[HSF] Current Requirements for the ABTS

[Hgrmd at aol.com]

Prasanna,
  Worse yet, how will a couple extra years less of cutting and sewing  impact 
the CT surgery residents abilities?  As a 4th and 5th year general  surgery 
resident, I was the primary surgeon on a lot of huge cases.  Most  of these I 
don't currently do, but gaining the skills and maturity was  invaluable.  In 
addition, some of my current patients suffer postop GI  complications.  I can 
recognize a surgical abdomen, as well as make sure  that the general surgeon 
handles it appropriately.  Alas, the U.S. CT  surgery programs have multiple huge 
problems in even maintaining the quality of  trainee that we've become 
accustomed to them producing.
Hal