Description
Introduction
Core surgical training is a 2 year training programme that acts as a stepping stone for higher surgical specialty training in the United kingdom. It is extremely difficult to achieve all the curriculum needs due to rota gaps and other factors that lead to the trainees not getting more experience in trauma and theatre and courses that teach certain aspects of the curriculum such as fundamentals of trauma and Basic fracture fixation are hard for trainees to book themselves on as they are not readily available and have a very long waiting list.
Aim:
In the west midlands we created two courses that introduce and help the Core surgical trainees familiarize them to the aspects of trauma and basic fracture fixation whilst also giving them the opportunity to meet their curriculum needs.
Methods
The two courses were created after discussion , going through the curriculum and approval of the Head of School of surgery of the west midlands and the Health education England. They were named CABC trauma course and the Basic Fracture management course. Both courses were designed to have two components: virtual (facilitated by the already established PGVLE platform and modules fact checked by Consultants, College tutors and training programme directors) and Face to face.
Results
Virtual modules had to be completed prior to coming to the face to face component of the course. In the face to face component of the course the delegates would receive high fidelity simulation in the CABC course and hands on experience with the basic fracture management course.
All Feedback from these courses were recorded and showed an average of 80 to 90 % increase in confidence of the delegates in manging trauma as a team member and a team leader. An average of 95 % of delegates felt after the course that they felt more well versed in the surgical procedure taught to them and felt their concepts regarding principles in fracture management increased. The average number of Work based assessments that were completed for both the courses were 10.
Conclusion
With the help of both courses we were able to successfully give core surgical trainees of the west midlands two course that are high fidelity and improve their knowledge on trauma and Orthopaedics in turn filling up the gaps that the core surgical training curriculum. Both courses have been accepted by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh to be accredited
