The Future of General Surgery: Evolving to Meet a Changing Practice

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Health Policy

Background:

• General Surgery practice in Canada has evolved significantly over 30 years.
• Current General Surgery residency training may not equip graduates for all practice settings.
• There's a need to align training with evolving surgical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop recommendations for optimizing General Surgery training in Canada.
• To address the gap between current training and the demands of modern surgical practice.
• To ensure General Surgery graduates are prepared for diverse practice environments.

Main Methods:

• A national Task Force on the Future of General Surgery led the project.
• Four evidence-based sub-studies were conducted.
• A national survey informed the recommendations.

Main Results:

• General Surgery practice patterns vary significantly by location.
• Current training provides strong clinical competence but may not cover all practice needs.
• Subspecialization is increasingly common among general surgeons.
• Four key recommendations were developed to optimize training.

Conclusions:

• Training objectives should accommodate the variability in General Surgery practice.
• The Royal College is reviewing training requirements for a more "fit for purpose" scheme.
• The goal is to ensure optimal preparation for all practice settings across Canada.