New training paradigms and program requirements

Specialized training in vascular surgery evolved over the second half of the 20th century and continues to do so in 2006. Apprenticeship-style training in the 1960s and 1970s gave way to formal curriculum- and case-based programs created in the 1980s to improve the quality and consistency of vascular care. Recent developments have resulted in the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's approval of additional training pathways leading to certification by the American Board of Surgery. This article summarizes the history of vascular surgery training in the United States and describes the four types of currently approved programs--Standard, Early Specialization, Independent, and Integrated--for specialty training in vascular surgery. These are the only programs that can lead to American Board of Surgery certification in vascular surgery.