Editor,
The National Undergraduate Curriculum in Surgery was created by the Royal college of Surgeons of England in 2015. The curriculum aimed to provide guidance for medical schools creating an evidence-based, clinically relevant and contemporary curriculum for all students.1 However, Cardiothoracic Surgery (CTS) is not included in many U.K. medical schools’ curriculum. Our study aimed to evaluate how much cardiothoracic surgery is taught in UK medical schools.
A questionnaire consisting of 8 questions was designed to evaluate student’s experiences in CTS during their undergraduate studies. Two questions were focussed on teaching specifically in Aortic Dissection (AD). The questionnaire was then sent electronically to final year medical students and foundation year one doctor graduated in 2018. Medical schools with no intake of medical students before the 2013-2014 academic year were excluded from this study. 2,3
Three hundred and six senior medical students and recent graduates completed the questionnaire. Students from 16 U.K. medical schools responded. Thirty-two (10.45%) had a placement in CTS during medical school. Three (18.75%) medical schools integrated CTS as part of the undergraduate curriculum. One hundred and twenty (39.22%) had received teaching in CTS, mainly through small group tutorials and online lectures. All students received teaching on AD. Method of teaching was mainly through lectures (79.33%)
Cardiothoracic Surgery is not included as part of the undergraduate curriculum in most U.K. medical schools. Student experiences in cardiothoracic surgery vary even in the same medical school. However, AD was taught in all surveyed medical schools. Further work should be done to improve student’s experience in cardiothoracic surgery during their undergraduate study, especially for students who consider cardiothoracic surgery as their future career.
Footnotes
UMJ is an open access publication of the Ulster Medical Society (http://www.ums.ac.uk).
REFERENCES
- 1.Royal College of Surgeons. National undergraduate curriculum in surgery. London: Royal College of Surgeons;; 2015. [Google Scholar]
- 2.General Medical Council. The state of medical education and practice in the UK. London: General Medical Council;: 2018. [Google Scholar]
- 3.UK Foundation Programme. 2018 recruitment stats and facts report; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales. London: UK Foundation Programme;; 2018. [Google Scholar]