Evaluación de los programas de formación en cirugía general. Encuesta a los alumnos de postítulo

Background: The profile of the general surgeon has changed, aiming to incorporate new skills and to develop new specialties. Aim: To assess the quality of postgraduate General Surgery training programs given by Chilean universities, the satisfaction of students and their preferences after finishing the training period. Material and methods: A survey with multiple choice and Likert type questions was designed and applied to 77 surgery residents, corresponding to 59% of all residents of general surgery specialization programs of Chilean universities. Results: Fifty five percent of residents financed with their own resources the specialization program. Thirty nine percent disagreed partially or totally with the objectives and rotations of programs. The opportunity to perform surgical interventions and the support by teachers was well evaluated. However, 23% revealed teacher maltreatment. Fifty six percent performed research activities, 73% expected to continue training in a derived specialty and 69% was satisfied with the training program. Conclusions: Residents considered that the quality and dedication of professors and financing of programs are issues that must be improved. The opportunity to perform surgical interventions, obtaining a salary for their work and teacher support are considered of utmost importance.