Surgical education in the new millennium: a community hospital perspective

Community hospital residency programs in surgery have been the major source for surgeons providing the broad range of surgical care in the 5000 hospitals in this country. Staffed largely by volunteer teaching faculty, the number of these programs has been decreasing in recent years as they face increasing challenges. Private practice surgeons must do more cases, see more patients for less reimbursement, and still try to participate in the multiple educational activities and continual professional development required of teaching faculty. Efforts to meet these challenges, including continued federal funding, are essential if community hospital programs are to continue their important contribution to the medical education system.