Certificate of Advanced Studies in Gastrointestinal cancer - first cohort (CAS-GI)

The Certificate of Advanced Studies in Gastrointestinal cancer (CAS-GI) is the first competence programme to focus on the improvement of both the clinical and scientific capability of oncologists, ensuring better-quality management of patients with gastrointestinal cancers.

• Duration: 16 months
• Structure: 6 online modules & 3 in presence seminars: participation in World Congress in Gastrointestinal Cancer 2024, 4-day-CAS-GI stand-alone seminar 2025, ESMO Congress 2025
• Collaborating university: Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Switzerland
• Chairs: Sara De Dosso (CH), Pietro Majno-Hurst (CH) and Andrea De Gottardi (CH)
• Start date next cohort: June 2024
• Application status: Closed. The applications for the next edition of CAS-GI will open on the 1st of October 2023.

Upon successful completion of the programme and after passing the final exam, participants will obtain an academic certificate issued by the European School of Oncology and the Università della Svizzera italiana.

For further information please contact: Sarah Ortelli, sortelli@eso.net

LINK TO THE PLATFORM HERE.

Admission

Admission to the Certificate of Competence in Gastrointestinal cancer (CAS-GI) programme will be by competitive application only and the selection will be based on the eligibility criteria and on the selection procedure.

Applications will be considered if received completed with all required documents and within the deadline. Attendance is limited to 25 participants.

Decisions on admissions are made by the appointed Programme Chair.

Attendance

To obtain the Certificate of Competence in Gastrointestinal cancer (CAS-GI) programme, it will be compulsory that participants will attend all seminars and modules according to the provided timeline.

Insurance

The organisers bear no responsibility for untoward events in relation to the participation in the seminars. Participants are advised to take out their own personal and travel insurance coverage.

Eligibility

• The CAS-GI program is designed for medical doctors (medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, nuclear medicine or pathology), but it is equally accessible to graduates in natural sciences, who are engaged in the field of oncology, especially in the field of gastrointestinal cancer.
• Medical doctors:

• Master degree from an accredited college or university (e.g. state examination in medicine) in medicine or an equivalent degree at the level of state examination in medicine and have had at least two years residency training in a relevant institution.
  
  
• Natural scientists:
  
  
• Master degree from an accredited college or university in a course of studies in natural sciences or an equivalent degree at the level of at least three years of studies or in a course of studies with essentially the same contents at an accredited college or university and at least two years of professional experience in oncology.
  
  
• The following additional achievements will increase the assessment rate of the application:
  
  
• Further professional experience related to the course of studies
• Completion of an additional qualification in oncology (specialist training as a physician or international equivalent)
• Publications, as evidenced by cumulative impact factors greater than 10
• At least one year of relevant oncological experience in a foreign country

In keeping with the ESO mission, the cost of the CAS-GI programme is generously subsidized by the European School of Oncology (ESO).

The tuition fee which remains to be paid by each participant is EUR 5.400.

In a further effort to make the cost of this programme accessible to professionals living in emerging economies, a discounted fee of EUR 3.000 will be applied to residents of lower and middle income countries as defined by The World Bank.

The tuition fee includes:

• Access to the in-person seminars foreseen by the programme, including registration for the indicated congresses and accommodation: World Congress in Gastrointestinal Cancer 2024, 4-day-CAS-GI stand-alone seminar 2025 (Lugano, Switzerland), ESMO Congress 2025
• Access to the online modules via a dedicated online platform
• Access to all exams required by the programme

The tuition fee does not include:

• Travel to the in-person seminars

REFUNDS

Cancellation of participation in the programme should be submitted in writing. A refund of the tuition fee will be considered if the programme has not started yet and on a case-by-case basis.

Chairs

• Sara De Dosso, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (IOSI), Bellinzona - CH
• Pietro Majno-Hurst, USI Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Lugano - CH and Regional Hospital of Lugano (EOC), Lugano - CH
• Andrea De Gottardi, USI Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Lugano - CH

Scientific Directors

• Adriana Albini, I
• Dimitri Christoforidis, CH
• Pierfrancesco Franco, I
• Daniel Helbling, CH
• Dan Monnery, UK
• Demetris Papamichael, CY
• Jordi Rodon, US
• Andrea Sartore Bianchi, I
• Eric Van Cutsem, B
• Hanneke Van Laarhoven, NL

Conceptual Development and Organisation

• Sarah Ortelli, ESO, CH
• Mina Curcic, USI, CH