Education & Training

Welcome to the Education & Training Hub

As the leading society in coloproctology in Europe, the goal of ESCP's Education Committee is to deliver and expand high-quality, contemporary education for colorectal surgeons, and allied healthcare professionals, in training and practice. The committee aims to educate to the highest standard across Europe. The key aims of the committee are fulfilled by:

Creating an educational portfolio at the ESCP annual meeting
Developing internet-based educational resources on the website
Actively disseminating interactive educational content to members across Europe
Creating a year around educational platform, the European School of Coloproctology

The Education Committee organises several training and teaching activities every year, including the following:

Educational Sessions during ESCP's Annual Meeting

Many educational sessions are organised during ESCP annual meetings, targeted towards technical skills, decision-making and clinical judgment. These sessions are accessible for all attendees of the annual meeting and include interactive workshops, ultrasound seminar, expert video sessions, authors’ workshop, and expert round table session.

Pre-Congress Workshops

'Hands-on' workshops, introduced for an additional day in advance of the annual meeting, to teach practical and technical skills on different topics in colorectal surgery have been a successful and appreciated addition.

2016 workshop: perianal fistulae, including anal plugs, VAAFT, LIFT and advancement flaps
2017 workshops: TAMIS; abdominal wall reconstruction; anal fistulae; haemorrhoidal disease
2018 workshops: prevention and repair of parastomal hernia; AIN and HRA
2019 workshops: Advances in Fistula Surgery; AIN and HRA for Colorectal Surgeons; Operative Techniques for the Prevention and Repair of Parasomal Hernia, TAMIS and NEW for 2019 Vacuum-assisted Management of the Open Abdomen and Anastomotic Leaks and Colorectal Robotic Surgery.
2020 workshops: AIN and HRA for Colorectal Surgeons, Operative Techniques for the Prevention and Repair of Parastomal Hernia, TAMIS.
2022 workshops: Training Village, OASIS
2023 workshops: OASIS, Anal Fistula, ESCP/ESGAR Radiology for Surgeons, EBSQ Preparation
2024 workshops: OASIS, Anal Fistula, ESCP/ESGAR Radiology for Surgeons, EBSQ Preparation

Free Student Registration for the Annual Meeting

Complimentary registration is provided for up to 50 students at the annual meeting of the ESCP in September.

Fellowships and Training Opportunities

Every year the society offers the opportunity to apply for several funded fellowships, including:

Colorectal Robotic Surgery six-month fellowship
Three-months fellowships focussing on Functional Disorders
Three reciprocal travelling fellowships with the American, Japanese and Korean colorectal societies

More information on ESCP fellowships

Resource Library

The ESCP website accommodates new educational content. Members have access to the electronic version of 'Coloproctology, the European Manual of Medicine'. The second edition launched in 2017 and is accessible to members for free. The content of the manual will serve as the backbone for the educational resource and will be linked to various other ESCP resources, such as meeting presentations and keynote lectures. In addition, members have full access to most presentations and video material of the annual meeting as well.

Visit the resource library

ESCP Masterclasses

After the first ESCP masterclass (a combined effort between ESCP and ECCO) in Moscow in April 2015 at the International Congress of the Russian Association of Coloproctology, the concept of regional masterclasses has developed further. The aim is to offer teaching modules to national societies. Masterclasses have taken place in 2016 in Katowice, Poland. in 2017 Almeria, Spain and Budapest, Hungary. In 2018 Stockholm, Sweden and Rome, Italy. In 2019 Antalya, Turkey and Cardiff, UK. In 2021 Lisbon, Portugal and Paris, France. In 2022 Oslo, Norway. In 2023 Malmö, Sweden. In 2024 Salzburg, Austria and Tapolca, Hungary.

To read reports of previous masterclasses click here

More about ESCP masterclasses

EBSQ Coloproctology Examination

This ESBQ (European Board of Surgical Qualification) examination, leading to the only available certification in coloproctology within Europe, is organised during the annual meetings of the ESCP and during several national meetings.

The implementation of the UEMS EBSQ Coloproctology Diploma as the officially ESCP recognized European certification in coloproctology is now in place. Subsequently those holding the diploma are called fellows of the ESCP and those without the diploma are called members. All candidates who pass the EBSQ are called fellows.

The curriculum for the ESBQ Coloproctology examination has been revised and is aligned with the content of the European Manual of Medicine Coloproctology and the website of the society.

More about the EBSQ coloproctology examination