Past and present in the training of the surgeon… a real change?

Abstract

At the end of the 19th century, first in Europe and later in America, the mentoring training of surgical residents began, giving rise to different schools and under the method of seeing, helping and doing, laying the foundations of current university courses. In Mexico, during the last century, quality control methods were established through the certification of academic programs and with the certification and recertification, by the Mexican Council of General Surgery, of the trained specialists.

Despite the efforts of the different institutions, the essential functions of the Single Program of Medical Specialties (PUEM): care, teaching and research, in practice, are not fully fulfilled. The epidemiological panorama in the different regions of the country, the varied infrastructure of the host hospitals, the low level of knowledge or pedagogical interest of many course holders and assistants, and incipient research activity do not allow for the expected results.

Despite all these differences and obstacles, surgery residents continue to train on a daily basis under the instructions of their teachers, seeing how the most experienced resident does, helping with basic procedures first, and more complex ones later, and finally, doing the procedures until developing the confidence and experience necessary to perform them independently.

The cornerstone of their training continues to be the old method of seeing, helping, doing, which despite its chiaroscuros has remained in force, proving to be efficient and meeting the training expectations of the new specialists.