557 Cardiothoracic Surgery Training – Bridging the Gap Through a National Teaching Series Article Swipe
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· 2025
· Open Access
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· DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjs/znaf128.619
· OA: W4411742848
Aim The 2024 competition ratio for cardiothoracic surgery (CTS) in the United Kingdom (UK) was 45.3:1. It can be challenging for medical students and resident doctors to gain insight to the recruitment process and develop competitive applications. To address this, and with the aim of widening participation, a national student led committee developed a teaching series on CTS recruitment and training. Method The six-part teaching series ran from October 2023 to June 2024, covering stages of the application process. Webinars were free, hosted on the MedAll platform and were promoted by student representatives in the UK and Ireland. Anonymous feedback was collected after each webinar using Likert scales and open text. Results The webinars received a total of 404 attendances from 40 different countries. 88.9% reported increased confidence in making a competitive application with a mean score percentage increase of 77.0% (p<0.0001). Prior to the webinar, 45% were unaware of CTS academic clinical fellowships and 83.9% reported improved knowledge about academic surgery with a mean score percentage increase of 82.6% (p<0.0001). 77.8% recorded increased confidence with the self-assessment criteria, with a mean score percentage increase of 68.9% (p<0.0001). Overall, the teaching engagement was rated 4.5/5. Qualitative analysis highlighted the informative nature, reassuring perspectives and improved clarity with the application process. Conclusions This series has successfully outlined CTS recruitment and training. The international reach and feedback confirm a positive impact in understanding, helping to develop a competitive application and improve widening participation. The transferability of this programme allows for dissemination across all specialities.
