Surgical endoscopy training is integral to general surgery residency and should be integrated into residency and fellowships abandoned.

It is a basic premise that laparoscopic procedures are an integral part of the practice of general surgery. Currently, general surgery training programs as a whole are failing to provide residents with significant surgical experience in advanced laparoscopic procedures. The teaching of advanced laparoscopic procedures can and should be incorporated into the 5-year surgical residency. The challenge for Program Directors is that it is time to restructure general surgery training so that additional fellowship training is not required to provide an adequate experience in this fundamental part of general surgery. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.