[Federation of Swiss Physicians and the training of general surgeons]

The author recommends the Residency Program of the Halsted type as developed by D.C. SABISTON in the Departement of Surgery at Duke University. A two-year training in the basic problems, knowledge, and attitudes, common to all surgical subspecialties, is of fundamental importance (Fig. 1). The goal of this type of training is the US-Board Certification.--The Swiss Medical Federation considers the following factors as essential in a surgical training programm: The training of the general surgeon should be geared to broad principles without early overspecialisation. The training should allow a certain flexibility for the teacher as well as the candidate. A sufficient operative experience is paramount as well as the habit of a continuous education all trough a life-long surgical career and an understanding for economy in surgical practice.--The training of an university--or a private--surgeon does not give rise to important problems, whereas the training of surgeons for the medium sized and small Swiss hospitals represents a difficult problem. A double training in "visceral" and "orthopaedic" surgery with an accent on one or the other seems necessary in order to have one chief surgeon take the place of another during vacation, week-ends and illness. Even if such a complete training seems desirable, it can be justly questioned if under the present circumstances (emergency transportation, regionalized hospital organization, specialized hospital consultants) it is still justified to aim at the training of a "complete" surgeon who elsewhere, in a university hospital or in private practice or for that matter in other countries, is no longer absolutely necessary.