Visiting registrars in surgery: the trainees' viewpoint.

Overseas Doctors have been coming for higher surgical training to the UK for many years. Little is known about the reasons they choose to come here, what their expectations are and if the training they receive fulfils these expectations and prepares them for a career back home. The aim of this study was to address these questions and to see what changes could be suggested to make training more meaningful to visiting registrars. Questionnaires were sent to 26 trainees who were part of the 3 year surgical registrar rotation in Wales from 1992. 23 completed questionnaires were available for analysis as the others were not traceable. 83% came to the UK to obtain the FRCS and train in a specific aspect of general surgery (74%). The period of training was felt to be inadequate by 79% of trainees. 65% felt that of the total period of training, less than 75% was useful. On return to their own countries 96% were to be either solely or largely responsible for patients in their care. In conclusion, if surgical training is to remain meaningful to visiting trainees, changes would have to be made to the Calman system to enable them to continue to do the FRCS and avenues made available for them to train in their stated areas of interest with adequate supervision, regular assessment and certification.