IS A MANDATORY GENERAL-SURGERY ROTATION NECESSARY IN THE SURGICAL CLERKSHIP

BACKGROUND: Changes in the spectrum of general surgery and the deliver y of surgical care have placed the requirement for a mandatory general surgery rotation in the surgical clerkship in question. METHODS: We t ested the hypothesis that equal mastery of surgical clerkship objectiv es can be obtained in a clerkship with and without general surgery. St udents chose any two surgical rotations and were assessed by written e xamination, objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), ward eva luations, self-assessment objectives questionnaire, and satisfaction s urvey. RESULTS: Data for 54 students showed no differences in scores b etween groups on any parameter. No specific concerns related to the ab sence of general surgery were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Effective under graduate surgical education can be offered in many specialty settings. Removal of the requirement for general surgery in clerkship may lead to a more effective use of all educational opportunities. A careful an alysis of local programs and facilities is necessary before suggesting this change to other institutions. (C) 1998 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.