Survey on the Future of Surgical Training in the UK

Dear Colleague,
 
This survey follows on from our first survey in which we asked you about your working patterns. There has been a fantastic response to the survey and some very interesting preliminary results have been seen. Further to this, we are now conducting another survey asking you for your opinion on various aspects of your surgical training and how this can be further improved. However, this can only be achieved if you would be able to provide us with your views.

Surgical training has undergone a transformation over the last few years. The implementation of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD), the New Deal for Junior Doctors, and the delivery of Modernising Medical Careers has meant a paradigm shift in how junior surgeons deliver service whilst maintaining their training commitments. Many of us have experienced significant changes in our working patterns. More often than not, junior surgeons are telling us they spend less time in the hospital, but have more time to spend on other activities. 
 
Whilst there is a big debate on the impact of EWTD on surgical training, it is seen that no one person or organisation would lead the way to find practical solutions to these problems.

As a consequence, we are producing a generation of `so-called` surgical trainees that lack the skill and confidence that their predecessors had upon taking the reigns of their consultancy. As a profession, surgery is losing out in its competence and brilliance to other professions.

The question is how can we turn the current experience of being a surgical trainee or surgical doctor from that of a disillusioned and inexperienced one to one that is enthusiastic and experienced. This cannot be achieved around the boardroom table of academics or clinicians alone. This can only be achieved if You, the aspiring surgeon, has his or her say in the future of surgical training.
 
We should be very grateful if you would kindly take a few minutes to complete the survey by clicking on the following web address link:
 
http://www.smart-survey.co.uk/v.asp?i=16677veiug

Please read the questions carefully and indicate the answers that best suit you. By completing this questionnaire, you consent to the anonymous reporting of the results of this questionnaire as abstracts, papers or presentations to journals, meetings, societies, colleges, universities, conferences as well as websites including Doctors.Net.UK, Association of Surgeons in Training, varoius deanery and hospital websites and their print publications, Newspapers and Electronic Media, both nationally as well as internationally by the authors. This survey should take about 5 to 10 minutes to complete.

Please note: 

• Question 1 through to question 5 have been asked for demographic purposes to ensure that the survey is fair and free from bias and the responses will be used anonymously.
• You are not obliged to answer any or indeed all of the following questions but we would appreciate it very much if you would kindly do so.
• If you have received this e-mail from another source, then we would be grateful if you could complete the above survey ONLY ONCE.
• This survey closes on Tuesday 2nd March 2010.
• You may wish to opt out of this survey by writing `opt out of survey` in the subject line of the e-mail to the following e-mail address: muhammad.khan@mayday.nhs.uk

Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey.
 
With Best Wishes,
 
Mr Muhammad Khan
Clinical Teaching Fellow in Surgery,
Mayday University Hospital NHS Trust, Croydon, Surrey

Added on: 15th December 2009