Exploring the Changing Landscape of Surgical Residency Training

Abstract

Within the past decade, the structure and format of surgical residency training has changed radically by the introduction of competency-based training programs, the progressive fragmentation of general surgery into subspecialties, and the implementation of stringent work hour restrictions. The aim of this thesis was to explore how these developments have transformed the landscape of surgical residency training within the past years. The research described in this thesis has been conducted in a surgical training region located in the Southwest of the Netherlands, consisting of 1 university hospital and 6 affiliated district hospitals. Conclusions resulting from this research may be helpful for stakeholders responsible for the organization of training in general surgery in the Netherlands and could be used for continuous improvement of the surgical residency training program and to guide future directions in surgical training, hence ensuring high-quality training and well-balanced education for the next generation of surgeons