Director: Professor Guilherme Macedo and Co-Director: Professor Susana Lopes
Introduction:
The Porto Gastroenterology and Hepatology Training Center was inaugurated in Porto, Portugal on June 9th, 2015 as a WGO Training Center.
Mission
The Porto WGO Gastroenterology and Hepatology (GIHep) Training Center mission is shaped to the core objectives of WGO Training Center role of providing education and training in the delivery of Digestive Health and Disease care. Accordingly, the foremost duties of this center are:
To promote the highest standards in training in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, in their different disciplines (eg Diagnostic and Interventional Endoscopy, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Pancreatic Disorders, Digestive Oncology).
To develop a broad and versatile curriculum which should consist of an adaptable program of providing different levels of expertise. Anchored in a well designed national certified core curriculum, offering different cognitive modules and formal training opportunities, with several possibilities of time span events, we aim to create a learning environment mostly adapted to the trainees needs. The near goal is to expose trainees to the current and up to date knowledge in the broad field of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, always bearing in mind the strict appliance of ethical principles and focus on their local and regional health care needs.
To foster interaction between regional, national, and international experts in these areas, promoting individual and inter-institutional networking.
To outreach world-wide Portuguese speaking countries (Angola, Mozambique, Brazil, Cape Verde, S Tomé, Guinea, East Timor) and be able to provide different levels of training (from basics to advanced procedures).
The GIHep Porto Training Center.
Faculty and attendees in a get together at the newly inaugurated GIHep Porto Training Center
WGO President, Prof. Toouli, and Training Center Director, Guilherme Macedo, with the President of the Portuguese Society of Gastroenterology, the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and Clinical Director of Hospital S. João at the Opening Ceremony.
Teaching Facilities:
The Center is located within the building of Centro Hospitalar Universitario S.João, the largest University Hospital in Northern Portugal. The Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology hosts this Training Center, beyond the Outpatient Clinic Building and wards. It provides 9 different suites – dedicated to several endoscopic procedures, emergency, EUS, X-ray based, etc – and a library. This Department is an integrant part of the Faculty of Medicine of University of Porto, the highest ranked in Portugal, where undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and training is the scope of our daily activities.
The Department offers government board recognized full Fellowship program in Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The medical staff includes 22 national recognized GI specialists, beyond the Director, all actively participating and working close in several multidisciplinary teams, which include members from the Pathology Division, Radiology, Oncology and Surgical Department. Our Department is responsible for more than 25 thousand outpatient consultations, 7 thousand day-care sessions and 20 thousand procedures, on a yearly basis, standing as an important National Center of Referral and Excellence, as acknowledged by the European Board of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (Recertification in October 2018).
Areas of Training and courses Offered:
Beyond the In-patient GI and Liver Clinic, there are specialized outpatient consultation blocks of Hepatology, IBD, Surveillance & Risk, Pancreas, Proctology, Neurogastroenterology and Nutrition. Furthermore, we belong to the Multidisciplinary Groups Consultation such as the Hepatobiliarypancreatic Diseases, Esophageal and Gastric Diseases, IBD Medical-Surgical Meeting and Colorectal Group.
Endoscopy and innovative uses in emerging endoscopic technologies are also of primary importance for the Department. Along with a complete arsenal of upper and lower endoscopy equipment, able to provide high definition and narrow band imaging in most of the procedures (if necessary), we regularly use 4 EUS devices, enteroscopy, 3 stations for capsule endoscopy, functional exploration unit for manometry ph-metry and impedance, HALO System, ESD facilities, Spyglass Cholangioscope and the Scope Guide. The logistical and equipment support from the Hospital and University, warrant the ability to pursue an ongoing quest for differentiation and innovation. We deliver scheduled special GI Courses, in a yearly basis such as the IBD Masterclass, Meet the Expert Forum on Esophageal Diseases, and the Endoscopy Summits (Small Bowel, Biliarypancreatic).
Recently we created a Precision Medicine Unit which is an innovative area of the Department, where the most recent advances in Artificial Intelligence applications in Endoscopy have been developed and trained.
The Hepatology practiced today in the Department, under the Program designated Porto School of Hepatology allows a variety of challenges for the trainees in their fellowship. Beyond the sequential training in Viral Hepatitis consultation, Autoimmune liver disorders and Chronic Liver Diseases (metabolic, alcoholic), they gain hands-on expertise in liver elastography, percutaneous and transjugular liver biopsies, portal hypertension management, and the multidisciplinary group weekly meeting, where oncology decisions and liver transplant strategies are established. As scheduled special Courses in Hepatology, we run yearly a Hepatology Masterclass, a two-days Clinical Hepatology Preceptorship and a Single Topic Conference Day (as a Stand-Alone Meeting) covering the most relevant fields in Hepatology.
Since regulatory requirements vary accordingly to the course´s length and to the trainees´ origin (national or international), applicants must directly contact the training center for further information.
Certifications:
Certificates are provided.
Candidates may apply for a specific Course (short duration scheduled Course) or apply for an elective 1-6 months duration period of training on General Gastroenterology, Basic training in Digestive Endoscopy, General Hepatology, Advanced Endoscopic Procedures (including EUS and ERCP), Capsule and Balloon Enteroscopy, Transjugular Liver Biopsies, Viral Hepatitis, Autoimmune Liver Disorders.
Short duration Courses are limited to 20 trainees each.
Elective Courses are open on an individual basis.
Official language is Portuguese (and all Faculty members are fluent in English). Elective Courses are available both in Portuguese and English.
Trainee Application Process and Requirements:
National and International trainees approach for further information on courses and International applicants may contact the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department by e-mail: artur.pires1972@gmail.com, or fax +351 225500315
The Porto WGO Gastroenterology and Hepatology Center has been endorsed by
---- World Gastroenterology Organisation
---- Portuguese Society of Gastroenterology
Funding / Sponsorship
Funding and/or sponsorship is currently received from the following sources:
--Centro Hospitalar Universitario S.João, Porto
--Faculty of Medicine, Porto
Educational events have been endorsed by: Portuguese Society of Gastroenterology, Portuguese Society of Endoscopy and Portuguese Association for the Study of the Liver
Educational events have been sponsored by Gilead, BMS, Abbvie, Roche, MSD, Bayer, Janssen, Intercept, Olympus, Pentax, Boston Scientific, Cook and Medtronic.
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