Graduate medical education in surgery in the United States.
Each year, approximately 1000 graduating medical students enter 5-year residency programs in general surgery. Their salaries are funded by the federal government. Following 5 years of general surgery training, approximately 70% of graduates enroll in a specialty fellowship. Surgery training currently faces a number of challenges, including the diminishing attractiveness of surgery as a career, attrition from residency programs, mandated work hour limits, extensive service requirements in the hospital environment, increasing specialization, and changing patient expectations about the role of residents in their care, among others. In the face of these challenges, the profession is beginning to respond to the need for positive change in the process of training surgeons.
Bell
Richard H
RH
American Board of Surgery, 1617 John F Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 860, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1847, USA. rbell@absurgery.org
Banker
Melissa B
MB
Rhodes
Robert S
RS
Biester
Thomas W
TW
Lewis
Frank R
FR
D002321:Career Choice; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000592:standards; D013043:Specialties, Surgical / Q000193:education*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014481:United States; D016526:Workload