The European Urology Residents Education Programme Hands-on Training Format: 4 Years of Hands-on Training Improvements from the European School of Urology

The European School of Urology (ESU) started the European Urology Residents Education Programme (EUREP) in 2003 for final year urology residents, with hands-on training (HOT) added later in 2007.

To assess the geographical reach of EUREP, trainee demographics, and individual quality feedback in relation to annual methodology improvements in HOT.

From September 2014 to October 2017 (four EUREP courses) several new features have been applied to the HOT format of the EUREP course: 1:1 training sessions (2015), fixed 60-min time slots (2016), and standardised teaching methodology (2017). The resulting EUREP HOT format was verified by collecting and prospectively analysing the following data: total number of participants attending different HOT courses; participants' age; country of origin; and feedback obtained annually.

A total of 796 participants from 54 countries participated in 1450 HOT sessions over the last 4 yr. This included 294 (20%) ureteroscopy (URS) sessions, 237 (16.5%) transurethral resection (TUR) sessions, 840 (58%) basic laparoscopic sessions, and 79 (5.5%) intermediate laparoscopic sessions. While 712 residents (89%) were from Europe, 84 (11%) were from non-European nations. Of the European residents, most came from Italy (16%), Germany (15%), Spain (15%), and Romania (8%). Feedback for the basic laparoscopic session showed a constant improvement in scores over the last 4 yr, with the highest scores achieved last year. This included feedback on improvements in tutor rating (p=0.017), organisation (p<0.001), and personal experience with EUREP (p<0.001). Limitations lie in the difficulties associated with the use of an advanced training curriculum with wet laboratory or cadaveric courses in this format, although these could be performed in other training centres in conjunction with EUREP.

The EUREP trainee demographics show that the purpose of the course is being achieved, with excellent feedback reported. While European trainees dominate the demographics, participation from a number of non-European countries suggests continued ESU collaboration with other national societies and wider dissemination of simulation training worldwide.

In this paper we look at methodological improvements and feedback for the European Urology Residents Education Programme hands-on-training over the last 4 yr.

European urology focus. 2018 Mar 14 [Epub ahead of print]

Bhaskar K Somani, Ben Van Cleynenbreugel, Ali Gozen, Jaun Palou, Sas Barmoshe, Shekhar Biyani, Josep M Gaya, Giles Hellawell, Gio Pini, Faba R Oscar, Rafael Sanchez Salas, Petr Macek, Andreas Skolarikos, Christian Wagner, Viktor Eret, Stephen Haensel, Giampaolo Siena, Marek Schmidt, Max Klitsch, Stepan Vesely, Achilles Ploumidis, Silvia Proietti, Guido Kamphuis, Theodore Tokas, Rob Geraghty, Dominico Veneziano

Department of Urology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK. Electronic address: ., Department of Urology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium., Department of Urology, SLK Klinikum Heilbronn, Heilbronn, Germany., Department of Urology, Fundaciò Puigvert, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain., Department of Urology, Erasme Hospital, University Clinics of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium., Department of Urology, St. James's University Hospital Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS, Leeds, UK., Department of Urology, The North West London Hospitals NHS Trust, Imperial College Healthcare NHS, London, UK., Department of Urology, Ospedale San Raffaele-Turro, Milan, Italy., Department of Urology, Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, Paris, France., Department of Urology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic., Department of Urology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece., Department of Urology and Oncology, St. Antonius Hospital, Gronau, Germany., Department of Urology, University Hospital Pilsen, Pilsen, Czech Republic., Department of Urology, Havenziekenhuis, Rotterdam, The Netherlands., Department of Urology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Careggi, Florence, Italy., Department of Urology, University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic., Department of Urology, St. John of God Hospital, Vienna, Austria., Department of Urology, Charles University 2nd Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic., Department of Urology, Athens Medical Centre, Athens, Greece., AMC University Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands., Department of Urology and Andrology, General Hospital, Hall in Tirol, Austria., Department of Urology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK., Department of Urology and Kidney Transplant, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano, Reggio Calabria, Italy; School of Medicine, Hofstra University, New York, NY, USA; Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.