Cross-Specialty Training and Education for Surgical Trainees: A Review

Author(s): Arad Khodarahmi, Rahdakrishnan Nair

Introduction: Cross-specialty exposure within the training and education of surgical trainees has been suggested as a way to address the needs of increasingly complex patients driven by an aging population. As training pathways diverge early, enhancing cross-specialty understanding fosters improved teamwork, a core component of surgical practice. The aim of this study was to review current and emerging practices in cross-specialty exposure within surgical training and their benefits, as well as challenges, for trainees.

Method: For this review, PubMed (Medline), EMBASE, Google Scholar, Cochrane Central, and Web of Science were searched, from 2004 to 2024, for English articles pertaining to “cross-disciplinary” or “cross-specialty” and “surgical training” or “surgical education.”

Results: Several structured approaches, including attachments, rotations, team training, and simulation methods have demonstrated the potential to integrate technical and non-technical skills effectively for surgical trainees. Adaptations for emergency and rural general practitioners also highlight versatility in application. Importantly, these opportunities are usually received positively by both trainees and training providers. Key benefits include enhanced exposure to diverse practices, expanded knowledge bases, strengthened teamwork, and potential cost efficiencies. However, challenges remain, such as increasing already lengthy training periods, risks of burnout, and limited operative opportunities in certain specialties, particularly exacerbated post-COVID. Addressing compatibility with international training standards is complex given already significant global variability in surgical training.

Conclusions: Despite challenges, the demonstrated benefits of crossspecialty training suggest its inclusion in more surgical programs merits exploration to better prepare surgeons for collaborative, multi-disciplinary care environments and complex patient care.