Regional variations in surgical examination performance across the UK: is there a postcode lottery in training?

Abstract

The restrictions placed on training opportunities mean that good-quality teaching is of paramount importance to the modern surgical trainee. The authors of this month's article have constructed a league table of training regions based on success rates of candidates sitting the MRCS examination. They acknowledge that pass rate at examination is only one surrogate measure of training standards and that an objective assessment and ranking of rotations would need to take into account several other factors. Nevertheless, a relatively large variation in performance is evident, which highlights the need for more comprehensive, transparent assessments of the quality of training delivered.