Changing patterns in graduate surgical education in The Netherlands

An overview is presented of the organization, outline, and contents of graduate surgical training programs in The Netherlands. Adaptations of these programs to changes in demands in surgical practice and health care delivery systems are discussed. Special emphasis is given to the relation of surgery and the surgical specialties, additional training, theoretic training, and manpower planning. The principal questions regarding the optimal way to respond to changing concepts in the field of surgery are presented and discussed in the context of the situation in The Netherlands, but they seem to be similar in the surgical communities of many countries.