title: Higher surgical training opportunities in the general hospital setting; getting the balance right.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The general hospital can play an important role in training of higher surgical trainees (HSTs) in Ireland and abroad. Training opportunities in such a setting have not been closely analysed to date.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to quantify operative exposure for HSTs over a 5-year period in a single institution.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of electronic training logbooks (over a 5-year period, 2007-2012) was performed for general surgery trainees on the higher surgical training programme in Ireland. The most commonly performed adult and paediatric procedures per trainee, per year were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Standard general surgery operations such as herniae (average 58, range 32-86) and cholecystectomy (average 60, range 49-72) ranked highly in each logbook. The most frequently performed emergency operations were appendicectomy (average 45, range 33-53) and laparotomy for acute abdomen (average 48, range 10-79). Paediatric surgical experience included appendicectomy, circumcision, orchidopexy and hernia/hydrocoele repair. Overall, the procedure most commonly performed in the adult setting was endoscopy, with each trainee recording an average of 116 (range 98-132) oesophagogastroduodenoscopies and 284 (range 227-354) colonoscopies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  General hospitals continue to play a major role in the training of higher surgical trainees. Analysis of the electronic logbooks over a 5-year period reveals the high volume of procedures available to trainees in a non-specialist centre. Such training opportunities are invaluable in the context of changing work practices and limited resources.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland, irobertson@me.com.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Traynor
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Waldron
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Barry
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D006769:Hospitals, General; D061847:Hospitals, High-Volume; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000193:education*; D016526:Workload