Graduate medical education in trauma/critical care and acute care surgery: defining goals for a new workforce.

The increasing need for skilled emergency surgical providers, coupled with decreasing experience in emergency surgery among trainees, has led to significant shortages in the availability of such surgeons. In response to this crisis, surgical leaders have developed a comprehensive curriculum and a set of professional standards to guide the training of a new specialist: the acute care surgeon. This article reviews the development and goals for Fellowship training of this new specialty.