[How much general surgery does the specialist surgeon need? French considerations?]

General surgery is the basis of surgery and the prerequisite for any type of surgical intervention. General surgery is also the coordinating factor for all those patients whose state of health, requires the attendance of several specialists. Four conditions are mandatory for optimal training: 1. Criteria for admission 2. Duration of training: 4 years of basic surgical training with 2-3 more years for specialization 3. Criteria for the standardization among the training centres (hospital accreditation system) 4. Quality control: at the end of the 1st year control of manual ability and after 4 years theoretical, clinical and practical examinations. These points are discussed and defended.