Description

The number of supervised and unsupervised OPD and Theatre

sessions:

Calman training is meant to deliver on the job consultant led training. In our survey population direct consultant supervision was absent for one or more theatre sessions for 45% of trainees and for one or more OPD sessions for 35% of trainees. Furthermore, 10% of trainees had only 50% of their OPD and Theatre sessions supervised by their consultant. As much as the ability to conduct unsupervised clinical sessions is an important aspect of training for a trainee in year 5 or 6, for the remaining majority, supervision and interaction with the consultant is an essential aspect of training. Unsupervised sessions are usually the product of high service commitment but this should not result in using trainees as “extra hands” to fulfil this service commitment. We play into the hands of the politicians and management by trying to comply with the high public demand and then being held responsible for producing a croup of poorly trained surgeons. In teaching institutions we need a paradigm shift from provision of service to provision of training and service.

Traditional surgical training in UK has relied on long hours of work and high volume of clinical exposure to produce the high standard of surgeon. The new deal has shortened hours with the understandable consequence of less exposure to clinical cases. To maintain the current high standard of surgical training in UK a more focused approach is required that emphasises instruction as much as practice.