Changes in Operative Case Experience for General Surgery Residents: Has the 80-Hour Work Week Decreased Residents' Operative Experience?

Abstract

To be trained as competent surgeons, general surgery residents (GSRs) must be exposed to a variety of different operative experiences during their training and must be provided the opportunity to adequately develop their technical and operative skills. In the past, general surgery training was characterized by long hours and endless repetition. Innovation in the field of surgery, as well as the technology that enabled such advances, generally progressed at a slow but steady rate. GSRs were commonly assigned to a wide variety of challenging specialty rotations, often with relatively little competition from more senior, fellowship-level trainees.