Laparoscopic training group launches new web site

The Surgical Trainees Interested in Laparoscopic and robotic Urological Surgery Group (STILUS) is launching the first phase of its new web site at the AUA annual meeting here this week. STILUS comprises physicians who are mentors and tutors in the field of urologic minimally invasive surgery. Its goal is to encourage and enhance the training of young urologists in endourology.

In this preliminary launch of the STILUS web site, trainees and mentors will be able to join the group and trainees can apply for traveling scholarships. The address for the STILUS site is www.stilus.co.uk.

"The web site will represent a useful supplementary tool for training in minimally invasive urological surgery in established training programs," said STILUS founder Sashi S. Kommu, MD, a urologic trainee in the UK.

Phase two of the web site launch will be at the World Congress of Endourology in Shanghai, China, in November. STILUS plans to unveil the STILUS Global Mentor Map, which will allow trainees to access information of centers of excellence linked to global mentors nearest to them, as well as a large online video library of laparoscopic and robotic urologic surgery. Future plans for the web site include ways of optimizing ergonomics, support tools for building homemade laparoscopic training kits, and online advice for trainees.