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Specialty Training Requirements in
General Surgery

2015

VERSION 3.0

These training requirements apply to those who begin training on or after July 1^st, 2015.

MINIMUM TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

Five (5) years of approved residency training in General Surgery. This period must include:

1. Two (2) years (26 blocks) of foundational training in surgery that meets the requirements of the Royal College Objectives of Surgical Foundations Training, which must include:
   1. Six (6) to eighteen (18) blocks as a junior resident in General Surgery
   2. Two (2) blocks of critical care
   3. Two (2) blocks on a service that provides initial trauma management (such as Emergency Medicine, General Surgery, trauma team, Orthopedic Surgery, or Plastic Surgery)
2. Twenty-six (26) blocks of further approved residency training in General Surgery
   1. A minimum of thirteen (13) blocks as a senior resident
   2. A maximum of six (6) blocks, selected from one or more of the following:
      1. Pediatric surgery
      2. Thoracic surgery
      3. Vascular surgery
3. Two (2) blocks of training in gastrointestinal endoscopy, including both upper and lower gastrointestinal tract
4. Eleven (11) blocks of selective rotations, which may include any combination of the following:
   1. Further training in General Surgery
   2. Clinical rotations in other surgical and non-surgical disciplines relevant to the resident's career goals
   3. Clinical or basic research

NOTES:

A block is defined as a four (4) week rotation.

Senior residency is defined as the thirteen block period during which the resident is regularly entrusted with the responsibility for pre-operative, operative and post-operative patient care, including the most difficult problems in General Surgery. The senior resident shall be in charge of a General Surgery unit, under the supervision of the attending staff: no other resident or fellow shall impede direct communication between the senior resident and the attending General Surgeon(s).

Under item 1.1, pediatric surgery, trauma surgery, transplant surgery and gastrointestinal endoscopy are to be considered General Surgery rotations

REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFICATION:

Royal College certification in General Surgery requires all of the following:

1. Successful completion of the Royal College Surgical Foundations curriculum;
2. Successful completion of the Royal College Surgical Foundations Examination;
3. Successful completion of a 5-year Royal College accredited program in General Surgery;
4. Successful completion of a research investigation including presentation of results related to General Surgery, as attested by the residency program director; and
5. Successful completion of the Royal College certification examination in General Surgery.

The five year program outlined above is to be regarded as the minimum training requirement. Additional training may be required by the program director to ensure that clinical competence has been achieved.

• REVISED – Specialty Standards Review Committee – June 2010
• REVISED – Specialty Standards Review Committee – December 2013
• REVISED – Specialty Standards Review Committee – March 2015

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