No time to train the surgeons: The rot is deep

doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7448.1134

BMJ 2004;328:1134 (8 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7448.1134

Letter

No time to train the surgeons

The rot is deep

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Chikwe et al highlight the crisis in surgical trainingin the United Kingdom.¹ Many of the advantages of the "apprentice"model have been destroyed without a comfortable and successfulnew structure being in place. Some elements can be rectifiedwith ease—comprehensive academic courses, wet labs, arefashioned senior registrar phase, for example. The previoushours of exposure can clearly not be amassed without an absurdlylong training period.

One of our goals should be to have the shortest overall trainingperiod that is capable of producing the best doctors fit todo their jobs. To what extent can we take the best from othersystems and adapt to our situation? Why does it take four tofive years to qualify in medicine in the United Kingdom whenin other countries this can be achieved in four years? Moreimportantly, why in the current era can newly qualified doctors. . . [Full text of this article]

Aman S Coonar, specialist registrar, cardiothoracic surgery

Cardiothoracic Surgery, Guy's and St Thomas's Hospitals, London SE1 9RT aman.coonar@gstt.sthames.nhs.uk