Orthopaedic Education in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Graduate medical education in the United Kingdom recently restructured with the goal of improving trainee experience. In 2007, the Modernizing Medical Careers program changed the organizational structure of all postgraduate medical training in the United Kingdom due to concerns about excess length of training and a lack of supervision. The goals were to include standardization of education and training to produce “high quality, well trained, accredited doctors” [4]. A more formalized structure of feedback and assessment was also implemented to document the progress of trainees [4]. Additionally, the European Union’s European Work Time Directive reduced the number of hours any employee could work (including those in graduate medical education training)—from 56 hours to 48 hours per week. The purpose of this article is to introduce the reader to the educational structure of the United Kingdom, how assessment and feedback are conducted, and just how the European Work Time Directive has influenced orthopaedic surgery education.