Surgical Curriculum Development

Abstract

Surgical education is in evolution and must rise to meet new challenges as the US healthcare system adopts merit-based incentive programs that emphasize care quality and cost control. In this environment, the educational curriculum for trainees must be regarded as a living document that serves as a blueprint to excellence in surgical education. A thorough and thoughtfully executed needs assessment followed by the construction of well-defined and well-written goals and objectives are the first steps to a high-quality educational curriculum. Planned, periodic curriculum reviews are needed to correlate the success of the curriculum with resident achievement, faculty accomplishment, and successful program outcomes.