Abstract:

Background:
The UK(United Kingdom) surgical training programme has evolved tremendously over the last decade (1). With the introduction of the European Working Time Directive and the lifting of the Resident Market Labour Test (RMLT) restrictions for International Medical Graduates (IMGs), there has been a shift in the dynamics of entering surgical training programmes. While these changes opened opportunities, numerous questions regarding the entry process and the nature of the training itself have remained unanswered.

Aims:
The overall aim of the FTSS Surgical Specialty Teaching Programme was to provide guidance and insights for those commencing a surgical rotation or considering a career in surgery in the UK. The secondary aim was to deliver this education to an international audience by working with current UK surgical trainees from diverse backgrounds through a collaborative initiative between the Foundation Trainee Surgical Society(FTSS) and the Surgical Society of International Doctors(SSID) of the UK.

Objectives:
- To improve junior doctors’ and medical students’ understanding of the UK surgical training programme
- To offer an insider perspective from trainees across various surgical specialties in the UK
- To improve understanding of the pros and cons, challenges, and common cases encountered in different surgical specialties in the UK
- To provide detailed information on the portfolio and application processes for surgical training programmes.
- To encourage equality, diversity and inclusion in surgical training, particularly focusing on IMGs and those unfamiliar with the UK system.

Methods:
A 7-part teaching course was created with current surgical trainees in the United Kingdom using guidelines from Health Education England and the Royal College of Surgeons and a pre-course survey to tailor the content to the needs of the audience. Pre and post-course questionnaires were sent out to all participants. The questionnaires assessed several aspects expected of surgical training applicants including portfolio requirements, exams to be undertaken, emergencies, appropriate resources as well as relevance of the sessions. Each aspect was assessed using Likert scales between 1 and 5 from least to most confident. The programme was delivered in a live interactive webinar format on the MedAll platform. Data was analysed in IBM SPPS Statistics and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test was utilised to determine statistical significance.

Results:
285 attendees from 38 countries attended the teaching programme and completed the questionnaires. A statistically significant increase in participants' confidence levels was reported following the programme(p=<0.05). Confidence across aspects such as application process, entry requirements and common emergencies increased from 35% to 88%. Positive association between post-session confidence levels and the relevance of content, format of sessions and engagingness was identified by correlation analysis.

Conclusion:
The project has shown measurable benefit from utilising a sustainable educational method to address common barriers to entering the UK surgical training programme. This project has shown the positive impact of tailored interactive webinar sessions in improving confidence of future surgical trainees entering the changing landscape of the UK surgical workforce.

References:
[1] Hurreiz H. The evolution of surgical training in the UK. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2019;10:163–8.

Keywords:

NHS, England, Surgical Training, International Medical Graduates, UK.