What do surgical trainees and educators around the world need: a global needs assessment survey from 6 regions around the world

This study aims to conduct a comprehensive global needs assessment to identify the prevailing conditions, specific needs, and challenges faced by surgical trainees and educators across diverse healthcare contexts.

An international survey was developed and disseminated to surgical trainees and educators in 50 countries. The survey included sections on demographics, barriers to surgical education, educational activities, and training methods. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed on the responses, categorized into geographical regions: East Asia, South Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East, Latin America, and US and Canada.

A total of 1262 responses were collected: 515 from trainees and 747 from educators across 50 countries. Among trainees, key barriers included a lack of access to simulation resources, insufficient protected time for education, and limited hands-on surgical experience, particularly in East Asia and South Asia. In these regions, trainees reported working long hours with minimal exposure to simulation-based training. For educators, significant challenges included the lack of dedicated educational budgets, insufficient protected time for teaching, and a lack of formal training in educational methodologies. Despite these obstacles, there was a strong global interest among educators in improving their teaching skills.

This global needs assessment of surgical trainees and educators revealed critical gaps in surgical training, including limited access to simulation training and insufficient support for educators, particularly in developing regions. Addressing these disparities by expanding simulation resources and offering formal training for educators is essential for improving the training of surgical trainees globally.