Remediation for surgical trainees: recommendations from a narrative review

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Professional Development

Background:

• Surgical trainees require structured support to address underperformance.
• Evidence on effective remediation strategies for surgical trainees is needed to guide practice and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze current evidence on remediation for underperforming surgical trainees.
• To develop recommendations for improving surgical trainee remediation.

Main Methods:

• A narrative analysis was conducted, following systematic review principles.
• 55 articles on trainee remediation across medical and surgical specialties were reviewed.

Main Results:

• Remediation is a long-term, complex, and resource-intensive process.
• Standardized frameworks are crucial for coordinating multi-modal interventions.
• System-level recommendations include improved assessment and supervisor support; process-level recommendations emphasize tailored, proactive interventions.
• Regular reassessment and long-term follow-up indicate remediation is often successful.

Conclusions:

• Complex remediation within a programmatic framework can successfully return surgical trainees to expected standards.
• Future efforts should integrate learning theories, research, and collaborative protocols to enhance remediation outcomes.