Surgical training in the United Kingdom for foreign graduates

Surgical training in the United Kingdom is undergoing a radical reorganisation but included in these changes are plans for the continued participation of foreign graduates in the new training programmes. British surgery has a long tradition of contributing to the training of foreign graduates but unfortunately in the past the organisation of this training was often haphazard although it did coincide with a time when the organisation of surgical training for all graduates was equally patchy. Nevertheless, the overall high standard of training has resulted in an equitable distribution of well-trained surgeons throughout the United Kingdom, most of whom are keen to participate in the evolving surgical training programmes. The purpose of this paper is to help foreign trainers and trainees understand the present training position and encourage their participation in the new programmes.