WEO, in collaboration with the Chilean Association of Digestive Endoscopy (ACHED) and the 50th Congress of the Chilean Society of Gastroenterology, successfully conducted its fourth 2024 South American outreach activity at the Temuco–Pucon, Chile, on November 24–29. The course was jointly organized by Dr. Eduardo de Moura, WEO Outreach Co-Chair for South America, and Dr. Rodrigo Mansilla-Vivar, Vice President of ACHED. Several other faculty from Chile participated in the event, including Dr. Felipe Moscoso, President of ACHED and Dr. Gustavo Bresky, President of the Chilean Society of Gastroenterology. International faculty were from Brazil, Argentina, Spain, and the USA.
A total of 12 young gastroenterologists were selected through competitive application for this basic diagnostic and therapeutic GI endoscopy course, of whom 8 were women. One-to-one training was provided that included initially practice on simulators, doing therapeutic procedures such as complex polypectomies, esophageal stricture dilation and stenting, G-tube placement, and closing defects and perforations. Next, the candidates were given hands-on training on patients requiring these therapeutic interventions, including variceal banding and argon plasma coagulation for radiation proctitis and gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE). Several interactive sessions were also held where invited faculty presented videos of difficult cases they had encountered in their practice.
After 2 days of the above intensive training, the selected candidates then attended the 50th Congress of the Chilean Society of Gastroenterology in the beautiful city of Pucon. Immediate feedback from the attendees was excellent and ACHED plan to contact the attendees in 6 months’ time to get a further follow-up.
