As of 2016, the following guidelines are active: SAGES seeks to improve the overall value of patient care through promoting the adoption of and access to minimally invasive surgical techniques.

[8] The FES program is a comprehensive educational and assessment tool designed to teach and evaluate the fundamental knowledge, clinical judgment and technical skills required in the performance of basic gastrointestinal endoscopic surgery.

The goal is to provide participants with an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of endoscopic surgery in a consistent, scientifically accepted format, and to test cognitive and technical skills.

[10] FUSE is an educational program consisting of an interactive web-based multimedia-enhanced didactic curriculum and an online multiple choice cognitive exam.

The program is being designed to certify that a successful candidate has the demonstrated knowledge fundamental to the safe use of surgical energy-based devices in the operating room, endoscopic suite and other procedural areas in order to prevent fires and burns to patients.