The development of undergraduate curricula in surgery: I. General issues

Undergraduate surgical education is evolving in line with societal changes, the growth of information technology, developments in educational processes, and shifts in the health-care industry. The underlying principles include the establishment of a strong linkage between the objectives and content of curricula, the identification of core knowledge and appropriate attitudes, achieving competence in basic skills, the creation of greater integration, and the promotion of study in depth. The aim of the present paper was to provide surgeons with an overview of these developments.