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From Trainees to Assessors: Demographic Differences Between UK Surgical Trainees and ARCP Panels.
Jaspreet Kaur Seehra1, Ricky Ellis2, Brett Doleman1
1University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Journal of Surgical Education
|June 23, 2026
Summary
UK surgical training Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) panels lack diversity compared to trainees in gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Addressing these disparities is crucial for equitable surgical training assessment.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Surgical Training
- Health Equity
Background:
- Diversity and inclusion are critical for equitable medical training.
- Understanding the demographic representation on assessment panels is essential for identifying potential biases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the demographics of UK surgical trainees with those of Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) panel members.
- To assess the proportional representation of various demographic groups within surgical training and assessment.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of national trainee and assessor records was conducted.
- Data included 9848 surgical trainees and 2667 consultant surgeons serving on ARCP panels across 11 surgical specialties.
- Odds of ARCP panel membership were analyzed by gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
Main Results:
- ARCP panels showed underrepresentation of women (20.5% vs 35.4% trainees) and overrepresentation of White surgeons (51.5% vs 39.2% trainees).
- Asian, Black, mixed/multiple, and other/Chinese ethnic groups were underrepresented on panels compared to trainees.
- LGBTQ+ surgeons were also underrepresented on ARCP panels (2.0% vs 4.0% trainees).
- Multivariable analysis revealed significantly lower odds of panel membership for female, Asian, Black, mixed/multiple, other/Chinese, and LGBTQ+ individuals.
Conclusions:
- UK surgical ARCP panels are less diverse than the trainee population across gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
- These disparities suggest influences from both pipeline effects and assessor selection processes.
- Aligning panel composition with trainee demographics is a feasible strategy to promote equitable surgical training assessment.
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