can see your own progress over time. With different difficulty levels, you can stepwise learn more difficult anatomies that patients may have… I believe it is a unique opportunity for self-learning.
What’s your personal goal behind the project?
– The most important goal for me is to ensure the access to this training course for every young endoscopist in these contries, who wants to improve their skills and learn more. I would like to support that and contribute to it as much as I can.
It is a very nice collaboration so far. People get really indulged with the training content, they learn things from the experts they didn’t know. There is immediately this positive atmosphere of getting people connected, and our local teams keep in touch with the participants. That is forming a community of people who share knowledge, support each other, and continually learn and grow together.
“We strive to develop a community of skilled, passionate healthcare professionals in different countries who can be both supportive and inspired by each other’s experiences.”
What is planned for the future?
– What we do now is just the beginning. With time, we may expand the course to other countries as well. We are also looking forward to developing standardized courses for more advanced techniques.
What inspires you most in such projects?
– I remember we were with our EndoRunner van, and we had three working stations there. At one of the European congresses, a doctor came to try working at the mikoto station. She liked it so much! She spent the entire day with it. She said then: “I never had an opportunity before to practice with such a realistic simulator”. During that day, she was there non-stop, and you could see that she really improved her skills. In the beginning it was hard for her, after more attempts and working on it, she made progression. Also, recently, when we were at the ESGE camp in Zagreb, one of the trainers came to me and said: “I had here really beginners but even after 1 day, I could see that some of them have already improved.” It is very inspiring to get this kind of feedback. It drives me to do more.
Saskia Papa
A Training and Education Manager in Endoscopy team, Fujifilm Healthcare Europe.
