The English National Training Program for Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery: What Do the Trainees Think?

Susannah M Wyles, MSc MRCS, Danilo Miskovic, MD FRCS, George B Hanna, PhD FRCS, Mark G Coleman, MD FRCS. Imperial College London, Derriford Hospital (on behalf of the National Training Program)

Introduction
The National Training Programme (NTP) was set up in 2008 to target established colorectal surgeons who desired to learn laparoscopic colorectal surgery. The aim of this survey study was to review the NTP trainees opinion of the training they received.

Methods
An on-line questionnaire was distributed to registered trainees who had completed more than 5 training episodes. Opinion was given using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = undecided, 4 = agree, 5 = strongly agree). Demographic data including age, sex, training region, year of specialisation were collected.

Results
Fifty-six registered trainees fulfilled the inclusion criteria, and 39 completed the questionnaire (70% response rate). The trainees’ median age was 45 (range 35-62, 33 male, 6 female). They had been specialists for between 1 and 21 years (median 9) and were from all regions of England. Teaching sessions were organised using either an inreach (22%), outreach (25%), or combination (53%) of training. Trainees felt that their trainers seldom canceled sessions (93%), that it was easy to organise (82%) and consent (100%) an appropriate patient, and that their trusts were supportive of training (94%) and were allocated adequate theatre time (94%). Trainees overall found their trainers to be excellent at training (4.7 (range 4-5)), used sound educational principles (4.5 (range 3-5)), and facilitated the operation without taking over (4.6 (range 4-5). Trainees received regular feedback (84%).

Conclusion
The majority of trainees were highly satisfied with the training received thus far through the NTP, irrespective of region or structure used.