Surgical training in India

The quality of surgical training and competence defines the quality of patient care. The developed world evolved its surgical training over a long progressive period, whereas countries in the developing world, of which India is a reasonable example, were jettisoned into the waters, to hurriedly create their own training.

Surgical training is but part of the picture of any countries medical education. Keeping statistics to a bare minimum, an attempt is made to trace the evolution, progress and current state of surgical training in India. Shortcomings in the training program in a country with such a tremendously wide economic spectrum, and their possible solutions, are evaluated.

In a country as vast, populous and complex as India no one article could even remotely do justice to this subject. What is lost in depth and pragmatism here is hopefully compensated, to some small degree, by the 50 year personal experience (and perhaps philosophy) of one of the authors (T.E.U.).

Surgical Training has to be tailored to the specific needs of each country. Surgery is a humanitarian science. The thrust of surgical training in India should be, and hopefully will be, not just to be on par with the developed world, but more important, to ensure good surgical care to all Indians, in all places.