New PENTAX Forward Program provides one-year training curriculum for future leaders in ESD. 

Hamburg, 11th December 2019 – PENTAX Medical announces the launch of a new expert-led training program in the advanced therapeutic procedure, Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD), which uses endoscopy to remove larger superficial gastrointestinal tumors. The PENTAX FORWARD Program gives promising clinicians new to the field of endoscopic therapeutic procedures the chance to work one-to-one with ESD experts, who will personally mentor and provide valuable hands-on training in advanced level therapeutics.

The new PENTAX Forward Program offers a comprehensive one-year training curriculum based on ESGE Guidelines outlining how to achieve proficiency in performing ESD. The in-depth program has been developed in partnership with internationally recognized ESD training experts, including Dr. Amyn Haji (King’s College, London, UK), Dr. Arjun Koch (Erasmus MC Rotterdam, Netherlands), Dr. Michael Haefner (Ospedale di Bolzano, Austria), Dr. Ken Ohata (NTT Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan) and Dr. Hideyuki Chiba (Omori Red Cross Hospital, Tokyo, Japan). Therefore, this exciting new training initiative also creates a valuable knowledge and information exchange network between Europe and Japan where ESD was first developed.

The Forward Program aims to target skilled young physicians with high potential from across Europe who would like to be the future leaders in the advanced ESD technique. The training program entails a structured series of steps devised to guarantee the development of the trainee’s core skills. Over the year they are directly supported by both European and Japanese mentors who are highly experienced in a variety of advanced endoscopic therapeutic techniques, having performed 1000’s of procedures over many years, and so able to share their wealth of knowledge.

The structured program involves ESD basics lectures and guided self-study, observing experts performing ESD in European tertiary referral centers, as well as performing ESD cases under the direct supervision of the expert European and Japanese mentors. Core to the program’s success is also the ability to formally evaluate learning progress and share feedback within it.

This year’s trainees recently met their mentors for the first time at a round table meeting at UEG Week 2019. One of these initial 12 trainees, Parth Paskaran, Croydon University Hospital, UK, discussed this exciting opportunity to develop his skills in ESD using advanced endoscopic technologies and therapeutic tools. “What is attractive about the PENTAX Forward program is its structure, enabling us to network and learn directly from international colleagues and mentors; not just in Europe but Japan as well. Which is pretty exciting! It sounds like a good program for the future, which I am very pleased to be a part of as a pilot member.”

Amyn Haji, interventional endoscopist at King’s College Hospital, London and a Forward mentor, commented, “This is a really fantastic opportunity for young clinicians training in ESD, as prior to this new program initiated by PENTAX Medical there has really been nothing like it available. The practice of safe and effective ESD is crucial and the PENTAX Forward Program will ensure this by providing the core essentials for ESD training in terms of endoscopic diagnosis and techniques. It enables trainees to be in a secure environment to perform their first ESD cases hands-on with expert mentor assistance.”

Michael Unger, General Manager Business Development Therapeutics, PENTAX Medical, added, "PENTAX Medical recognises the importance in sharing expert knowledge to support the safety and future development of advanced endoscopic therapeutics. Our new Forward Program brings together both European and Japanese endoscopists at the forefront of the therapeutic endoscopic field via a hands-on year-long training initiative. This gives talented young clinicians in Europe an amazing opportunity to learn directly from renowned experts and safely develop their skills in advanced ESD procedures.”

For more information on PENTAX Medical’s new Forward Program, please click here.

About PENTAX Medical

PENTAX Medical is a division of HOYA Group. Its mission is to improve the standard of patient care and quality of healthcare delivery by providing the best endoscopic products and services with a focus on QUALITY, CLINICALLY RELEVANT INNOVATION, and SIMPLICITY. Through leading edge R&D and manufacturing, PENTAX Medical provides endoscopic imaging devices and solutions to the global medical community. Headquartered in Japan, PENTAX Medical has a worldwide focus and presence with R&D, regional sales, service, and in-country facilities around the globe.

For more information, please visit: www.pentaxmedical.com.