Assessing the surgical skills of trainees in the operating theatre:a prospective observational study of the methodology

摘要

Background Until recently, surgical training in the UK was based upon an apprenticeship model. Trainees undertook many years of training and were required to pass knowledge-based exams before becoming consultants. Surgical skills were not formally assessed. The Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board now requires all postgraduate medical specialties to provide comprehensive curricula, in which the competencies defined in the syllabus are blueprinted to an assessment system. The introduction of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD), a shorter duration of training and UK NHS service pressures also demand the development of more efficient surgical training methods, in which supervised training opportunities are maximised.