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]]>Home > Mentorship and Training > Surgical Short Courses
Expanded Training Short Courses
Inaugural Course: The IGCS Train-the-Trainer Master Workshop
With IGCS’s global membership base spanning diverse healthcare systems, resource settings, and levels of surgical expertise, we are expanding our role in surgical education by offering a variety of surgical training courses.
As surgical management remains a cornerstone of gynecologic cancer care, providing structured, high-quality surgical education supports IGCS’s mission of advancing knowledge, empowering professionals, and reducing global disparities in cancer outcomes.
Program Overview
The International Gynecologic Cancer Society is offering our first inaugural short course in the new Expanded Training Program, by offering the Train-the-Trainer Master Workshop, led by Dr. Reitan Ribeiro, to be held at the IGCS Annual Global Meeting in Montreal. This workshop will be offered to 24 select surgeons chosen via our application to develop surgical skills in a practical, condensed, and accessible format.
Trainers who are selected for this workshop will be learning from over 15+ invited expert surgeon faculty members worldwide who will be attending and teaching alongside participants (attending faculty list coming soon!)
Program Objectives
The goals of this workshop are the following:
- To align expert surgeons on key surgical principles and techniques prioritized by the IGCS educational mission.
- To build a cohesive, international network of surgical educators for IGCS short courses.
- To validate the teaching approach and technique reproducibility of each selected trainer.
- To facilitate mutual observation, feedback, and refinement in a high-level collaborative environment.
Target Audience
Internationally recognized expert gynecologic oncology surgeons selected by IGCS based on their proven surgical excellence and educational leadership, from a variety of geographical settings.
Duration
1 day (pre-congress) – 08:30 to 16:30
September 30, 2026
Format
In-person, exclusive hands-on cadaveric surgical workshop with participant-led demonstrations, structured peer feedback, and IGCS-led harmonization sessions.
Participant Selection & Registration Policy
Participation in the IGCS Train-the-Trainers Workshop is done through a rigorous selection process designed to identify skilled gynecologic oncology surgeons worldwide who are seeking additional education and training.
Applicant must:
- Currently be a current trainee in gynecologic oncology or practicing gynecologic oncology
- Be an IGCS member and registered to attend the AGM to attend course
- Upload CV (5 pages maximum)
- Upload letter of interest (500 word maximum) that speaks to interest in attending this course, surgical expertise, teaching capacity (if applicable), years of experience, and case complexity/learning interest
- Upload letter of recommendation from a service chief, program director, or department chairman with whom you have most recently served
- Complete IGCS application fields including demographic information, level of experience, describe whether applicant currently trains residents and fellows, and whether training is open or laparoscopic.
Terms of Involvement:
- Required to travel to Montreal
- Must be an active IGCS member and registered to attend the Montreal AGM to attend course
- No travel grants are available to attend course
- Final selection made by select workshop faculty.
- Applications will be accepted between March 7 to April 7, 2026
- Select workshop faculty will review all applications and use rubric scoring for grading
- 24 participants will be selected based on merit and geographic representation.
Registration & Financial Policy
- The course is delivered at cost, reflecting its unique mission: to serve as the final stage of training and standardization for expert-level surgical educators who will spread gynecologic oncology surgery knowledge all over the world.
- Each participant will receive a certificate of completion.
- All participants must pay the course registration fee of approximately USD $1,450
Deadline: April 7, 2026 at 11:59 CT (Chicago)
List of faculty attending coming soon!
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]]>The post IGCS 2026 News appeared first on IGCS.
]]>IGCS is aware that the visa application and approval process to visit Montreal and attend IGCS 2026 may be longer than normal. We strongly recommend that all attendees begin their visa application process as soon as possible, as processing times may be longer than usual, particularly due to increased travel demand associated with the FIFA World Cup in Canada.
IGCS 2026 Visa Information
Most foreign nationals need a temporary resident visa (TRV) or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to travel to Canada. To find out if you need a TRV or eTA to travel to Canada, see: Find out if you need a visa to travel to Canada.
For more information about the TRV and eTA application processes, see: Visit Canada.
Important Steps
Register to the Meeting to receive your confirmation and personal invitation letter Apply for your visa as early as possible. Ensure you have all required documentation before contacting your local Canadian Consulate or Embassy IGCS cannot intervene with the visa application process which is fully managed by Canadian Immigration services
To avoid potential delays, participants and abstract submitters should begin their visa applications at least six months ahead of the event. Processing times may be longer during peak periods, such as the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Canada.
Special Event Codes: Events registered with IRCC are issued a unique special event code to help track and monitor visa processing. Applicants should tag their applications with the event’s special event code, which can be found in the letter of invitation provided by the event organizer. The event code for the The IGCS Annual Global Meeting is 26IGCS.
For more information, please visit the official meeting website, IGCSmeeting.com.
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]]>The post IGCS Preinvasive Disease Program News appeared first on IGCS.
]]>Five years in, the program remains in a period of active growth. Looking ahead, IGCS is focused on:
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| This Impact Report captures a journey we are truly proud to be part of. We invite you to explore the report, share it with your networks, and learn more about the people and partnerships that drive this important work forward. Sincerely, |
This program is supported in part by the IGCS World of Hope Development Fund. Help us continue our work across the three pillars of cervical cancer elimination. Donate today.
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]]>The post IGCS Go Global Fellowship News appeared first on IGCS.
]]>This program is a structured, two-year global curriculum delivered through deep, sustained mentorship and adapted to the realities of each local training institution. While grounded in internationally recognized standards of care, the curriculum is implemented in partnership with host institutions — strengthening existing systems, expanding surgical capacity, and empowering fellows to become leaders within their own regions.
This report highlights:
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]]>The post World Cancer Day 2026 appeared first on IGCS.
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Dear Members and Friends of IGCS,
World Cancer Day—observed each year on February 4 and led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)—is a global initiative that brings together millions of individuals and organizations around a shared purpose: reducing the impact of cancer worldwide.
We at IGCS have learned through our own efforts that campaigns like World Cancer Day matter. These bold awareness programs bring people together across borders, disciplines, and systems. This year, World Cancer Day continues its three-year theme, United by Unique. In my 2025 message, I reflected on how deeply this theme resonates with us at IGCS—an organization defined by diversity of people, disciplines, and settings, yet united by a shared mission to improve outcomes for women with gynecologic cancers worldwide. This message remains true.
This year I would like to draw your attention to the Upside-Down Challenge, which is another World Cancer Day initiative encouraging individuals and organizations to share an upside-down image and begin their message with the phrase: “Cancer turned my world upside down.” Last year, over 1,000 people participated in the challenge.
Reflecting on the intention of the phrase, one instinctively understands its meaning. Many of us have experienced an event when the world as you know it stops, all your plans seem useless, your priorities change and the future is uncertain. As cancer professionals, we often witness how our patients feel overwhelmed and encounter “Upside-Down” moments where everything suddenly flips. In those moments, patients need steadiness, clear information, trusted guidance, compassionate care, and hope.
The relevance for IGCS as a society is that these are the things that we focus on and that we as women’s cancer professionals do without hesitation. It is by improving access to knowledgeable, compassionate care and best available treatment, and by embracing scientific progress that we want to contribute to turning their world “Upside-UP” again!
At IGCS we amplify patient voices and work toward more equitable, people-centered health systems through our advocacy programs. Through education, research, and collaboration, we share knowledge, strengthen global professional networks and interaction, and reinforce systems of care – all to translate discoveries into better outcomes for women everywhere. Our well-known training programs focus especially on surgery and radiation to help build local expertise where it is needed. Soon we will offer young professionals the chance of observation at several prestigious units globally, with more exciting opportunities to come!
As we join the World Cancer Day 2026 campaign, IGCS does so with intention and resolve. We work tirelessly to empower all our members to offer best care to patients whose lives are turned Upside-Down by gynecologic cancer. I know you share my vision of a future where all preventable cancers are prevented, and where disease outcomes are not determined by geography or circumstance.
I invite you to join the “Upside-Down” campaign with your own photo and message, and to reflect on how cancer alters our own and our patients’ perspectives.
I invite you also to be an active partner in the IGCS “Upside-Up” initiatives lead by a global community committed to restoring steadiness, dignity, and hope.
Sincerely,
Greta Dreyer, MD, PhD
IGCS President
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]]>The post Welcome EVA Group appeared first on IGCS.
]]>Dear IGCS Members,
We are pleased to announce that the Brazilian Gynecologic Oncology Group – EVA Group– has officially joined the International Gynecologic Cancer Society’s Strategic Alliance Partner Program.
Founded in 2013, EVA is a respected, mission-driven, nonprofit association dedicated to advancing gynecologic cancer care across Brazil through education, research, prevention, awareness and comprehensive patient support.
IGCS Milestone Reached – 10K Members!
By joining IGCS, EVA will bring over 700 new members into our global network, a milestone that is set to push IGCS membership past 10,000 for the first time. Instrumental to this partnership were EVA President, Dr. Andréa Paiva Gadêlha Guimarães; EVA 1st Vice President and current IGCS Board Member, Dr. Graziela Zibetti Dal Molin and Dr. Gustavo Guitmann, EVA’s Director of International Relations.
EVA President, Dr. Andréa Paiva Gadêlha Guimarães said “This partnership represents more than a formal collaboration; it reflects a shared commitment to scientific progress, capacity building, and the continuous improvement of patient-centered care. We look forward to developing collaborative projects, educational initiatives, and opportunities for mutual engagement that will contribute to the growth of our institutions and, most importantly, to the advancement of science.”
What EVA Brings & How Our Alliance Will Help
EVA unites Brazilian clinicians, allied professionals and patients around a shared mission: to fight gynecologic cancers through awareness, education, research, prevention, and patient support.
By joining IGCS, EVA gains access to our global network, educational resources, and international collaborations — supporting their efforts to address the cancer burden across Brazil. At the same time, IGCS benefits from EVA’s deep local expertise and leadership, and patient awareness programs, helping enrich our global perspective with the realities and needs of Brazilian women and healthcare providers.
IGCS President, Prof. Greta Dreyer, said “IGCS is made so much more powerful though the local expertise of regional societies and EVA’s dedication to holistic, equitable gynecologic cancer care aligns strongly with IGCS’ mission. This alliance fosters a meaningful two-way exchange, and we look forward to a strong and impactful collaboration. With Latin America a true priority for IGCS in 2026, this partnership represents an outstanding start.”
Dr. Graziela Zibetti Dal Molin, EVA 1st Vice President and current IGCS Board Member, said: “The partnership between EVA and IGCS represents a pivotal step in strengthening international collaboration across Latin America. It creates a unique opportunity to expand continuing medical education, training initiatives, and advocacy efforts, fostering meaningful exchange between Brazilian physicians and the global gynecologic oncology community, while also serving as an important milestone in extending this project to other Latin American countries.”
Why This Partnership Matters
In Brazil, gynecologic and breast cancers are among the most frequently diagnosed cancers in women. Cervical cancer remains a major burden, particularly in underserved regions, with many cases diagnosed at advanced stages — a reality tied to unequal access to screening, diagnostics and timely care. Challenges remain in many parts of Brazil: uneven distribution of specialized healthcare resources, limited access to advanced treatments, and structural inequities that disproportionately affect women in low-resource regions.
Because of these realities — the high burden of gynecologic cancers, regional disparities in care, and urgent need for better education, prevention, and treatment access — the work of EVA is especially vital.
Dr. Gustavo Guitmann, EVA’s Director of International Relations shared his sentiments about the partnership: “Seeing this collaboration come to fruition reinforces my belief in the power of shared vision, international cooperation, and collective commitment to advancing gynecologic oncology on a global scale. This alliance represents not only an institutional milestone, but also a meaningful step forward that will bring lasting benefits to our professionals, our organizations, and, most importantly, to patients worldwide.”
We are truly excited about the future of this partnership and confident that together we will achieve impactful and enduring results.
Sincerely,
Mary Eiken, MS
IGCS CEO
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]]>The post Gestational Trophoblastic Disease ECHO appeared first on IGCS.
]]>Dear Members and Guests of IGCS, ISGyP and ISSTD,
We are pleased to announce a new joint educational offering developed collaboratively by the International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS), the International Society of Gynecological Pathologists (ISGyP), and the International Society for the Study of Trophoblastic Diseases (ISSTD). This unique program will provide a comprehensive opportunity to deepen knowledge and advance best practices in the diagnosis, management, and research of gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD), particularly gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN).
GTD, while often considered rare in some settings, represent a clinically significant group of diseases with meaningful global impact. Incidence and presentation vary widely across regions, with higher prevalence reported in parts of Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East, and with increasing recognition worldwide due to improved diagnostics and surveillance. Timely, accurate diagnosis and coordinated multidisciplinary care are essential, as outcomes can be excellent when evidence-based approaches are applied—yet disparities in access to expertise and standardized care persist internationally.
This joint educational initiative responds directly to that need. By bringing together the complementary expertise of ISSTD, IGCS, and ISGyP, these monthly educational offerings will integrate clinical management, pathological diagnosis, surgical and medical decision-making, and emerging research. Participants will benefit from a truly international perspective, with insights drawn from diverse practice settings and patient populations, reinforcing the importance of collaboration across disciplines and borders.
We believe this collaboration represents an exceptional opportunity for clinicians, pathologists, trainees, and allied professionals to learn from global leaders, share experiences, and strengthen networks dedicated to improving outcomes for patients affected by GTD.
We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to engage in high-quality, internationally relevant education and to be part of a collaborative effort that advances understanding and patient care of GTD worldwide. Each month, an international expert will present a case or provide an educational lecture, followed by group discussion that attendees are encouraged to participate in. Registration is now available through Project ECHO.The first ECHO will be held January 29, 2026.
Thank you for your continued dedication to advancing women’s health through education, research, and collaboration.
Sincerely,
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]]>The post Renew or Join appeared first on IGCS.
]]>At IGCS we provide:
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- If you do not remember your password, you can click the "lost password" link on the sign-in page or email me for help.
- You will be required to review and save your profile information before you submit your payment. If a required field has not been completed, the system will not allow you to proceed to payment.
- If you renew for multiple years, a discount will be applied to the annual fee.
Your renewal does more than sustain your own professional journey—it strengthens our global network dedicated to advancing gynecologic cancer care for women everywhere. Dues directly support capacity-building in low- and middle-income countries, ensuring that education and training reach providers where the need is greatest. Help IGCS in our goal of sustaining a global movement to improve gynecologic cancer care for women everywhere. If you have questions or need assistance with your membership or renewal, please contact Rosie Stephans at [email protected].
IGCS Secretary Treasurer
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]]>The post Landmark Global Study on Ovarian Cancer Published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women’s Health appeared first on IGCS.
]]>We are pleased to share important news for our global community. A major new international study, “Experiences of Women with Ovarian Cancer in 22 Low- and Middle- Income Countries (Every Woman Study
LMIC): a Cross-sectional Study,” was published today in the The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health, providing the first comprehensive picture of the lived experiences of women with ovarian cancer in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC), where 70% of those diagnosed with the disease live.
This peer-reviewed publication is a major milestone for this study. The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women’s Health, is one of the most influential platforms in women’s health, meaning these findings will reach a broad global audience of clinicians, researchers, and decision-makers dedicated to improving women’s health. This visibility directly supports IGCS’s mission to raise awareness of ovarian cancer and highlight the urgent challenges faced by women in low- and middle-income countries.
This landmark study — a joint initiative of the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition and the International Gynecologic Cancer Society — is informed by the experiences of women with ovarian cancer across 22 low- and middle-income countries. More than 2,400 women participated, offering critical insights into awareness, access to care, financial hardship, and diagnostic delays. These findings will help inform global, national, and local efforts to advance equity in ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment.
We are especially proud that IGCS members played a central role in making this work possible, including the newly appointed IGCS Advocacy Committee Vice Chair, Dr. Tracey Adams, who co-chaired the study’s Oversight Committee.
IGCS remains committed to amplifying the voices of women worldwide and strengthening the evidence needed to drive meaningful policy change. We value our strategic advocacy partnership with the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition in making this collaborative work possible. Thank you to all IGCS members, partners, and advocates whose expertise, leadership, and dedication contributed to this milestone.
Learn even more about this landmark study
PODCAST: Listen to this episode of the podcast, “Changing the Ovarian Cancer Story” where host Hannah Vaughan Jones speaks with World Ovarian Cancer Coalition Study Lead Frances Reid, Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet, Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women’s Health, Sonia Muliyil, and Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Dr. Aisha Mustapha as they discuss the EWS-LMIC and the power of high quality data and evidence to impact ovarian cancer at the country level.
REPORT: Today, the Every Woman Study LMIC Edition Report was also released, providing additional insights and data from the study as well as clear, actionable steps that countries can take immediately. This includes data on access barriers, genetic testing and targeted treatments, and route and time to diagnosis.
BLOG: Read this blog featuring Frances Reid, Study lead for the Every Woman Study - LMIC and Director of Programmes at the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition, who explains why this study is unique and so needed.
Sincerely,
Mary Eiken, MS
IGCS CEO
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]]>The post End-of-Year Message from IGCS President, Prof. Greta Dreyer appeared first on IGCS.
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host the meeting so close to home, and the Cape Town IGCS2025 meeting was a personal highlight for me. It was deeply meaningful to have the first-ever global IGCS congress in Africa and we aimed for the program to cover locally relevant issues, while also retaining global significance. Colleagues travelled from 98 countries to attend, and many members from the hosting region supported and attended. I trust you all found that the scientific program reached these goals and that the social program was enriching and energizing!
My sincere appreciation goes to our scientific program chairs and committee, the dedicated IGCS and Kenes staff and everyone from the local society whose contributions and tireless work made the meeting such a success. Thank you also to all who traveled to Cape Town, South Africa - it was an absolute privilege to welcome you to my part of the world! I know many of you planned to stay in the region to explore this beautiful country and I hope it was a most enjoyable time. For those who could not join us this year, I truly hope to welcome you to IGCS2026 in Montreal in October and perhaps also to South Africa someday…
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