GI endoscopy abroad: Experience from a 45 year career in the USA

A. A Short Biography: I began my GI endoscopy career in 1962 under the tutelage of Professor Kidokoro using the gastrocamera. We studied early gastric cancer. My PhD thesis compared the endoscopic and histopathologic findings of benign gastric ulcers. Study in the USA: In 1969, I began my career in the USA as a research associate in the Department of Surgery at Wayne State University (WSU) in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit General Hospital was the main emergency hospital in Detroit with 560 beds. I prospectively monitored, with the serial gastrocamera, the evolution of acute stress erosive gastritis. I also monitored the effect of different medications on the healing of experimental gastric ulcers in dogs. Medical staff: The WSU chairman, in 1972, guided me to obtain a permanent visa and passed the Michigan State License Exam. Thus I joind the faculty. In 1972, I performed the first ERCP in Detroit; this was challenging since there were not any teaching materials at that time. I began teaching flexible GI endoscopy to surgical residents. Promotion to the rank of associate professor with Tenure (1979) was more challenging than the promotion to instructor and assistant professor. I wrote many papers and published the book “Primer of GI endoscopy” in 1982, which was well accepted and translated into Italian. The work on upper and lower endoscopy, ERCP, GI bleeding and endoscopic hemostasis were highly recognized and I was promoted to professor. Professor (1986-current): I have become a member of many surgical and endoscopic associations. In 1993 I was elected a Fellow of the American Surgical Association. I served as vice-president of SAGES in 1990, where we defined the surgeon’s role in performing laparoscopy. While I was chairman of the membership committee of ASGE, (1996-8), I changed the by-laws to make international membership easier. Currently, I am trying to enhance education and development of surgical GI endoscopy.
B. Going abroad: The International Symposium of the Endoscopic Society has been growing every year. Proficiency in English is required to exchange information. The opportunities to go abroad include: (1) Medical School, (2) Residency in the USA, (3) GI Fellowship, (4) Research, (5) Teaching GI endoscopy in the USA, and (6) Collaboration with a foreign country on GI endoscopic research. I will present many examples of these opportunities. The elements that lead to success are desire, hard work, and proficiency in ones skills and in the English language.