Curriculum

For information on the Boot Camp, including exercise details and how to apply, please check out the brochure, HERE. 

This curriculum focuses on attaining proficiency in basic endoscopic urological procedures and common basic urological examination and emergency surgical procedures. Providing basic technical skills for Urology Residents, such as basic
laparoscopy, basic endoscopy of the upper and the lower urinary tract and basic transurethral resection, within the framework of a standardised training programme.

This boot camp programme gives learners the opportunity to participate in many hours of intense practice in a safe and non-threatening environment, without compromising patient care. A boot camp, in the context of medical education, is a focused course designed to enhance learning, orientation, and preparation for learners entering a new clinical role. This is achieved through the use of multiple educational methods with a focus on deliberate practice with formative feedback. Essential components of an effective boot camp are

• Ratio = 1 trainer : 1 trainee : 1 training station (where applicable)
• Training at a transition period (new role)
• Opportunity to practice skills & observational learning
• Distributed practice session
• Feedback and assessment

EAU Organising Committee:
Tiago Ribeiro De Oliveira(PT)
Ben Van Cleynenbreugel (BE)
Chandra Shekhar Biyani (GB)

With training, the goal is to produce a surgeon who is highly competent and confident in performing andrology and reconstructive surgery procedures; and thereby mitigate the risks of complications.

The EAU Working Group on Andrology and Reconstructive is currently working on developing the a training curriculum for penile prosthesis implantation. The process was started with a cognitive task analysis (CTA) to break down the procedure’s key steps. To ensure thoroughness and consensus, the CTA is undergoing a Delphi consensus among experts. The group is exploring innovative training models to enhance the learning experience for future training events.

EAU Working Group Andrology and Reconstructive

Chair: Paolo Verze 
Members:
Jan Adamowicz
Ege Can Serefoglu
Paolo Capogrosso
Fabio Castiglione
Marij Dinkelman-Smith
Fotios Dimitriadis
Mikkel Fode
Georgios Hatzichristodoulou
Wai Gin (Don) Lee
Juan Ignacio Martinez-Salamanca
Afonso Morgado
David Ralph
Koenraad van Renterghem
Javier Romero Otero
Giorgio Ivan Russo
Marta Skrodzka
Nadja Stivalet Schoentgen

This training curriculum aims to provide the clinician with proficiency skills in the treatment of urinary stones with endoscopic techniques. This protocol has been designed following a very strict process, in order to mitigate the risks of complications related to the learning curve process. Moving along the different tasks and training steps, the participant will learn how to use the different instruments and technologies that can be functional to stone fragmentation and extraction.

Successful completion of the exam after a step will allow you to proceed to the next step of the training.

Interested?

If you want to join or organise a course on local level, please contact your national society or institution.

EAU Working Group Endoscopic Stone Treatment

Chair: Panagiotis Kallidonis
Members:
Joyce Baard
Vincent de Coninck
Elisa De Lorenzis
Otas Durutovic
Esteban Emiliani
Bogdan Geavlete
Etienne Keller
Ioannis Mykoniatis
Kremena Petkova
Sergio Pereira
Amelia Pietropaolo
Andreas Skolarikos
Arman Tsaturyan
Lazaros Tzelves
Eugenio Ventimiglia

With training, the goal is to produce a surgeon who is highly competent and confident in performing functional and uro-gynaecology procedures; and thereby mitigate the risks of complications. Assessment of competences in functional urology has not been established yet, but is in progress.

The EAU Working Group on Female, Functional, & Neuro Urology is currently focusing on developing a standardised curriculum in 4 diagnostic and routine surgical procedures including:

• Invasive urodynamic studies
• Standard retropubic synthetic sling (TVT)
• Standard transobturator synthetic sling (TOT)
• Sacral neuromodulation

Comprehensive cognitive task analyses were created for all 4 procedures. These are now being validated through Delphi consensus with a group of experts. The tasks and trainings will be tested and validated with simulators during upcoming meetings.

EAU Working Group Female, Functional, & Neuro Urology

Chair: Véronique Phé 
Members:
Salvador Arlandis
Marcio Averbeck
Mija Blaganje
Fabiana Cancrini
Sabrina De Cillis
Tanja Husch
Salima Ismail
Nadir Osman
Matthieu Peycelon
Tufan Tarcan

Interested?

If you want to join or organise a course on local level, please contact your national society or institution.

With surgical training, the goal is to produce a surgeon who is highly competent and confident in performing general open surgery procedures; and thereby mitigate the risks of complications.

The curriculum development for the radical inguinal orchidectomy and open nephrectomy procedures are currently being undertaken by the EAU Working Group on General Open Surgery. A cognitive task analysis for each procedure has been created, and Delphi surveys are currently being conducted to achieve consensus on the steps involved. Additionally, various models for basic training are being explored to ensure comprehensive training and education.

EAU Working Group General Open Surgery

Chair: Bogdan Petrut
Members:
Andreas Skolarikos
Razvan Bardan
Claudiu Codoiu
Roxana Coman
Michael Rink
Theodoros Tokas
Lazaros Tzelves
Crivat Sergiu

The EAU Working Group on Imaging, Focal Therapy, and Uropathology is advancing a global training initiative aimed at producing professionals who are not only highly competent but also confident in performing complex procedures, ultimately reducing the risk of complications and improving patient outcomes.

The first step in this process was conducting detailed Cognitive Task Analyses with leading experts to identify the essential knowledge and skills in Ultrasound, MRI, and Focal Therapy. These expert-driven statements are now undergoing Delphi consensus surveys, engaging a broader panel to validate and prioritise the core competencies.

The results of this Delphi process will directly inform the development of a standardised curriculum—a globally applicable training framework that can be delivered across settings and countries.

In the meantime, training is already being delivered at major events such as the EAU Annual Congress and ESU Masterclasses. These hands-on courses include modules on Ultrasound, MRI Fusion Biopsy, Prostate MRI Reading, PET PSMA, and Transperineal (TP) Biopsy, ensuring clinicians gain practical, up-to-date experience.

EAU Working Group Imaging, Focal, Uropathology

Chair: Veeru Kasivisvanathan
Members:
Eva Comperat
Maarten De Rooij
Stefano Fanti
Aiman Haider
Ekaterina Laukhtina
Giancarlo Marra
Riccardo Mei
Maria Carmen Mir Maresma
Valeria Panebianco
Peter Paul-Willemse
Pawel Rajwa
Maria Raspollini
Francesco Sanguedolce
Andreia Bile Silva

With surgical training, the goal is to produce a surgeon who is highly competent and confident in performing laparoscopic procedures; and thereby mitigate the risks of complications. Because of the specific risks, visuospatial relationships, and the steep learning curve that are unique to laparoscopy, hands-on training on a box or visual simulator is the recommended way to start learning laparoscopic skills.

Successful completion of the exam after a step will allow you to proceed to the next step of the training.

The EAU Working Group on Laparoscopic Surgery is currently developing and validating a structured intermediate laparoscopic curriculum (LUSs2). After a thorough cognitive task analysis and Delphi consensus on 5 intermediate procedures (VU Anastomosis, Hilum Dissection, Major Vessel Injury Repair, Renal Tumour Enucleation, Pyeloplasty) we are developing and validating training protocols based on the best practice and conclusions. Simultaneous models will be developed and validated for supporting these intermediate task to be performed in the near future within the EAU/ESU.

EAU Working group laparoscopy

Chair: Juan Gomez Rivas
Members:
Patricia Zondervan
Willem Brinkman
Tiago Ribeiro de Oliveira
Moises Rodríguez Socarrás
Tomasso Silvestri
Loic Baekelandt
Luis Ortega
Pavel Navrátil
Pia Kraft

Interested?

If you want to join or organise a course on local level, please contact your national society or institution.

Non-technical skills are a major factor in surgical outcomes. Over 85% of adverse surgical events are due to ‘system errors’, unrelated to technical skill. 40% of intra-operative errors are related to failures in communication alone. The main categories of surgical non-technical skills include situational awareness, decision making, communication, teamwork and leadership.

Non-technical skills are not innate but require training and practice throughout a surgeon’s career. The EAU Working Group on Non-Technical and Soft Skills is developing a comprehensive curriculum. This will provide a programme of training to enable urologists to recognise, develop and optimise their non-technical skills and promote safe, effective surgery.

EAU Working Group Non-Technical and Soft Skills

Chair: Nicholas Raison
Members:
Iulia Andras
Cristina Bujoreanu
Ben Van Cleynenbreugel
Cyrille Guillot-Tantay
Stefan Haensel
Alessio Pecorario
Giorgio Russo
Gigi Zanovello

With surgical training, the goal is to produce a surgeon who is highly competent and confident in performing Paediatric Surgery procedures; and thereby mitigate the risks of complications.

The EAU Working Group on Paediatric Surgery is focused on developing a curriculum for laparoscopic and robotic pyeloplasty in children. A cognitive task analysis for each procedure has been created, and surveys are currently being conducted to achieve Delphi consensus on the steps involved. Various models for training are also being explored to ensure comprehensive education.

EAU Working Group Paediatric Surgery

Chair: Mesrur Selcuk Silay
Members:
Beatriz Banuelos
Berk Burgu
Numan Baydilli
Gundela Holmdahl
Caroline Jamaer
Fardod O’Kelly
Anne-Francoise Spinoit

ERUS Robotic Curriculum

As the role of robot-assisted surgery in urology is growing, the development of structured and validated training programs is one of the main topics to be taken into consideration by the urologic community.

Well-organised educational curricula, as well as proficiency-based credentialing processes are needed for today, and are of importance for the future of young urologists. Patient safety and better surgical outcomes depend on it. We sincerely hope this ERUS robotic curriculum will help all institutions and societies involved in robotic education to endorse these types of programmes. This initiative is fully endorsed by the EAU Executive, ESU, EUSP and ERUS.

Objective

The objective of the ERUS Robotic Curriculum is to validate the ability of a structured fellowship to allow a surgeon to perform a robot-assisted prostatectomy independently and effectively. The curriculum includes theoretical sessions, skills training (dry and wet laboratories), real-case observation in a training centre, bedside assistance, and mentored training at the console. Participants at the recognised host centres go through the developed curriculum in a staged manner (modular training), guided by a local mentor.

Methods

The flow chart of the study is reported below. The theoretical training includes the eBRUS and da Vinci surgical community online theoretical training. Practical experience is gained with virtual Skill SimulatorTM, dry & wet labs, including an intensive week of lab training at a selected training centre. A dual console enables mentors to teach the fellows during live procedure trainings. Throughout the curriculum the procedure is taught in a step-by-step manner (modular training). An assessment of the technical skills on simulator and dry lab is performed on days 1, 28, 35 and 180.

The mentors perform a final evaluation of the technical skills (GEARS). Non-technical skills were assessed by Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons (NOTSS) System and the Revised Non-technical skills (NOTECHS) scale. Specific training on non-technical skills is delivered during the sessions.

At the end of the fellowship, the fellows have to perform a case of radical prostatectomy independently. The full procedure is recorded and assessed by two blinded independent international experts. After effective completion of this curriculum, surgeons will be certified ERUS Robotic Fellows.

ORSI Trainee Course

ORSI Academy offers a 5-Day Course in Robotic Urology for fellows, residents and surgeons with advanced robotic exposure who want to learn to perform a RARP independently and effectively.

As fellow of the ERUS Robotic Curriculum, this 5-day course is mandatory.

Application procedure

If you are interested to apply for the ERUS Robotic Curriculum and the ORSI Skills Course, you may send an e-mail to Ms. Ilse Grotenbreg: i.grotenbreg@uroweb.org

Each applicant should meet the following criteria:

• EAU Membership of at least 6 months prior to application
• Have at least 1 PubMed article
• Must be in last 2 years of residency or a young fellow (until 7 years after residency)

Each application should provide the following documents:

• up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (including list of publications)
• a signed support letter from a referral ERUS Host-trainer confirming you are being trained according to the ERUS Robotic Curriculum Programme
• a signed letter of the head of department of the home institute; stating that they will have access to the robot in the OR during and after the Fellowship

EAU Working Group Robotic Surgery

Chair: Alessandro Larcher
Members:
Iulia Andras
Carlo Andrea Bravi
Alberto Breda
Ruben de Groote
Paolo Dell’Oglio
Fabrizio Di Maida
Edward Lambert
Nikolaos Liakos
Marcio Moschovas
Alexander Mottrie
Federico Piramide
Filippo Turri
Henk van der Poel
Christian Wagner
Mike Wenzel
Christoph Wurnschimmel

With surgical training, the goal is to produce a surgeon who is highly competent and confident in performing Transplantation procedures; and thereby mitigate the risks of complications.

Successful completion of the exam after a step will allow you to proceed to the next step of the training.

Interested?

If you want to join or organise a course on local level, please contact your national society or institution.

EAU Working Group Transplantation

Chair: Romain Boissier (FR)
Members:
Julien Branchereau (FR)
Riccardo Campi (IT)
Karel Decaestecker (BE)
Enrique Lledó García (ES)
Francisco Javier Gonzalez (ES)
Mireia Musquera (ES)
Angelo Territo (ES)
Vital Hevia (ES)
Alessio Pecoraro (IT)

The transurethral treatment curriculum includes Hands-on Training, with different models, focusing on the endoscopic management of lower urinary tract conditions, such as LUTS, urethral strictures or non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. With training, the goal is to produce a surgeon who is highly competent and confident in performing these procedures; and thereby mitigate the risks of complications. The development of this curriculum is divided into phases.

• First phase: The list of procedures to be included in the TUT curriculum was decided based on the answers of a wide group of experts to a survey that included all the diagnostic and therapeutic transurethral procedures recommended by the EAU guidelines, and categorized according to their importance to Urology Residents, to every Urologist and to Dedicated Endourologists.
• Second phase: The working group members organized the resultant list of procedures based on their complexity and according to the principles of the SISE program structured curricula. Based on that, the framework of the TUT curriculum was developed:
  • TUT-S1 (basic step): training of basic transurethral skills, encompassing flexible cystoscopy, rigid cystoscopy, bladder biopsies, basic resection loop handling and direct vision internal urethrotomy.
  • TUT-S2p (intermediate step for prostate): training of intermediate skills in transurethral resection of the prostate.
  • TUT-S2b (intermediate step for bladder): training of intermediate skills in transurethral resection of the bladder.
  • TUT-S3p (advanced step for prostate): training of advanced skills in advanced transurethral procedures, such as enucleation of the prostate or vaporization of the prostate.
  • TUT-S3b (advanced step for bladder): training of advanced skills in advanced transurethral procedures, such as en-block resection of bladder tumors or advanced endoscopic bladder imaging.
• Third phase: According to the principles of the SISE program structured curricula, for each procedure a cognitive task analysis process was performed, followed by a Delphi consensus involving a wide group of renowned experts in the field, in order to determine the fundamental steps and the metrics of each procedure.
• Fourth phase: Based on the resultant metrics for each procedure, the working group members will develop the set of exercises to be included in each step of the curriculum, that will subsequently undergo a validation process by a wide group on experts and trainees, to determine the most adequate benchmarks for each step.

EAU Working Group Lower Urinary Tract Endoscopy

The EAU Lower Urinary Tract Working Group, that includes members of the ESU hands-on training team, of the ESUT, of the YOU, of the EAU Management of non-neurogenic male LUTS guidelines panel and of the EAU Non-muscle-invasive guidelines panel, will be responsible for the development of the Transurethral Treatment (TUT) curriculum.

Chair: Tarik Emre Sener
Members:
Tiago Ribeiro de Oliveira
Ben Van Cleynenbreugel
Juan Pablo Caballero
Laurian Dragos
Lisa Moris
Luis Osório
Março Paciotti
Param Mariappan
Sergio Pereira