The basis of our Surgical Training Institute (STI) was founded more than 18 years ago by Professor Corneliu Dragomirescu MD. PhD and his enthusiastic young team. Catalin Copaescu MD, PhD and Florin Turcu MD, PhD were two of the most active founders of his team and all were driven purely by the desire to pass on their knowledge, keep doctors informed and teach them the latest techniques in laparoscopic surgery. Since 2012, all educational activities (courses, symposiums and clinical immersions) have been held in PONDERAS ACADEMIC HOSPITAL, and are addressed both to Romanian and foreign surgeons, willing to develop their skills in laparoscopic surgery and endoscopic techniques. So far, more than 2000 doctors have been certified in our training centre.

Our team of over 40 well known experts from Romania and abroad is coordinated by: Catalin Copaescu – STI Executive Director, together with Florin Turcu - Training Program Scientific Director, Victor Tomulescu and Dan Ulmeanu – as Training Program Directors.

Our training centre and operating rooms are equipped with the latest medical technology, and are interconnected with an HD audio-video system that allows us to transmit live surgeries from our ORs into our training rooms and to any Operating Rooms worldwide via our videoconference systems. In our hands-on skills lab, we have six stations completely equipped for any endoscopic procedures to specimens or live models under general anaesthesia.

18 participants are admitted for every course. All of them have the chance to learn and being hands-on training for laparoscopic skills and endoscopic techniques on live swine.

All our events are organized in our conference rooms, where lectures and conferences are provided by our team of experts and invited speakers, while the training activity runs in our practical skills lab.

Here are some of the topics our endoscopic training courses are based on: fundamental & emergency laparoscopic procedures, hernia & incisional hernia repair, eso-gastric procedures, colorectal procedures, uro-gynecology, thoracoscopic &VATS, flexible endoscopy, video-assisted intubation for difficult airways and bariatric & metabolic procedures.