▲ The medical professionals who completed the WISE specialized training course for the Middle East and Africa are posing for a commemorative photo with Professor Dong-Wan Seo (fifth from the left in the front row).

A recent ceremony celebrating the completion of WEO International School of EUS (WISE) for medical professionals from the Middle East and Africa was held at Al-Azhar University Hospital in Cairo, Egypt. The program, led by Professor Dong-Wan Seo and his team from the Division of Gastroenterology at Asan Medical Center, saw participation from over 20 physicians from seven countries, including Egypt, Morocco, and Iraq. Over the past year, these participants received both theoretical instruction and hands-on training.

Launched in 2018, WISE has since expanded to include 43 countries and trained more than 250 physicians. The curriculum covers all field of EUS from the basics to interventional EUS through the five modules of basic, beginner, intermediate, advanced, and intervention procedures. It combines lectures, live EUS demonstrations, and other practical components. Participants are given the opportunity to apply what they have learned in clinical settings, receiving detailed coaching from the experts at Asan Medical Center, and thus, developing their skills and advancing toward becoming specialists in endoscopic ultrasound.