A Recommendation for FLS Certification for General Surgery Residents By the End of the PGY-2 Year

The "Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery" (FLS) certification has been shown to establish achievement of basic levels of knowledge and skills competencies in laparoscopic surgery by surgical residents. Current evidence shows that this frequently occurs too late in training for residents to use these competencies to facilitate their advancement toward operative autonomy. The American Board of Surgery (ABS) General Surgery Board working with the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeon (SAGES) FLS Committee have jointly formulated a recommendation that FLS certification should ideally be achieved by US surgical residents by the end of postgraduate year-2 in order to facilitate access to more advanced laparoscopic procedures and to achievement of practice readiness.