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Is current surgical training efficient? A national survey
Charlotte Green Carlsen1, Karen Lindorff-Larsen2, Peter Funch-Jensen3
1Centre of Medical Education, Aarhus University, Incuba Science Park, Aarhus N, Denmark.
Journal of Surgical Education
|May 7, 2014
Summary
Surgical training in Denmark lacks procedure quotas, leading to varied experience among trainees. This informal system risks skewed training, as procedure numbers depend more on individuals and local habits than the program itself.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Surgical Training
- Competency-Based Assessment
Background:
- Surgical training evaluation in Denmark is competency-based without mandatory procedure numbers.
- This approach may hinder progress monitoring and accurate time estimation for skill acquisition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the number of common surgical procedures performed by trainees.
- To compare trainees' and consultants' expectations of the surgical training program.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire survey was distributed to 115 surgical trainees in Denmark.
- Inquiries focused on self-reported procedure counts, confidence levels, and training expectation fulfillment.
- A separate questionnaire assessed consultants' training expectations.
Main Results:
- Significant variation in the number of common surgical procedures (e.g., hernia repair, appendectomy, cholecystectomy) performed by trainees.
- A low number of one procedure correlated with a similar pattern across others.
- Around one-third of trainees did not perform common elective procedures independently until their fifth year.
- Discrepancies were noted between consultants' and trainees' views on training.
Conclusions:
- No consistent trend in procedure numbers or types across surgical trainees was observed.
- Procedure volume appears influenced by individual trainees and local practices, not the formal training program.
- The informal, competency-based system without quantitative requirements poses a risk of uneven training experiences.
